Cinema is an interesting thing that can create a specific sense of time, way different from the one we are in right now. Scenery, birds, noise, sound or even music and silence have been protagonists of storytelling. With “Grimsey”, written and directed by Richard Garcia and Raul Portero, the viewer will embark themselves on a deeply emotional journey that will be filled with comedy and drama, love and frustration, loss and the gain of hope in a very surreal way.
After breaking up with Norberto, who ran away to Iceland, Bruno is determined to find him no matter what. Upon his arrival in the country, he reports Norberto’s disappearance to the nearest police station and must wait for twenty four hours before any action can be taken. As he continues his search anxiously, the man befriends a local tour guide, Arnau, who joins Bruno’s road trip across Iceland to find the mysterious man. During their journey, they both will enter into a grieving, very sad and yet touching process until they reach the island of Grimsley that nobody wants to visit.
There is an interesting filmmaking style the viewer will be able to observe throughout the movie. Sometimes with limited dialogues, the film offers what words can’t describe; the constant phone calls of Bruno to Norberto, his plea, beautiful soundtrack or the sound of fall gives that chilling feeling to what Bruno is going through inside of his mind while he misses Norberto or simply searches for him.
In conclusion, “Grimsey” is a piece of film that might make anyone feel lonely. For instance, Bruno or even Arnau are both lonely; they both have their own puzzles to solve, brokenhearted and in need of a genuine companion. And whether they will find one or not is a matter of what happens in their mind and how they manage to cope with loss to run the grief into a long-awaited cure they could benefit from. But to learn that, I hope, you will make your own trip to Grimsey through this very intimate and deeply touching film.