Review of The Isle (2000) by Xgary X — 09 Aug 2010
A suicidal young man who is on the run from the police enters into an obsessive relationship with the woman who services the small fishing community in which he is hiding. The Isle is one of those "arthouse" films which relies far more on a keen visual eye and twisted sexual character study than plot and narrative momentum.
It is strikingly shot, full of arresting images and visual analogies and the beautiful Jung Uh is a formidable presence, especially since she does not utter a single word for the duration of the entire film; she is somewhat reminiscent of Asami from Audition if she were a few sandwiches short of a picnic instead of the whole hamper.
It also reminded me of Betty Blue for its obsessive and self destructive overtones, showing a relationship that is sado-masochistic but not in the usual gimps and bondage sense of the word. Some of the metaphors are a little clumsy and these damaged characters don't make for the most engaging protagonists but it is certainly an interesting character study that is lovely to look at.
This review of The Isle (2000) was written by Xgary X on 09 Aug 2010.
The Isle has generally received positive reviews.
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