5/5 Wonderful Movie
  by Theresa Daly (Atlanta, GA)
Unlike some of the other reviewers I thought this was a great movie. The scenery was beautiful, acting excellent and I can't believe the number of people who didn't understand the story. It was fully revealed who the real Calvin was and in the end he tells his sister who actually died in the crash. It was revealed early on that he wasn't really her husband. As as for Frederick, look closely at the gravestone scene and the name on it. The insurance agent may have been protecting the agency's interest in the beginning but how he breaks from that and what he does for Thor is shear martyrdom. I highly recommend it but guess I must warn you to closely watch for all the clues.

3/5 A Dark Story in a Dark Place Without the Benefit of a Director's Enlightenment
  by Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
A LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN is a strange little Indie film by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur, a young director with some very fine ideas but with a script (written both by the director and Edward Martin Weinman) 'that is so spongy that the impact of the film relies on the considerable qualities of the cinematic images. Filmed primarily in Iceland with some scenes in Hastings, Minnesota, the mood is dank and dark and cold - and so is the story.

We first meet insurance investigator ('adjustor') Abe Holt as he listens to his boss Frank (Peter Coyote) explain to a new widow why she will not receive full death benefits because the insurance company took photos of her husband smoking, the apparent cause of his death. Abe just sits in the background but we know he is in tune with the fraudulent activity of the insurance company. Almost immediately he is assigned to a new case: an ex-con with a million dollar life insurance policy has apparently been found dead in a car crash burned beyond recognition. Abe drives to the tiny snowy desolate village where his questions of the townsfolk reveal that the victim was Kelvin Anderson, the brother of Isold (Julia Stiles) who is married to a low life type named Fred (Jeremy Renner), a man who we have seen in flashbacks as the one responsible for arranging the car crash and setting the car on fire. Abe sneaks around the town, spies on Isold, and becomes involved in the investigation in more ways than the honest one. It is the interplay of the three - Abe, Fred, and Isold - that provide the intrigue and mystery of the apparent framed insurance scam.

The screenplay is so full of holes that it is difficult to follow the case's development. The actors are superb artists: Forest Whitaker made this film almost simultaneously with his Oscar winning 'The Last King of Scotland' yet here his character is plagued by an affected accent and by the lack of substance that might make us care about his plight; Julia Stiles does her best with the little she is given to do and Jeremy Renner is convincingly menacing without any factors that make us find him worth caring about. The supporting actors (Joanna Scanlan as a sleazy bartender, Iddo Goldberg and Philip Jackson as the police, Alfred Harmsworth as the 'son' of Isold, and Vladas Bagdonas as the coroner) actually fare better than the leads as far as material available.

The strong aspect of the film is the visual imagery, due to the decisions of picture composition by Kormákur and cinematographer Óttar Guðnason and Mugison's musical is apropos for the mood. But the film remains grounded and a bit on the confusing side because of the director's lack of unity. One wonders why Whitaker, Stiles, and Renner signed on to this little film. Grady Harp, March 07

5/5 Dark, twisted story line with an unexpected ending
  by Mary K. Thompson (Janesville, WI, USA)
Forest Whitaker gives a powerful but understated performance in this strange twisted tale of family loyalty, greed and murder. Characters are deeply realized, plot is rock solid, and the directing is superb. Loved it.

3/5 It was interesting
  by Music lover in Omaha (Omaha, Ne)
While I didn't hate this film, I didn't really love it either. It had an interesting plot, although sometimes it seemed hard to follow. I did think that Forrest Whitaker and Julia Stiles did good work in this film, but for some reason the plot never really got off the ground and the final resolution just defied belief and not just because of where Whitaker's character ended up. The wrap up was definately NOT in line with the psychological make up of the husband. He would not have done that. No how. No way. It wasn't in him. And Abe (Whitaker) - Maybe think of something unusual like, oh I don't know, how about calling the police when it involves a police matter. Despite the flaws though, I thought it was pretty well acted and a pretty interesting piece of work. This was not one of the best films I have ever seen, but if you like kind of off-beat, atmospheric movies this might be to your taste. Definately worth a try if you have a hard time picking out a rental

3/5 Unique Atmosphere, But Ending Hurts It
  by Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
This was an intriguing, although not satisfying,, movie and one I still felt was worth my few bucks I paid to rent it.

It was filmed in Iceland - one of the few films I've heard of with that locale - but the story in the film takes place somewhere in Midwestern America. I knew that going in, so it made it kind of strange to view, in that respect. However, the story seemed very realistic. In parts, it almost felt like a documentary, it was so real and atmospheric.

However, as much as I enjoyed the movie, and particularly Forest Whitaker with his odd accent, the ending was a big disappointment. The film had so much promise up until then. With a more satisfying ending, I would have bought the DVD and watched it several more times

Some people say this film had the feel of a Coen Brothers movie, and I agree with that. To some, this might also have been a bit slow or boring but I thought it had unique atmosphere to it.