A Little Trip to Heaven

Plot synopsis:
The very beginning of the film, before the opening credits, shows a new widow sitting in a life insurance office. Expecting to be compensated for her husband's death, the widow is informed that she is not entitled to full death benefits because the insurance company has captured footage of her husband smoking and attributes his death to cigarettes. Abe Holt looks on as his co-worker convinces the widow that she's lucky to leave with a small fraction of the award she was expecting.
The film centers around three vehicle crashes, which are first introduced to the viewer one after another at the very beginning of the movie. The first shows a young couple flying through the open roof of their convertible, which has been ejected over a cliff. They swim to shore, where the woman hits the leg of her fellow passenger with a pipe. The second involves a city bus and insurance adjustor Abe Holt (Forest Whitaker), who has arrived at the scene on the suspicion that many of the passengers boarded the bus after the accident, looking to file a claim. Holt bluffs, claiming a hidden camera will help sort out who was truly on the bus; many leave, and his co-worker (Peter Coyote) quickly tells him their company wants him to investigate a crash in the remote and desolate town of North Hastings, Minnesota.
The third crash involves an unnamed young man who is stranded at the side of the road on a rainy night, after stopping in the local bar. He accepts a ride from the man who has drained his gas tank, who proceeds to speed the car against the wall of a tunnel, injuring his passenger in the wreck. The anonymous man is dragged to the front seat and buckled in before the gas is poured over the car and set ablaze. However, to those who later discover the crash it appears that Kelvin Anderson has died after crashing his own car into the tunnel wall, prompting a spontaneous vehicle fire that burned his body beyond recognition. The local police are convinced it is an open-and-shut case, as Kelvin’s driver's license is found in the glovebox, the plates on the car match Kelvin's, and Kelvin's sister, Isold (Julia Stiles), lives on the other side of the tunnel.
However, Holt is suspicious because while the body is conveniently unidentifiable the license is still intact and Isold, the sole beneficiary of the $1 million policy, is skittish and was not expecting her brother's visit. Isold’s husband, the suspiciously cheerful and vaguely threatening "Fred" McBride (Jeremy Renner), further convinces Holt there's something else to this case. As he continues to investigate the case Holt discovers a number of surprising secrets, among them the fact that Frederick McBride is actually dead (buried in a field outside the abandoned McBride home) and that the supposedly dead Kelvin has a record as a con man. The most convincing evidence are photos of Kelvin, from his criminal record and high school, showing him looking like the man posing as "Fred." Holt eventually determines that the charred body pulled from the car wreck is not Kelvin's, that Isold's "husband" is actually her brother Kelvin. A flashback reveals that the couple from the convertible seen at the opening of the movie was Isold and Kelvin, wrecking their car—and Kelvin's leg—for insurance money.
When Isold figures out that her brother has murdered an innocent drifter she is horrified, but Kelvin convinces her to "play her part" in this last con by holding hostage his son Thor, whom Isold has been helping him raise since the boy's mother left. When Isold visits the insurance office to collect on Kelvin's policy, Holt—in an echo of the movie's opening scene—informs her that he cannot award her the full $1 million she expects, only the blue book value of his car ($1500). Isold leaves angrily; when Holt tells her she's lucky he hasn't exposed her as an accessory to murder, she tells him that her brother has taken Thor. Moved and concerned, Holt puts a one-day hold on her check (ensuring that she'll return to the bank the next day) and changes the name of the insured on the policy from "Kelvin Anderson" to "Frederick McBride."
The next day Isold cashes her check and opens a safety deposit box, in which she puts a childhood picture of her and her brother. She returns to the motel where Kelvin is staying with Thor, and tries to convince him that she has left the rest of the money in the safety deposit box so that she can leave with Thor. Kelvin doesn't buy it, and gets in his car with Thor—only to find he's held at gunpoint by Holt, in the backseat. Holt tells Isold to leave with the boy and Fred speeds off, buckling his seatbelt (a sign he'll crash the car). Kelvin crashes the car, killing both men, and Isold is awarded the full benefits of the tampered life insurance policy.
The film ends with Abe is walking in a beach (probably heaven) which is identical to a beach featured in the insurance company's commercial seen earlier in the film, as the credits roll.

Tags: murder, flashback

Review:
Filmed In Iceland, This Is Intriguing, But Ending Hurts It. This was an intriguing, although not satisfying,, movie and one I still felt was worth my few bucks I paid to rent it.It was filmed in Iceland - one of the few films I've heard of with that locale - but the story in the film takes place somewhere in Midwestern America.
In parts, it almost felt like a documentary, it was so real and atmospheric.However, as much as I enjoyed the movie, and particularly Forest Whitaker with his odd accent, the ending was a big disappointment.
The film had so much promise up until then.Some people say this film had the feel of a Coen Brothers movie, and I agree with that.
The story is compelling with enough twists and turns to keep one interested, but what was really riveting was the fact that the movie wraps up neatly but in a thought provoking way, unlike so much predictable Hollywood fluff nowadays.
It is a thinking person's film and I appreciated that.One other thing I wanted to note on was the tone: dark, bleak, isolated, and barren.
This movie shows what's great about film festivals.
So many movies, and they're not tied down to every Hollywood cliché in the book.The way Little Trip plays out is hard to describe.
Forest Whitaker plays an insurance investigator, a company man.
After a suspicious fatal car accident in Hastings where the identity of the victim was forged, the Quality Life insurance company sends their smart investigator Abe Holt (Forrest Whitaker) to identify the body.
The unique beneficiary of the one million dollars death benefit is the sister of the victim, Isold (Julia Stiles), who lives with her son Thor and her husband Fred (Jeremy Renner) in a poor cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Along the investigation, Abe discloses the truth about the fraud, but feels sorry for Isold and Thor and tries to help them with tragic consequences."Little Trip to Heaven" has a good premise, showing both sides of the insurance policies, with some fraudulent cases of clients and questionable procedures of the companies themselves.
But the characters involved have layers and secrets to them as well.Julia Stiles was ravishing as always, Forest Whitaker very convincing, but I was most drawn in by Jeremy Renner.
Great movie, amazing to see see how they used the countryside of Iceland to display a small town in the USA.
As well as the scenes from the "big city" which where all shot in Reykjavík the capital of Iceland, where they only put American signs on the buildings to turn it all into an American city.The story is really good, all the unexpected twists and turns keep you interested throughout the whole movie.I also have to make a comment on the soundtrack, incredible work by the young Icelandic artist 'Mugison'.
There's something strangely real about the film, from the first-rate acting, to the dark tone, to the deliberate pace...
I think the director's decision to give this film dramatic weight will set it apart from other mystery/thrillers (I feel weird even trying to categorize it).
I love the characters that Forest Whitaker usually portrays in his movies: soft einzelgangers who are balancing on the thin line between good and evil.
It's a modern film noir with an excellent cast, a beautiful soundtrack and atmospheric sequences in the rain or snow.
This somewhat awkward transition to American markets finds Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur a bit over his head with this little mystery.
In effect, A Little Trip to Heaven plays a bit like the watered down, third-rate cousin of the thriller Insomnia (nothing spectacular to begin with), although here most potential intrigue is crushed by the deadening weight of a charisma-lacking direction.
A talented trio of actors do help elevate the often lifeless direction, but the movie does take an even greater toll by employing Forest Whitaker in the misguided lead.
A shame to be coming out on DVD so quickly after his triumphant academy win, Whitaker's questionable Canadian-esqe accent paired with the boring, underdeveloped character he is written here just proves too bland for lead role material.
Co-stars Jeremy Renner and Julia Stiles do offer more inviting performances however.Difficult as the actual lack of energy beaming off the screen may be, the film is not without it's subtle shade of merit.
As well, the script might have seemed a lot more convincing when on paper (which would explain some of the big name interest), offering a humbly ambitious, localized little guessing game centering around insurance fraud.
A great cast does what it can with ludicrous details.The most intriguing aspect of this story is that the audience is constantly in search of a hero or victim, but all of the characters are villains, to varying degrees.The real problem is the basic premise.
Give it a try if you have nothing better to do and like strange plot twists..
i have to say that this was a well acted, very well directed little offering, i would like to have seen more of Peter Coyote as i thought he portrayed the part of the Investigator with relish, and seemed to revel in ensuring people did not receive their full benefits.
the whole feel to the film was dark, brooding and you always felt that things could not get any worse for Mr. Renner & Ms. Stiles, but it did.
Forest Whitaker does a good job and displays a determination to resolve the case that if were true to life, with the income he displayed within his character, i am not sure would be there?i notice a lot of 10/10's for this movie and think this is unwarranted, but having said that this was a worthwhile effort and should be seen..
Good directing and acting, BIG flaws in credibility of the story.
Kept me curious and wanting to know how it ended, but felt disappointed that the story wasnt true to life..
Jeremy Renner plays a white trash criminal with a wife played by Julia Stiles, (known from the Jason Bourne movies as the female agent).
Unfortunately the story falls flat, because of some pretty big credibility flaws, things that just WOULD NOT happen in real life during an insurance investigation.
However the story just lacks coherence and credibility, so however great the acting is, it still falls flat.
With a more credible story this could have been a very suspenseful con movie, but unfortunately now only the directing and acting is left to be praised.
What's good though are the many plot twists and turns that kept me curious about how it would all end.
Funny endnote: the end credits of this icelandic production were rather special because it featured the names of ALL the extras that acted in this movie.
I went to the world premier of this film:D:D...This film was all shot in Iceland...and I think it was the best place for this film..all the dark houses..and creepy background...I'm still thinking about this film how this happened and how this was related to this part...and so on....this film makes you think...and I know that Baltasar Kormákur...thought a lot about this film...and this film worked..also all the music was Icelandic...and did good for the film...the actors where great..forest was the best i think..he did a great job...and Julia...she was the perfect home working girl who didn't want to leave her husband because she was afraid and thought she wouldn't get any better..and you felt sorry for her....and Jeremy....he was great too...and the car accidents where so real...and the sound..and everything you just where like wow!!...I think it's a movie you have to see..and I think you have to see twice..and I'm so gonna see it again....Hope you see it too....
I FULLY agree with many of the other posters here (which I SHOULD have bloody well taken MORE time to read first!!!!!) when they say that the visuals and the VAGUE fundamental mood of the film is good.
Director Baltasar Kormakur leaves Iceland to make an American movie, except he really doesn't, and that's a large part of the problem.
Kormakur actually shot this film in Iceland, and it would take a hyper-credulous viewer to accept these stark landscapes as Minnesota.
The plot is murky; the cast's accents are all over the lot, especially Forest Whitaker's.
All of these elements accumulate into a despairing viewing of existentialism and fate - a character stands in a field and sees everything around him, but each direction he faces is the same dreary and gloomy destination.The acting is also superb from the entire cast, with Whitaker providing a unique accent that adds to the quirkiness of his character.
In addition, I wouldn't say the plot was anything original, but it is involving due to its characters and the sense that there's something more lurking underneath the surface.Those who enjoy character studies and mystery films may enjoy this hybrid of the two genres, which isn't a complete success but is executed in a very effective manner.More contemplative than thrilling, this gets under the skin more than those adrenaline-pumping, yet hollow, thrillers studios are churching out now-a-days.Solid Recommendation..
Julia Stiles does a fairly good job as an abused lifeless mother, and Jeremy Renner does good as the abusive husband.
Forest Whitaker as usual does an excellent job, bringing character and color.
This Icelandic film has a feel of Fargo, but comes up short despite the stars attached.The scenery is bleak and depressing, just like Iceland in the winter.
There are some obvious plot holes, and it seems to drag a bit at times, but the story is fascinating and the characters are favorites.Forest Whitaker (The Great Debaters, The Last King of Scotland) is a claims adjuster and tries to wring the last dime out of his clients, just as his boss (Peter Coyote) does.
Julia Stiles (The Bourne trilogy, The Omen) is supposedly living with her husband and son, and it is her brother that is supposedly dead in the crash (we all know different, but she doesn't), but Whitaker ferrets out the truth.Of course, he falls for her - who wouldn't - and this leads to a strange Coen Brothers ending.It was a nice ride getting there..
This is a character study, so carefully crafted, or should I say sculpted, by Whitaker in his portrayal of Abe Holt, that the end result is a piece of art, not a formula.
Watch the film, and you'll know what I mean, and what Holt's camera shots in that makeshift morgue were really highlighting.
But no one, no one ever, could have brought Art Holt to life like Whitaker.
Overall, this movie is pretty good.
Overall, the movie's very slow for the first hour, but then it gets better within the last 30 minutes.
It also goes into detail about Life Insurance and the claims people will actually go through to protect the bottom line.
"A Little Trip To Heaven" is a well-acted drama.The Plot: Abe Holt (Whitaker) is an insurance investigator who is sent to a small town to find out about a car accident.
He meets Isolde (Stiles) and realizes that the truth could also be a scam.Forest Whitaker is excellent in the role.
Julia Stiles also does a good job, and Peter Coyote, as Holt's boss, is always worth watching.
HEAVEN stars Forest Whitaker as an insurance investigator who smells a rat in the case of a fatal car crash in snowy Minnesota.
In fact, it turns out to be just one in a series of insurance frauds perpetrated by a sister (Julia Styles) and brother (Jeremy Renner of ROAD TRIP).
The movie, directed by an Icelander, has a n extremely bleak feel about it.
Whitaker offers up a very odd, clipped accent and stutter to go with his shambling, raincoat-draped, Colombo-like character.
A little trip to heaven is an odd film, not good though not particularly bad.
It's a film that survives on the merits of an excellent cast and in particular the performance of Forest Whitaker.
Filmed primarily in Iceland with some scenes in Hastings, Minnesota, the mood is dank and dark and cold - and so is the story.We first meet insurance investigator ('adjustor') Abe Holt as he listens to his boss Frank (Peter Coyote) explain to a new widow why she will not receive full death benefits because the insurance company took photos of her husband smoking, the apparent cause of his death.
Almost immediately he is assigned to a new case: an ex-con with a million dollar life insurance policy has apparently been found dead in a car crash burned beyond recognition.
Abe drives to the tiny snowy desolate village where his questions of the townsfolk reveal that the victim was Kelvin Anderson, the brother of Isold (Julia Stiles) who is married to a low life type named Fred (Jeremy Renner), a man who we have seen in flashbacks as the one responsible for arranging the car crash and setting the car on fire.
The actors are superb artists: Forest Whitaker made this film almost simultaneously with his Oscar winning 'The Last King of Scotland' yet here his character is plagued by an affected accent and by the lack of substance that might make us care about his plight; Julia Stiles does her best with the little she is given to do and Jeremy Renner is convincingly menacing without any factors that make us find him worth caring about.
The supporting actors (Joanna Scanlan as a sleazy bartender, Iddo Goldberg and Philip Jackson as the police, Alfred Harmsworth as the 'son' of Isold, and Vladas Bagdonas as the coroner) actually fare better than the leads as far as material available.The strong aspect of the film is the visual imagery, due to the decisions of picture composition by Kormákur and cinematographer Óttar Guðnason and Mugison's musical is apropos for the mood.
One wonders why Whitaker, Stiles, and Renner signed on to this little film.
Having visited there and been totally captured by the stark beauty of the country I was really looking forward to anything that was served up.However I was really disappointed when I found it was for all intents and purposes an American film shot in Iceland.
Julia Stiles character was half way to trailer trash and frankly, she just looked too good throughout.
She's a single mother with a "son" who needs money to survive - let's make sure she gets it even if we have to totally change the lead character's actions to ensure it happens.One thing I will say in its favor is that the car crash stunt towards the end of the film is absolutely fantastic - that really came from nowhere.
Very impressed with the genuine level of danger involved - it looked very hairy to perform.However overall, a disappointing storyline with few engaging characters and a poorly cast lead sinks this film for me..
I saw this film here in Iceland and I just loved it.
The funny thing is that the Motel Isold and "Frank" were staying at in the end of the film used to be a boat shelter...
Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur directs "A Little Trip to Heaven", a noir inspired drama starring Forest Whitaker as Abe Holt, an insurance agent tasked with investigating a mysterious death in small town America.Bizarrely, the film's shot in Iceland but takes place in the United States.
Whitaker sports an unconvincing Minnesotan accent.The film contains a wonderful opening act – very atmospheric - but quickly falls apart.
There's genuine talent on both sides of the camera, but the story is such a mess that they just can't make it work.Forest Whitaker plays an insurance investigator who goes to a small town investigate a seven figure claim involving a life insurance policy.
It's character driven enough that I can see why Whitaker and Julia Stiles would sign on for it.But the story is too muddled for film.
He has a habit of breaking into houses and clinics- possibly being a cat burglar is one of the requirements for working for an insurance company.Logic flies out the window when Stiles and Renner manipulate a huge truck to crash into their car and they and the car goes flying off a cliff into the ocean and they emerge unscathed.There's potential for a strong film out of this material.
It shows the film's makers' dedication to their task by the strong cast they've assembled, including Phyllidia Law in a short but effective scene and Jeremy Renner as Stiles's brother or husband or accomplice or whatever.One thing that was dissatisfying was the fault of The Sundance Channel (I saw this on cable).
Good movie, if you like something a bit different..
This "independent" movie is set somewhere in the USA, but it is filmed in Iceland.
It is about a man who seems to live his life running scams to get insurance money, but this time he runs up against one of the better insurance investigators who tries to minimize payouts.The lead role is played by Forest Whitaker as Abe Holt, who seems very good as the insurance man.
When a man insured for $1Million is found dead and burned in a tragic car wreck, Holt is dispatched to see if there is fraud involved.
Julia Stiles is Isold, the sister, and the young son is Thor.
Holt arranges the policy so that Isold will get $1Million, but when he tried to get the brother to justice, both end up dying in yet another car crash..
Still, I persevered, and am glad I did.It shows the dark side of abuse and what a woman will do to 'save' her child.The plot twists and turns, and is a little difficult to follow at the beginning, but all comes together nicely toward the end, when the insurance agent finds his heart and does the completely unexpected thing.Overall worth watching, the bleakness of the setting becomes a character in itself, as mentioned by a previous reviewer, it's stark and almost frightening at times.