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(2005 - Iceland)

Abe Holt (Whitaker), an insurance investigator, is sent by his boss Frank (Peter Coyote) to a small Minnesota town to investigate a crash site. The charred body at the scene may be that of Kelvin Anderson, a scam artist who is surprisingly well-insured. Abe is somewhat suspicious as the supposed identification hinge on a driver's license found in the car's glove compartment, which conveniently was still readable after the fire. His investigation leads him to Kelvin's sister, Isold (Stiles) who is the sole beneficiary of the million-dollar life insurance policy and her husband Fred (Renner), who is ominously cheerful. Holt’s investigation digs up a number of dirty little secrets, as he attempts to get to the bottom of the things. At the same time, he begins to sympathize with the plight of crushing poverty, which defines the lives of Isold, Fred and her 6 year-old son.

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Cast

• Forest Whitaker................................Holt
• Julia Stiles........................................Isold
• Jeremy Renner..................................Fred
• Peter Coyote...................................Frank

Credits

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Film Festivals:

• Toronto Int'l Film Festival - September 12, 2005

• Sundance Film Festival - January 2006

• Göteborg Film Festival (Sweden) - January 27-February 6

• Cognac Film Festival (France) - April 9, 2006

• Alba Regia Int'l Film Festival (Hungary) - May 31, 2006

• Karlovy Vary Film Festival (Czech Republic) - July 1, 2006

Reviews:

Adam Swimmer, Jam! Movies:
"A Little Trip To Heaven has a noirish quality with a highly effective visual style... The entire cast is solid but the film truly belongs to Whitaker as he slowly pieces together the truth." 

Box Office Magazine:
"A Little Trip to Heaven has all the usual film noir tropes like the femme fatale, corrupt heroes and expedient bureaucrats (Peter Coyote, in fine form)."

Iceland Review:
"It is a dark film, but visually very, very strong. Forest Whitaker and Julia Stiles are starring in the movie, and they shine."

Jeremy Mathews, Film Threat:
"Icelandic writer/director Kormákur makes his English-language debut with a stylish film that captures the bleak gloom of a desolate town and contrasts it with a satire of insurance commercials that concentrate on happy, sunny days—not the ones that require insurance. The percussion-based soundtrack and solid performances add to the eerie feel as our ignoble hero descends into a quiet hell, perhaps looking for a way into heaven, perhaps simply trying to keep its premiums down."

 

Images

[ The Official Peter Coyote Web Site ]