more impressive for its refusal to inflate drama into melodrama. Circumstances and situations are carefully observed and presented to the viewer without any need to tug at the heartstrings. Uggadottir also secures sympathetic, naturalistic performances from her cast that help to draw the viewer into their lives." Variety critic Alissa Simon described the film as an "impressively acted social-realist drama." Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter made a point of mentioning Uggadóttir's "sure grasp of naturalistic performance and an eye for character-shaping landscape." The Guardian described And Breathe Normally as "a screening gem", recommending it as "a humane and thoughtful Icelandic drama" in the paper's section which "highlights lesser-known films available to stream." Critic George Fenwick wrote: "For fans of Ken Loach and Andrew Haigh, it is an immensely moving piece of storytelling, focused on the human cost of the cold, unfeeling systems designed to control immigration in the western world." He further commended director Uggadóttir for "humanising issues such as poverty and immigration that are too often told through statistics, brilliantly laying bare the lack of accountability that exists in bureaucratic systems." Critic Candice Frederick of the New York Times wrote an equally glowing review, illustrating how "the film doesn’t rely on the cinematic clichés that so often arise when two very different people develop an unlikely friendship. Rather, it engages the audience with a deeply resonant narrative that highlights the ways our sense of safe keeping can suddenly be ripped from our grasp. And it reminds us of the power we possess, even when we think we’re helpless." And Breathe Normally was listed as one of 21 must-see debuts by female directors from the last 10 years by the BFI. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of See also List of Icelandic films List of LGBT-related films directed by women References External links 2018 films 2018 drama films 2018 LGBT-related films Icelandic drama films 2010s Icelandic-language films Lesbian-related films LGBT-related drama films Films about refugees Films set in Iceland Icelandic LGBT-related films