"The Isle", a hauntingly beautiful film out of Korea, tells of a mysterious young woman who operates a flotilla of fishing huts on a lake from her rustic cabin providing transportation, delivery services, maintenance, and even sex for the men who rent the huts for R&R. As the story unfolds, so does a peculiar attraction between the non-speaking woman (Jung) and a suicidal patron (Kim) who watch each other from across the misty waters. "The Isle" delves in the yin-yang Asian aesthetic in which pain and pleasure yield the most satisfying life experience and, though much has been written about that controversial and grotesque aspect, it seems quite fitting in the context of the film and there is surprisingly little sex, nudity, or sensationalism. A minimalist film with almost no script, "The Isle" is an exotic art house experience which will play best with serious foreign film fans. All others should stay away. (B+)
