FILM REVIEWS:
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Icelandic: Ástin Sem Eftir Er) (Iceland 2025) ***
Directed by (Icelandic: Ástin Sem Eftir Er)
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS, written and directed by Hlynur Pálmason, stars Saga Garðarsdóttir as Saga and Sverrir Guðnason as Manus in a husband and wife relationship with their three children and pet dog, Pada (the dog has black and white colours looking like a panda). Their relationship is still there, but they have each made the decision to separate and go their own ways. But THE LOVE STILL REMAINS in this quiet, simple yet complicated love story
The film has a curious but somehow truthful look at how love manifests itself. Take these two examples. When the husband says he should spend more time disciplining the kids because he loves them, the wife holds him and then says, “Now you know how it feels. I am scolding you because I love you. Another example happens a bit later when the horses escape from the pen. The wife says: “If it is only someone I hated had forgotten to close the gate. Then I would have a reason to kill him.”
The sequence of images in the film makes one think. There is a scene of children playing with the young baby chicks, so cute and cuddly. The boy says the rooster will be fucking them if they are put together. The scenes of the chicks being cuddled are then followed by a scene where chicken wings and drumsticks are on the BBQ being cooked.
(Spoiler alert!) The film has a rather puzzling ending that is to be examined literally and metaphorically. One scene of a giant rooster that pecks Manus out of bed isan example of some surrealism found in the film. One wishes that these segments be left out, as these odd segments only appear near the end of the film. It would be better if the film were clearer. The ending suggests three core ideas that are not common in relationship-based films.
Love does not always conquer incompatibility.
Two people can care deeply for each other and still fail, which is not surprising since both have strong personalities.
What remains after love changes is nothing — it’s memory, growth, and sometimes quiet gratitude.
The love that remains is shown to be less tragic than it appears, with more acceptance and reflection on the couple than devastation. This is what distinguishes this film as a whole, making it more thoughtful and interesting. The three children also come into the picture, as they slowly grow in puberty and adulthood, thus adding to both problems and complicity. The family dog Panda steals the show, demonstrating that most families should have a pet dog.
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS had its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2025, where the lead animal actor, Panda, won the Palm Dog Award. It was selected as Iceland's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards but was not nominated. The film opens in Toronto at the TIFF Lightbox on March 13th.
Trailer:
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