Eden

I went into this movie blind, it was a Monday Mystery Movie at Regal.

It's a philosophical journey of the human condition and the troubles that we have with each other. As the story unfolds you could definitely find something in it that resonates with the way you see the world. Finding out that this was based on a true story makes me want to read the two perspectives of what happened on the island. Not a bad movie, I think the critics might have been too critical of the movie.

The film industry produces alot of films, and this is a good one. Everything about it was quality. Well cast (and nice to aee Jude Law again), beautiful dramatic filming of scenary as well as dialogue well filmed. Excellent pacing and not predictable. I felt the interactions between the well defined characters was fantastic such that it could easily be made into a stage play. To be honest I feel the whole team deserve to be congratulated on work well done.

Basis of story is a very private and intellectual doctor and his adoring wife go to the Galapagos and then a highly practical German couple arrive, followed by a very devious and morally dubious woman qnd her two lovers. What results is a character interaction which creates tension, drama and some twists.

Ron Howard is never afraid to explore new genres and here he definitely immerses you in the social experiment of posh post-war expats trying to make a way of life on an island in the Galapagos. Unfortunately the vision of Dr. Ritter and his wife Sue Storm as well as the machinations of the Baroness along with the stresses of the environment prove too much for the bourgeois marriage of Margaret Wittmer (cutie Sydney again!) and her husband Daniel Bruhl. Still, the cast is gorgeous, the island indeed like a paradise from another era, and Howard reiterates yet again a lesson learned by every wannabe Robinson Crusoe and Hemingway in the 1920's: just find your favorite cafe in Paris, spend six weeks writing a novel about your friends which when they read will have them hating your guts, then thirty years later move to Cuba and create your own Eden. Those are your and my happy days.

I went into this film completely blind, not knowing it was based on a true story.

By the end of it, I was underwhelmed. I feel like there were the makings of a pretty strong movie with its beautiful scenery, strong cast and realism due to the true story.

However, the themes of psychological isolation and social interaction were under developed. I feel like the movie never got into full stride exploring these themes effectively. There was too much waffle in between.

The makings of a psychological thriller were there but never reached the heights that we wanted. I strongly believe the film was too long and could've definitely benefited from a short run time thus making the better moments of the film feel more impactful.

Unfortunately, I believe Eden will fly under the radar despite its strong ensemble cast, decent cinematography and direction.

An uninhabited island in the Galápagos is paradise and hell at the same time for a trio of couples who settled there in 1929. At one of the remotest areas on earth there is a clash of personalities; philosophical, libertine, and practical. While one couple seeks solitude, another wants to build a luxury hotel, and the third desires a nourishing place for family. As bugs and boars bite hard, and food and water become as scarce as doctors, police, and dentists, each couple is in for a shock. Darwin would be pleased, for on the island that gave him his fame it is survival of fittest all over again.

In this true story it is intriguing to see the starkly different personalities battle it out like in a miniature world. Ron Howard who was present at this screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, was captivated by the zany stories of the characters, and the good and bad of each of them. If anything, he said, he had to dial the antics back. It is hard to choose a side. Jude Law and the other actors are capable and convincing. Hans Zimmer orchestrated the playlist. How many soundtracks can one person do? I wish there was a little more depth to the dialogue, but Eden is a pleasure to watch and contemplate.