Islands

“Anne, a self proclaimed ex island-hopper, shows up to schedule a tennis lesson for her son, Anton. Anne, (who mostly appears in vertical stripes.. perhaps a nod to her personal imprisonment in an unsatisfying relationship) seems to have an understanding of Tom that leads one to believe they have met previously. When Anne’s husband, Dave, goes missing after a night of partying. Anne enlists Tom in the role of investigator/ surrogate father while she navigates how much she is willing to disclose to everyone around her. Perhaps even to herself.

“The camerawork in the first half of the film focuses a lot on up-close shots of the main characters- the three islands themselves- Anne, Tom, and Dave. There is a circular, sweeping motion around them, slightly painterly and out of focus, which leans into the yearning we can feel from all three characters, independently. The second half of the movie seemed to have more camera shots framed with a sense of unease— lower torsos/legs entering into frame, further amplifying the seclusion and feelings of being cut off from humanity and life as a whole. In a land of sand and sea, there is no grass to compare as greener.

“The slow-burn of ISLANDS was very reminiscent of the adjacent island’s smoking volcano. The payoff left something to be desired— which seemed to be the intention of the director— as no human gets through this thing unscathed or fully fulfilled.