Astrópía, 4.5 stars
Astrópía was the first truly good movie of the festival. Pretty much par for the course, I didn’t worry too much about the uneven progress thus far.
The first thing apparent from Astrópía is its origin. The characters spout icelandic, and never let go.
The occasional english phrases folded in are there just for contrast.
The movie is a beautifully realized Beauty and the Geek. A model-class blonde is forced to seek out employment in a gameshop upon a sudden turn of events. After the expected clashes with the people threatened by the presence of a misfit (in their circles), the movie turns even better. Occasional injections of scenes from an ongoing role-playing campaign - definitely played at a table, the film disrespects the live action players quite fiercely - and the reality and fantasy mix very well at the hands of the creative team.
Definitely a movie I intend to seek out in dvd form. If only to inflict on gamer and non-gamer friends alike. And with partial finnish funding, such a release is not too outlandish a concept to consider.
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