Álex (Aida Folch) arrives on a Greek island days late for an interview to become part of the team at a boutique seaside restaurant. Initially frustrated that the job she wanted has been given to someone else, she’s soon appeased when owner Max (Matt Dillon) finds another role for her. Intrigued by her new boss, Álex starts to fall for him and the two embark on an intense relationship. When red flags start to appear, Álex enlists the help of co-worker Chico (Juan Pablo Urego) to dig into Max’s past putting their lives in danger.
‘The Island’, previously known as ‘Haunted Heart’, is from Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba (‘Belle Époque’) so you’d be forgiven for going into this film with high hopes. The initial premise is familiar but intriguing enough, and the cinematography is superb, capturing Trikeri in Greece well. Unfortunately there’s not much else positive to say about the film, which hits too many familiar beats and takes far too long to reach its climax. What could have been a taut 90-minute thriller is drawn out over two hours, with far too much padding and not enough originality.
Even though it’s a complete surprise to Álex, it’s not a surprise at all to the viewer that Max has a dark past. The red flags are there from the very beginning for everyone to see, but that doesn’t stop her relentlessly pursuing him. Aside from the fact that boss and sub-ordinate relationships are very rarely a good idea, the relationship is so clearly doomed from the outset that you can’t help but feel no sympathy for Álex for blindly entering into such an obvious disaster.
‘The Island’ doesn’t really know what kind of film it wants to be. Is it a tense thriller about secrets? Is it a love story with a dark twist? Should it have leaned right into the ‘I Still Know What You Did Last Summer’ vibe it so clearly has? The film ends up being a meandering mess that never truly delivers on any front. The characters are two-dimensional, the ‘twists’ are obvious and you don’t really care about the leads. Max is your classic moody bad guy while Álex’s only character trait seems to be desperation.
With Matt Dillon involved, I’d expected more. He’s a good actor though he rarely gets the chance to show that these days. Dillon has a natural charisma and his good looks to his advantage but neither of them help him out here, in the thankless role of Max. Similarly Aida Folch doesn’t seem to know quite how to portray Álex so her attempt to turn her (slightly) badass comes off as inauthentic.
‘The Island’ sadly isn’t a very good film. With a flimsy script, a stretched-out story and too many obvious plot twists, it lacks surprises and delivers pretty much no tension over its lengthy run. While the film is great to look at, the gorgeous scenery is unlikely to hold your attention for the duration and by the time the climax arrives, you’ll likely feel a sense of relief rather than glad about the outcome.
Cast: Matt Dillon, Aida Folch, Juan Pablo Urrego, Kika Georgiou Director: Fernando Trueba Writers: Fernando Trueba & Ryeland Grant Certificate: 15 Duration: 128 mins Released by: Signature Entertainment Release date: 23rd September 2024
