The opening scene of Jitters features a coachload of youngsters somewhere near Manchester being herded around by a northern school programme leader.
It's a scene that will lull most mono-lingual English types (like me) into a false sense of security because this coming-of-age movie is actually driven by Icelandic dialogue (with subtitles of course!) in all the scenes that follow.
But don't be put off. The dialogue in this tale of mixed-up teens finding their way is entertaining , moving and at times quite witty.
It's like an extended Icelandic episode of Skins - exploring the angst-ridden lives of a group of young friends. Central character Gabriel (Atli Oskar Fjalarsson)- having met and snogged cutey Markús (Haraldur Ari Stefansson) on his Manchester trip - spends the duration weighing up the nature of his sexuality while his male mates mess about with girls and his girlfriends grapple with family, self-loathing, alcohol and boys.
For me it was a struggle to keep up with who was who within the whirlwind of pubescent partying and teenage traumas, but the central Gabriel and Markús storyline is cute and sweet. Worth a watch.
Jitters is released on DVD by TLA Releasing on Monday 9th April
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