Written and directed by Sigurður Anton, Skinny Talk follows Emily (Kristrún Kolbrúnardóttir), a 25-year-old woman living in Iceland. She’s in a serious but open relationship with Katinka (Magdalena Tworek), who lives in another country. While visiting Emily, Katinka suggests that she could apply to work on the Iceland project with her company, and the two could move in together. This makes Emily, who runs an OnlyFans-esque account and works at a music store, very anxious.
Making matters worse is Emily’s 15-year-old co-worker at the store, who is very interested in her sex-related work. However, Emily shoots down even discussing it with Marisa (Laurasif Nora). Then her mom, who is helping Emily sort out her finances, is getting stricter about what her daughter can and cannot buy. All of this, plus issues finding a partner for her intercourse videos, sends Emily into an overwhelming tizzy.
The focus on Emily’s fear that Marisa will be moved to another job takes up a good 20-minute chunk, straight through. And it is boring. The fear is almost all in her head, and there are only so many ways to articulate it without browbeating the audience. This is a continuing issue in Skinny Love. Every subplot just goes on a little too long. There are many scenes of Emily talking about her money woes, or with her male lover, Garpur (Guðsteinn Fannar Ellertsson), that could be cut without losing the heart of the plot. It all adds up to odd pacing in a rather straightforward drama.
“While visiting Emily, Katinka suggests that she could apply to work on the Iceland project with her company, and the two could move in together.”
Happily, just about everything else here works. The editing is very good, switching between more frantic and subdued depending on the main character’s mood. It is an effective way to highlight her manicness as things culminate. The music adds nicely to the underlying emotions of any given scene.
However, the highlight of Skinny Love is the acting. Kolbrúnardóttir is amazing. Emily is a complicated role, a little whiny and a bit overthinking, yet still very compelling and likable. The characterization in the script surely helps there, but it is the actor’s pure commitment to the part that imbues Emily with charm. The look on her face as she deletes a text to her mom is one of exhaustion and confusion. Yet whenever she’s in front of her webcam, she has the biggest smile.
The supporting cast is equally fantastic. Tworek is charming, and she shares real chemistry with Kolbrúnardóttir. Nora is very good, threading that line between adult and minor believably. Ellertsson is equal parts silly and dramatic, creating some stakes between how it all shakes out.
Skinny Love feels a little padded, causing a few boring moments. But due to the natural dialogue and editing, the film never truly loses the audience. And that is because the cast, led by an amazing Kolbrúnardóttir, is fantastic in every way. Plus, the very sex-positive tone and message are a real treat.
"…the cast, led by an amazing Kolbrúnardóttir, is fantastic..."
