Island (15) | Close-Up Film Review

Dir: Brek Taylor & Elizabeth Mitchell, UK, 2011, 90 mins

Cast: Natalie Press, Colin Morgan, Janet McTeer

Review by Mark Byrnes

A young woman Nikki (Press), who has spent most of her childhood in various care homes, travels to a remote Scottish island to seek her natural birth mother Phyllis Lovage (McTeer). Nikki is not however seeking reconciliation, but revenge against the person whom she blames for her desperately unhappy and unloved childhood. Anonymously renting a cottage on the island Nikki discovers that she has a half-brother, Calum (Morgan), who shares with her a love of storytelling. As her stay on the island lengthens, Nikki finds herself torn between her desire for violent revenge against her mother and her increasing affection for Calum.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jane Rogers, Island has been described by its co-directors Brek Taylor and Elizabeth Mitchell as a ‘fairytale thriller’. What both filmmakers have fashioned is a tale that is akin to a Greek tragedy albeit within a magical realist setting. This is largely helped by the remote and imposing Hebridean Island setting, which forms a vivid backdrop to the drama that unfolds.

Clearly a labour of love for both Taylor and Mitchell, every element of this film appears to have been carefully considered and composed. From the opening hand drawn animated sequence to the use of recurring flashbacks, a real sense is given of the troubled inner world of Nikki and how storytelling offers an escape from her unhappiness. Rejecting an overly emotional score, the sound design instead subtly infers Nikki’s emotional state, providing a psychological realism that is all too rare in many character driven dramas today. In fact there is much to be commended in how the directors have successfully handled uncomfortable themes such as matricide in this film to deliver an intelligent, character-driven drama that engages the eyes and ears of the audience.

Despite the interesting use of sound and image, the film ultimately stands or falls on the performances of its small cast, and they do not disappoint. Natalie Press acquits herself well with a convincing portrayal of the emotionally and psychologically damaged Nikki. An atypical heroine and a challenging lead role in which Press really excels. Audiences accustomed to seeing Colin Morgan as the eponymous wizard in the BBC1 series, Merlin, may be surprised to see him display real depth as an actor in his role as Calum, veering from child-like naivety to simmering resentment. Janet McTeer, a veteran stage and screen actress, brings a real physical authority to the overbearing and wary Phyllis, who like Nikki and Calum is also not without her own emotional scars.

Despite its modest means, Island is an assured feature debut from co-directors Brek Taylor and Elizabeth Mitchell. Those who complain about the lack of interesting films being made in this country would be well advised to seek out this intriguing tale.