Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Jan-Ole Gerster
Starring: Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing
You wait your whole life for a drama about a handsome Englishman having an existential crisis on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura, and then two come along at once. Just over a year ago saw the release of American Star, in which Ian McShane played a hitman who begins to re-evaluate his life during a stay on the island. Now we get Jan-Ole Gerster's Islands, in which Sam Riley finds himself similarly questioning his life choices in the same sun-baked setting.
Like James Bridges' '80s cult fave Mike's Murder, Islands eventually becomes a thriller about a tennis coach drawn into the mystery of a man's disappearance. But before another man is literally lost, we're introduced to our protagonist Tom (Riley), who is lost in a very different sense. Once a tennis pro, a shoulder injury resulted in Tom's early retirement. He now ekes out a living at a mediocre hotel where he gives lessons to out of shape businessmen and horny young backpackers. A barely functioning alcoholic, Tom regularly wakes up in various corners of the island with no memory of the previous night, but he always pulls himself together and rushes to his first 9am lesson.
Tom doesn't normally give private lessons to kids, but he makes an exception for Anton (Dylan Torrell), the seven-year-old son of bohemian English couple Anne (Stacy Martin) and Dave (Jack Farthing). Tom is impressed by the boy's tennis skills, for which Dave gladly takes credit. When Tom uses his influence to upgrade the family to a room with a nicer view, they pay him back by buying him dinner. The following day Tom agrees to act as a tour guide and show them the island's hidden spots of interest. There's clearly a spark between Tom and Anne, who can't keep their eyes off each other, but the self-involved Dave seems oblivious to this, or perhaps he's simply indifferent.
One night after Anne goes to bed early, Dave insists on dragging Tom along to a local nightclub. The following morning Tom wakes up face down in the sand as usual, but with no sign of Dave. It seems Dave didn't return to his room, and Anne is worried enough to involve the police. When an inspector arrives from the capital, it becomes clear that Anne hasn't been entirely truthful, and Tom finds himself at the centre of a developing mystery.
Said mystery is certainly compelling, filled as it is with twists and turns that keep us on our toes. But it takes a back seat to the conflict within Tom's soul. Tom has lived a life that doesn't accommodate lasting relationships, the people he meets always set to leave within a few days. You get the sense that for a long time he was quite happy with that arrangement, but the presence of Anne and Anton have stirred something within him. In Dave's absence Tom forms a paternal bond with Anton, while his feelings for the enigmatic Anne threaten to cause him to make decisions that may not be in anyone's best interests.
Riley is an actor to whom I've never given much thought, but he's responsible for one of the year's most intriguing performances here. Gerster's storytelling is subtle and oblique, reliant on his leading man showing us rather than telling us how he feels. Riley's face always conveys Tom's true feelings, even when he's trying to keep them concealed. Gerster puts his faith in his leading man to carry off his visual storytelling, and Riley pulls it off with staggering precision.
The truth of what's really at play is never literalised, as Gerster trusts the audience will be able to come to their own conclusions if we follow the breadcrumbs he lays in our path. There are ultimately two mysteries to be solved here, and whether they both remain as cold cases at the film's conclusion will depend on how closely you've been paying attention. The narrative could possibly be a little tighter, but it's a treat to watch a movie with this much confidence in both its own storytelling and the viewer's willingness to invest in its ambiguity.
Islands is in UK/ROI cinemas from September 12th.
