A dark comedy indeed, Under the Tree guarantees an interesting experience at the theatre. The film finds its tone from the jump, jet-black humor feeding off depressed circumstances, and remains pleasantly consistent throughout-though this stylistic choice will make or break the experience for you. While there's no shortage of wit amongst these characters, nearly all of the humor revolves around one person being particularly nasty to another. Even on a 90 minute run time, I found this harsh demeanor to be kind of a drag (maybe dark comedies aren't my thing, maybe I missed the point; take your pick).
Following the dissolution of several marriages-one for newfound life, one fighting for custody, and one for a reprieve from grief-it's hard to believe Under the Tree wouldn't wrangle a genuine emotional reaction out most audience members by the time credits roll. Perhaps more valuable as a meditation on severe familial dysfunction than as a straight comedy, the film will likely scratch an itch for Icelandic brevity you didn't think you had.
Review of Under the Tree
