Rent The County (2020)

Love it or loathe it - The County review by CS

Wasn't sure about this movie but glad I stuck with it. Bit slow in parts but storyline and acting good. Determined lead which dominated

the story with a no guess ending. Quite watchable and passed the time.

A good film about abuse of power - The County review by CP Customer

The inner workings of a farming co-operative in a remote Icelandic valley might sound like an unpromising setting for a movie, but the film makers prove that idea wrong.

The narrative is always absorbing and the lead actor, Arndis Egilsdottir, carries the film brilliantly. She is rarely off screen and her dogged presence seems to fit well with the other star of the film, the Icelandic landscape scenery.

There seems to be a political allegory not far below the surface, something along the lines of the dangers of Stalinist bureaucracy growing from the seeds of good ideas.

Sometimes those who have been crushed by bureaucracy can see it as an opportunity to make changes, as the jaunty pop song used in the film suggests.

Quiet, thoughtful battle against the odds - The County review by CC

Enjoyed this quiet, thoughtful film very much.  the story of of a woman's fight to save her farm from the local collective.  very moving. 

Gentle Feel Good Film - The County review by CD

Interesting to see an Icelandic Farm and appreciate the pressures on people trying to make a living from the land. The film has a predictable direction but it is enjoyable and flows along well. The lead character (Inga) is strong but there is a lack of other strong characters across the film to make it really interesting as a drama. Well worth a watch though.

Not much to write home about - The County review by BE

Bleak landscape, bleak characters and consequently a bleak film. Apart from an incident with milk, totally lacking in humour. Passed a bit of time but wouldn’t recommend it. Very natural acting but too doleful for me 

Good study of life in a farming monopsony - The County review by AS

They never use the word in the film, but the farmers in this part of backwoods Iceland are victims of a monopsony; instead of only one producer as in a monopoly, there is only one buyer, the 'co-op'. Not a farmer myself, but I've a feeling the activities of the farming co-op depicted in 'The County' may ring bells the world over. These organisations doubtless start with high ideals, guaranteeing to buy produce regularly at an agreed price, initially providing security to farmers and hence whole communities, but then they lose their way, get corrupted, or mostly probably just get taken over by corporations that share none of the original ideals and gradually unpick them, hoping nobody will notice. But Inga does notice, and fights fearlessly for her rights, inspiring other farmers to back her and finally establishing a new co-op of their own. That much is all fairly predictable but it's well done, credible, interesting socially and culturally, and resists sentimentality. Only disappointment for those who loved 'Rams' (and laughed out loud at parts of it), this isn't a comedy but a sober and serious work.