22-05-2025
When the Light Breaks review — a simple, slow but beautiful Icelandic drama
This dreamy, wispy Icelandic grief drama might have been called The Other Woman had that title not already been taken by a cheesy Cameron Diaz rom-com. I'm also fond of The Ciggy Break, as so much of the film's emotional revelations occurs during the central character Una's pivotal smoking interludes — in front of corrugated iron doors, pebble-dashed walls and glass patio screens. Una (Elin Hall) is the so-called other woman, an art student who's having a secret affair with hipster musician Diddi (Baldur Einarsson) and who, as the film begins, is thrilled to discover that Diddi is just hours away from breaking up with his long-term girlfriend Klara (Katla Njalsdottir). Unfortunately, a fatal car accident, rendered in explosive detail (cue action movie fireball),
