Land Ho - 1 smile

Just saw the previews for “Land Ho,” written and directed by Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz, which make the movie far more interesting than it really is. And it was a crowd-pleaser at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which puzzles me. In a recent question-and-answer period, Katz explained that the idea for the film came from Stephens when she was planning a vacation: Wouldn’t it be fun to take Earl Lynn [Nelson], her second cousin, on the trip.  The result is a road movie about an eccentric, abrasive character that thinks he’s funnier than he really is. In fact, he’s down right obnoxious. And not much happens other than some male bonding. The saving factor is the beautiful Icelandic countryside.

A pair of silver-haired retired ex brothers-in-law go on a less-than-thrilling adventure at the behest of the flashier of the two, a bawdy former doctor. Mitch (Nelson) is a garrulous, Southern-accented, skirt-chasing coot. He rents a Humvee to cruise around Iceland and insists a young cousin and her friend, both PhD candidates who they meet up with on their travels, buy sexy clothes for a fancy dinner. Coarse and overbearing, Mitch is a lecher with a one-tract mind, but also a generous guy, particularly to Colin (Paul Eenhoorn), a wry, slightly melancholy and likable former banker. Temperamental opposites, Colin and Mitch once were married to two sisters. (Colin’s wife died and Mitch’s wife divorced him). Mitch is treating Paul to the trip. The pacing is slow and meandering and the directors often resort to music-accented montages. Some people might want to go on a trip with Earl Lynn, who, according to Katz, is much like his character Mitch. Count me out. 7/7/14