I confess I was expecting a lot more from this movie, but overall, you cannot deny that it's a very good work. The pace of the film adjusts precisely to the surrounding, and the actors performances fit smoothly. The main virtue of 'The Island' is its global feel: nothing stands against anything. You just like the concept or not.
And what about the concept? Well, if you like metaphoric storytelling you've got plenty here. Every five minutes there's an allegory. Fortunately, they don't get in the way of the story. Not until the very end, which is one of the reasons I'm subtracting points from the movie score. Another one is the blatant underdevelopment of the first stage of the two main characters' relationship. It hadn't even started when it was already ending. It takes away so much power from the film... To end with the shortcomings, I felt the movie wandered quite frequently, not knowing which happenings to focus on. During those moments, the director drops on us a little more... you guess it... symbolism.
Nonetheless, the fancy visuals, the good photography and the powerful images are truly remarkable, conforming the main reason for watching this film: the lovely mini-world in which the story takes place and the way it is shown, resorting to violence if necessary. The hook scenes would be out of place in any other movie, but they fit here. Are they gruesome? Not as half as people might have told you. It's nothing you have to turn away your head from the screen.
To me, it looks solid, but I have the feeling it could have been much more too.
RATING: 6.8
And what about the concept? Well, if you like metaphoric storytelling you've got plenty here. Every five minutes there's an allegory. Fortunately, they don't get in the way of the story. Not until the very end, which is one of the reasons I'm subtracting points from the movie score. Another one is the blatant underdevelopment of the first stage of the two main characters' relationship. It hadn't even started when it was already ending. It takes away so much power from the film... To end with the shortcomings, I felt the movie wandered quite frequently, not knowing which happenings to focus on. During those moments, the director drops on us a little more... you guess it... symbolism.
Nonetheless, the fancy visuals, the good photography and the powerful images are truly remarkable, conforming the main reason for watching this film: the lovely mini-world in which the story takes place and the way it is shown, resorting to violence if necessary. The hook scenes would be out of place in any other movie, but they fit here. Are they gruesome? Not as half as people might have told you. It's nothing you have to turn away your head from the screen.
To me, it looks solid, but I have the feeling it could have been much more too.
RATING: 6.8