REVIEW: The Island

The ugly, the weird, and the art. The Island is a very hard movie to evaluate. It feels like you are watching an exhibition of the portrayals of struggle through the eyes of someone under the influence. It is not easy to watch or understand. Since now I can say, if you are not the kind of person who likes narration through visuals or like to dissect a movie's meaning, this is not for you.

However, if you are on board, then continue reading along, as I try my best to explain you the experience. Because that would be the only way to describe it. Not a movie. Not a story. But an experience of ten themes mixed and blended into a narrative that tries to take its shape.

The Island calls itself an adaption of the classic tale of Robinson Cruseu, and it flips the plot both literally and metaphorically. In the real story Robinson Cruseu, stranded on an island, saves 'Friday' making him his servant. After this, the plot takes a totally different approach, to a degree where nothing is kept consistent. You will see Robinson meeting his mother who turns out to be Friday's mother as well. You will see Friday becoming the kind of the Sea People, who are those on refugee boats. You will see Robinson falling in love with a mermaid half human half plastic.

There is a narrative, yes. But you will have to close your eyes and rewatch this movie at least three times to understand it. At the Manchester Animation Festival, I had the opportunity to watch the spectacle of a movie that is "The Island" and talk to it's director, Anca Damian, about it. To say the least, when I finished the movie, I had quite a lot of questions to ask. The Island does not leave you with any form of clarity of its meaning by its conclusion, does it even have a conclusion? a middle? a beginning? Anca says it does, but to a first-time viewer this will be doubtful.

In the Q&A she said how there is something wonderful about making her new and unique weird movie. Good for her. It is indeed innovative to see this movie even admits its own weirdness and bizarre plot. However, while this over experimental approach is indeed eye-catching, it fails at keeping those eyes for a long time. In the middle of the screening multiple people were leaving the theatre and only a number of three people attended the Q&A.

That just says the amount of people who would be interested for watching such a movie throughout its entire screening. With no plot, no character exploration, and no understanding, there is no satisfaction for its end.

Indeed, the Island is a movie one needs to watch at least three or four times. This should not be the case with a movie, even experimental.