BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

TxMike This "independent" movie is set somewhere in the USA, but it is filmed in Iceland. All the crew and the director appear to be Scandinavian. It is about a man who seems to live his life running scams to get insurance money, but this time he runs up against one of the better insurance investigators who tries to minimize payouts.The lead role is played by Forest Whitaker as Abe Holt, who seems very good as the insurance man. When a man insured for $1Million is found dead and burned in a tragic car wreck, Holt is dispatched to see if there is fraud involved. Basically, he tries to find the victim alive. The rat is Jeremy Renner as "Fred", who apparently is married to the sister of the deceased man, and she is the sole beneficiary of the $1Million. But not all is as it seems to be. Julia Stiles is Isold, the sister, and the young son is Thor. Interesting movie, something different from Hollywood blockbusters.SPOILERS: The man Fred who appears to be Isold's husband is really the man supposed to be dead, Isold's crooked brother, who found a drifter to kill in the wreck. Holt figures this out, a key piece of information is finding the real "Fred" was already dead. Holt arranges the policy so that Isold will get $1Million, but when he tried to get the brother to justice, both end up dying in yet another car crash.

D A This somewhat awkward transition to American markets finds Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur a bit over his head with this little mystery. In effect, A Little Trip to Heaven plays a bit like the watered down, third-rate cousin of the thriller Insomnia (nothing spectacular to begin with), although here most potential intrigue is crushed by the deadening weight of a charisma-lacking direction. A talented trio of actors do help elevate the often lifeless direction, but the movie does take an even greater toll by employing Forest Whitaker in the misguided lead. A shame to be coming out on DVD so quickly after his triumphant academy win, Whitaker's questionable Canadian-esqe accent paired with the boring, underdeveloped character he is written here just proves too bland for lead role material. Co-stars Jeremy Renner and Julia Stiles do offer more inviting performances however.Difficult as the actual lack of energy beaming off the screen may be, the film is not without it's subtle shade of merit. Beyond the b-grade artistry lies a filmmaker with a promising talent for composition, often showing his best, least obvious strength when setting up succeeding, more important shots. As well, the script might have seemed a lot more convincing when on paper (which would explain some of the big name interest), offering a humbly ambitious, localized little guessing game centering around insurance fraud. Sadly, the adaptation to screen just does not gel in any real compelling way, though the detail oriented plot should throw enough curve balls to keep mystery buffs afloat.

kevandeb i have to say that this was a well acted, very well directed little offering, i would like to have seen more of Peter Coyote as i thought he portrayed the part of the Investigator with relish, and seemed to revel in ensuring people did not receive their full benefits. the whole feel to the film was dark, brooding and you always felt that things could not get any worse for Mr. Renner & Ms. Stiles, but it did. i suppose people will feel this is to dark for their tastes, but these are the dramas that make compelling viewing. Forest Whitaker does a good job and displays a determination to resolve the case that if were true to life, with the income he displayed within his character, i am not sure would be there?i notice a lot of 10/10's for this movie and think this is unwarranted, but having said that this was a worthwhile effort and should be seen.

this_fire I saw this film here in Iceland and I just loved it. It's just fantastic. Baltasar has done great things over the years and when I was a little girl he was my favorite actor. And the music was done by Mugison which is my favorite Icelandic band. The funny thing is that the Motel Isold and "Frank" were staying at in the end of the film used to be a boat shelter... and the building where the insurance company was, is a big brown building in the shape like ")" where my dad used to work. And the funniest thing is the place where the bus crash was shot. That place is one of the two main bus stations in Reykjavík and is called Hlemmur. Anyways. The film was fantastic and I recommend everybody to see it