While I have always believed in and often implemented an “elegance in simplicity” approach toward filmmaking, along with a desire for authentically human storytelling, I will admit that one of the greatest challenges in such an approach is finding the right balance of style and pacing. Cinema is an art form, yes, but it is also a form of entertainment; audiences need to feel as if they are having an experience of some kind that they can’t get anywhere else. This applies to all kinds of stories, regardless of how authentic or “realistic” you intend them to be. Audiences don’t go to the movies to see real life; we experience it every day.
Today’s subject, Islands, is a film that tries to be a realistic story with authentically-intended characters, along with a relatable theme of longing for connection, belonging, and adventure, but those worthwhile themes get a little too drowned out by the lack of engaging entertainment value, and a sense of pacing that appears to be going for a slow-burn build up, that takes way too long to reach a not-as-satisfying-as-it-should-have-been payoff. Few things are as frustrating as seeing a film with all the right ingredients, only to be bogged down by less-than-stellar execution.
*cough* Disney’s frozen *cough*
The story follows an alcoholic Tennis instructor named Tom (Sam Riley) at a luxury hotel resort on the Canary Islands of Spain, who goes through his daily life regularly numb and likely running from his troubles. One day, he befriends a married couple with a young son who’s interested in learning some Tennis while on holiday, and Tom seems to get along so well with the family, that he offers to be an impromptu tour guide; taking them to the various fascinating parts of the Island for a better experience. Things seem to be going well enough until the husband has mysteriously vanished, with signs suggesting possible foul play. As the investigation continues, so does the romantic tension between Tom and the missing person’s wife, as they seem to have formed an unexpected connection that may or may not mean something greater. As the police continues to search for the missing husband, who knows what will happen if he is or isn’t found?
As I said, there is enough workable material here that could have made for a compelling narrative: the characters are understandable and have, at least, a few likable qualities; the nuances of human connections are explored (albeit not as well as they should have been); and the general theme of finding your people and wanting to be part of something perceivably special is as universal a desire as can be. At times, the film reminded me of the underrated classic, One Hour Photo, only significantly less dark and not as well paced.
Which, incidentally, leads me to the overall primary problem with the film: the pacing. Islands is yet another strange case of what appears to be a modern attempt to “enhance” the artistic nature of a film, by presenting everything in a slow, overtly moody, and hyper dramatic fashion that, in this critics opinion, comes across less like a means of establishing mood, and more like an adolescent attempt to come across as more mature than you actually are. Stories with an element of mystery do typically benefit from a deliberate pace, but that only works when the mystery is presented within the first twenty minutes of the story, and this film does’t present its mysterious elements until an hour into the narrative.
In short, it takes too damn long for the story to get moving!
While the film gains a few points for wanting to present a genuinely human narrative with tangible goals, the lack of tangible entertainment value and overtly slow presentation leaves much to be desired. There is just enough here for an audience to understand and appreciate what was intended, but it’s not enough for a full recommendation. If you want to watch a film with a similar approach but significantly better execution, watch Adopt a Highway with Ethan Hawke; it’s streaming on Hulu (if you still have it) and available for rent on most digital platforms.
Give this one a shot only if there’s nothing else.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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