The Oath (2016)

I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Possible Spoilers!I gave this very worthy flick 10 stars just to redress the balance of the negative reviews it has received here.Works on all levels. The dramatic tension is consistent throughout. The father/daughter relationship is very realistic, particularly her lack of self awareness and immaturity wich are very recognisable traits of addicts. Gísli Örn Garðarsson was convincing as Ottar. He wasn't painted as just a two dimensional villain. Just as real villains are not just villains. They love, have families, have a sense of humour, pets and hobbies and are often victims of bigger villains than themselves.I laud Baltasar Kormakur as both a fine director and actor.

Icelandic auteur Baltasar Kormákur (Contraband, 2 Guns, Everest) directs and stars in this psychological thriller about a father who tries to pull his daughter out of her world of drugs and petty crime, only to find that danger can be found in unexpected places. Eiðurinn lacks dramatic depth and good characters to care about also the film drags and it's a slow burn from start to finish, this film could have been great but it failed on so many levels. (0/10)

Just like the other reviewer had already said, this film is uneven. The plot had potential to be gripping, but failed to achieve it. There are some holes to fill in. Some actions of the main character make sense, the others don't. You just don't start messing up with a drug dealer(s), without making sure your family is secure, especially after they had ransacked your house. What is it exactly he was planning to do with her daughter's boyfriend? I could not figure this out. Why did Óttar got into Finnur' car and allowed him to drive to who knows where? We know that Óttar was not stupid. Besides, Óttar is not the main player in the drug business. There were certainly others who ransacked his house and who would certainly go after Finnur to get their money back. That scene where Óttar talks about his troubled childhood has reminded me a scene in "Breaking bad", Episode 3, where Walt cannot decide whether or not to kill Krazy-8. What was the purpose of bringing into this movie Finnur' childhood? Besides, how would Anna know? They want us to believe that Finnar had told it to her? I could continue with plot holes, but see for yourself. The main 3 character's acting was not bad in my opinion. I am giving it 5 for it is a well-made film overall. Filmmakers should have watched BreakingBad a couple of times to get an idea how to deal with drug dealers.

This movie did some things right, but also failed at many occasions. I liked the setting, the camera work, some of the actors (the daughter showed some decent acting), and the composition of most of the scenes, i.e. the background, was well done.What I did not like was the main actor, who has a cinema-suited face, but that's all he has. Maybe he was told to not show any emotions, or he is just not able to. In either case he was really boring to watch, he did not seem emotionally involved in the scenes. You will also get some blatant product placement, which should have been done more subtle. If you need money for your film and you have to put in some product, at least do it in a way that's not so much in your face. The main actor, his wife, and the police chief were also poorly designed. They are full of cliché, and do not have those interesting traits that would make them a person which is somewhat believable. It seems that the main character was mostly designed in way that they could show off some "cool looking" scenery and camera work, his "hobbies" seemed to be chosen just for this reason. The wife of the main character seems only to be there to show a worried face and smoke. She did not say anything interesting or important.The story was OK, for a TV-Thriller, but the other flaws did not allow me to get into it. And some scenes were just completely unnecessary. Anyway, I am writing this because no one else has written a review, and the current score is misleading, if you ask me.