Rent Falcons (2002)

Let down by a poor story. - Falcons review by CP Customer

The plot of 'Falcons' revolves around 'Simon', an American criminal, who on release from prison travels to a small town in Iceland with an intention to end his life of crime. While there he becomes a close to 'Dua', free spirited, charismatic and beautiful young woman, who he believes may be his illegitimate daughter. Dua believes in astrology, loves animals, is naive, optimistic and doesn't take much interest in material possessions; Simon however is the complete opposite. When Dua gets into trouble with the local police, Simon decides to help her escape. Dua's only possession of any value is her pet Icelandic Falcon, which just happens to be a protected species. As Simon discovers it is a rare and valuable bird, the pair go on the run to Germany to find a buyer. Overall, the acting is excellent and the scenery, as with most Icelandic films, is beautiful, but what lets the film down is a poorly executed story, and by the end of the film you get the feeling that writer-director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson was running out of ideas. If you're a fan of Icelandic cinema 'Falcons' is worth a look, otherwise it's worth giving a miss.