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Island
R2 - United Kingdom - Soda Pictures Review written by and copyright: Jon Meakin (15th September 2011). |
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The Film
 I had high hopes for Island after it had been on for just 10 minutes. The opening sequence is great, introducing the mysterious story by relating it to a short fairy tale, narrated by the films lead (Natalie Press as Nikki Black) as she journeys to a remote island to track down the mother who abandoned her at birth. Her dark tale of children escaping a witch is made even more evocative by beautiful drawings coming to life as animations. At the end of her tale, when the witch has been vanquished, Nikki says with quiet determination that she plans to kill her mother. It’s a fantastic start for the film. The regret and the yearning for redemption are already palpable, while the fairy tale framework is sublime and original and then with a stark promise to hang over the rest of the film. Aside from the animated innovation, Brek Taylor & Elizabeth Mitchell direct with confidence. As Nikki arrives on the island, the shot of her walking away from the ferry is superb. The camera is tight on Nikki, while the tailgate of the ferry rises and it is clear she senses that the point of no return has just been reached. And we still have no idea of what she will find on the island. She could end up in a wicker man, even! Taylor and Mitchell’s film, based on a novel by Jane Rogers, has a strong identity of its own. Without revealing who she is, Nikki rents a room from her mother. Janet McTeer plays Phyllis wonderfully well, with pride and dignity. She is a sad lady, in constant pain from some ailment and still grieving for a husband she lost a few years before in a boating accident and living in fear for her son, Nikki’s half-brother, Calum. He is played by Colin Morgan, who some of you may know from the TV series Merlin and he is excellent. Calum knows the island better than anyone, but he is a virtual recluse, because his mother doesn’t let him leave. The parallels with Nikki’s beguiling fairy story are becoming clear, only the irony is, Phyllis is no witch. Still Nikki’s intentions have not changed as she becomes too close to Calum and, despite herself, perhaps even to her mother despite all the anger she carries. It is at this point that I struggled with the film and became frustrated with it. Whereas it had started with such promise and a strong focus with an intriguing story, by the second half it was plodding and meandering. Gradually, scenes stop flowing together, although they aren’t without their moments, such as Nikki getting lost during a storm. However, much of the frustration is with Nikki herself. I’ve liked Natalie Press for some time and she is great here, winning the viewer’s attention as soon as the film starts, but that attention is never rewarded. I expect the mystery of why she wishes her mother dead and her wavering emotions plays out very well in the novel, but the clever irony, supposed to reflect the fairy tale from the start, is a tough sell on screen when it has to be balanced so the audience still connect. Nikki is especially hard to like when she is so arrogant, aloof and alien to the island, despite her maintaining a brittle attractiveness throughout, especially in a stand-out simple scene shortly after Calum rescues her from the storm. I did love her fruity dialogue too! It’s in such contrast to the others. The narrative develops into a “will she”, “won’t she” plot and Phyllis’ fate is truly unpredictable, but none of its possible conclusions have any weight of consequence that should support the powerful ending the story deserves. We were heading for Straw Dogs, possibly via The Wicker Man and instead it fizzles into a cop-out scene that exploits the carefully constructed characters; perhaps you can say that is how a fairy tale is constructed, but this has no substance to carry you through the credits. It’s brilliantly filmed, it’s just what happens that disappoints. The closing scene is so dull -and vomit inducing, thanks to a particularly duff line of dialogue- that what started as a very interesting and unique film with bags of potential is reduced to an exercise in banality. A real shame because Natalie Press and Colin Morgan give it their absolute all and the credits are wonderful, with a return for the delicate animations and that fairy tale sense of wonder.
Video
The photography is gorgeous around the island, somewhat because of, not in spite of, the harsh conditions and the ramshackle sets. It doesn’t all translate to the screen though, with an overly murky and grainy 16:9 image.
Audio
The straightforward audio track is available in choices of English Dolby Digital 5.1 remix or English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, which I largely preferred, but credit for giving the option. It’s clear and consistent throughout, with dialogue distinct and Michael Price’s effective score adding a haunting edge. There is no subtitle option, which seems a strange omission, but the directors, Brek and Elizabeth, give a commentary which is a real bonus. Their enthusiasm is so inspiring and the staggering amount of work, literally over several years, I really wish I liked their film more by the end!
Extras
The extra features are generous. Aside from standard scene selection and afore mentioned commentary, there is a collection of artwork in a gallery (not just the line drawings from the film, but water colours too) and behind the scenes photography (frustratingly better quality than the video of the actual film). Best of all there is a substantial making of feature, split into multiple parts that stretch right back to the films inception in 2006, with a web-link for even more material.
Overall
Island is a passionate piece of work for Brek Taylor & Elizabeth Mitchell and all their considerable effort is on the screen, supported by emotional and powerful performances by the three leads. While it was clearly a difficult novel to adapt and something may have been lost in the translation for the ambiguous middle section, we might also assume the original story is to blame for a cheap ending that betrays the threads that were being so carefully drawn out. But still, it is an intriguing film that might reward repeat viewings and despite a sub-par video presentation, the DVD has an excellent gallery of bonus features that might just persuade you to give it that second chance. It is at least worth seeing to understand the passion a film-maker can have for one project over several years.
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