If Kernell’s screenplay can feel a bit schematic in its funneling of wider social issues into the small, hard story of one individual, “Brace Your Heart” is otherwise played with pleasing, powerful restraint — beginning with Valkeapää’s quietly expressive performance of a naturally taciturn character. Often shot in tight closeups that expose the harsh impact of the climate on her features, she’s frequently given the luxury of time to think on screen, particularly when weighing up crucial decisions on which the future and reputation of her entire family may depend.
Kernell herself is a patiently observant filmmaker: Olsson’s camera isn’t blind to the pale, spectacular sweep of the surroundings, but takes a pragmatic, quasi-documentary approach to the action at hand. A hint of ethereal whimsy, albeit still couched in cultural authenticity, is provided by the breathy a capella swoops and stutters of Rebekka Karijord and Kristian Eidnes Andersen’s score. Shot with a largely non-professional cast in the extraordinary, unyielding landscape of the Sápmi region, “Brace Your Heart” offers a detailed window into the Sámi way of life, even outside the strictures of the script.
