Going into The Island Between Tides blindly (without knowing its origins or anything beyond a basic plot description) allows one to be surprised by the mysteries and inner workings of this film. Conversely, knowing what the film is based on adds a different nuance to the events, changing perceptions irreversibly and drawing parallels to the original author's most famous creation.
I am at a crossroads as to how to approach this review, because I thoroughly enjoyed this film, having gone into it without any prior knowledge of its origins. Therefore, I will not mention the original author (who is credited at the end of the film), as this knowledge will no doubt color your thoughts and spoil what this film has in store for its audience.
Directors: Austin Andrews, Andrew Holmes
Writers: Austin Andrews, J.M. Barrie, Andrew Holmes
Stars: Paloma Kwiatkowski, Donal Logue, David Mazouz
As for the film's technique and intent, directors Austin Andrews and Andrew Holmes (who also appear on the screenwriting credits) infuse this story with science fiction, horror, drama, and love, all tied together by the supernatural. One of the tricks they use to paint this picture is that they refuse to hand us the inner workings of the film on a silver platter, instead involving us thoroughly and unapologetically. Every little bit of knowledge is hard-won, sometimes at a dangerous or sad cost. And sometimes, understanding how this film works is a little bewildering and a little frustrating, but Andrews and Holmes have the decency to help us at least understand it by the end.
Cinematographer Dany Lavoie strikes a wonderful balance with his shots, making the island that gives the film its title seem at once innocuous and dangerous; the trees provide us with comfort while the rocky shores give us unease. It’s a balance that permeates everything in Andrews and Holmes’ film about a girl who falls prey to the siren song of this island, disappearing on it twice: once as a child and once as an adult. Both times, she’s only there for a few minutes or hours, but for her family, her childhood and adulthood disappearances lasted for days and years respectively. It’s an island that exists outside of time and in all of time simultaneously; as a child and an adult, Lily (child: Remy Marthaller/adult: Paloma Kwiatkowski) encounters people who may not exist at the time she enters the island’s forest, potentially adding to our confusion.
DC Movie Critics, DC Movie Reviews, DC Film Critics, Eddie Pasa, Movie Critics, Film Critics, Movie Review, Film Review, XYZ Films, The Island Between the Tides, Cinequest Film FestivalEvery time Lily goes missing, she reappears to her family as if she never left. There’s a severe time slip the second time she returns to the island; instead of returning to 1998 as she expected, she’s shocked to see newspapers dated 2024.
More importantly, she’s even more horrified to see a one-eyed man stab someone in a brutal fight while other passersby pay no attention. The only person who can understand what she’s seeing is her son Jared (David Mazouz), who is now an adult and has become insane and isolated because of his own experiences. They are the only two who hear the island’s song and see people outside of time, and the song grows ever stronger for both of them.
There’s a lovely, awkward yet elegant stillness that Paloma Kwiatkowski gives Lily; even before she goes to the island for the second time, we see Lily as a tormented figure, speaking introspectively and sadly to her sister Zinnia (Camille Sullivan). While everyone around her seems lively and vivacious, Lily is a mere shell, walking in her world but separate from it.
Kwiatkowski portrays Lily as someone who is in a constant state of grief without knowing exactly what she’s grieving for. Her young son Jared (played as a child by Layla Reid) should at least make her smile, but even he shows shades of neurodivergence. It's as if Lily can see a shift in her world compared to that of her family, but she can't quite make sense of it; she knows something is wrong and she can't fix it, and Kwiatkowski does a precarious job of carefully placing Lily within this divide.
DC Movie Critics, DC Movie Reviews, DC Film Critics, Eddie Pasa, Movie Critics, Film Critics, Movie Review, Film Review, XYZ Films, The Island Between the Tides, Cinequest Film FestivalThe two different worlds are clearly defined by their color palettes; the muted tones of everyday life contrast with the more saturated vibrancy that enshrines the island and its appearance (through action or the presence of another island visitor) in the real world. Andrews and Holmes, along with colorist Scott McKenzie, skillfully and subtly manage their color gradations to drive our emotional involvement and add another layer to their visual narrative.
Comments
Post a Comment