This might seem like an odd film to revisit, but it popped up and I thought why not. I read the book years ago and loved it, but do recall this being a disappointment. It can’t be that bad can it? I’m hoping that not having read the book in nearly 30 years will have cleared my mind and I’ll be more able to appreciate Danny Boyle’s adaptation. Richard (a young Leonardo DiCaprio) is looking for adventure away from societal conformity in Thailand, where else, it’s the 90s after all. Not that there’s any danger of forgetting that with its intro of choppy edits and thumping electro score. There he meets Daffy (Robert Carlyle) who tells him of The Island (with a beach). We’re capitalising that to indicate its importance. It’s said to be an idyllic perfect utopia, unspoilt and damn hard to find. Just what every backpacker is looking for right. This fateful meeting sets Richard and his inner monologue in search of the secret destination. Along with Françoise (Virginie Ledoyen) and Étienne (Guillaume Canet) thanks to a map left behind by the criminally underused Daffy. Richard likes Françoise, but three’s a crowd and this early tension telegraphs that although The Island may be perfect, what you bring to it isn’t. It’s really not a bad start. The story of course is solid, the acting inoffensive and The Island (filmed on location in Thailand) is indeed beautiful… once you’ve navigated safety past the local drug cartel. There’s a deep inner darkness to this tale and portraying that weight is difficult. The Island’s community is a collection of travellers from all corners, well Europe and America, and is lead by Sal (Tilda Swinton). The trio are welcomed in, but Richard has already bitten off more than he can chew. DiCaprio is pretty good, not great but his character has limited depth, which is sort of the point, so it’s not a challenge. Swinton is good too, not yet the powerhouse she’d become, but all the indications are here. Everyone else is functional. Although shout out to Lars Arentz-Hansen as Bugs, Sals less than friendly boyfriend. He sees the threat that the newcomers bring. They’ve seen instability before in Daffy and it’s happening again. What should be a relaxing new life is slowly turning into an increasingly tense nightmare as Richard’s previous choices catch up with him and his strength of character is tested. It’s a dark a damning comment on how selfish people can be. The set up is fun, but as Richard loses his mind, it does lose its way and decends into an unsatisfactory mess, with no redeeming character and a conclusion that feels both rushed and incomplete. In short it’s frustrating. So yes, it is pretty bad. I might read the book again though.
5/10
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