Islander

I'm lucky enough to live in a coastal New Hampshire town with a fabulous film program which was lucky enough to score a one-night screening of The Islander. What a film. I knew going in that many of the cast were non-professionals, but I was darned if I could tell which were which. The storytelling was spare, honest and compelling, and everything about the production, right down to the spectacular cinematography of coastal Maine, was there to simply serve the story. The acting was minimalistic and restrained -- and moved me to tears more than once. I also had the luxury of listening to a Q&A with lead actor-writer-producer Tom Hildreth afterward -- what an inspiration he is. Serious, articulate, proud and humble, with wonderful stories about filming on Vinylhaven. This is indie film-making at its very best, and deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible. I know I'll be out there spreading the word...

Despite some major shortcomings, I still enjoyed Islander. The pacing seemed a bit uneven, the interaction between characters somewhat forced at times, and the script a bit rough. However, I thought the casting was superb, as were the acting, the music, and the photography. Probably with a larger budget this movie could have been superb. As it was it was still quite good. The theme of redemption is a common one, but always provides a solid foundation for a good story. I've never been a lobster fisherman, nor have I lived along the Maine coast. But, I've spent time in the area, and I felt the overall atmosphere was authentic. If you are drawn to the stark landscape and individualistic characters of the Northeast, you'll enjoy this film. It's flawed, but eminently watchable.

I just saw Islander at the LA Film Festival and liked it very much. It's a story about lobster fishermen living on a island 16 miles off the coast of Maine: their lives and their livelihood. The focus is on acceptance within this close-knit community. I found it surprisingly persuasive. The scenes on and about the island (off Rockport, Maine -- filmed on location) were stunning and the development of the key characters was quite well done. Expect to see this film in theaters soon, hopefully in distribution not confined to "art" theaters. This is a professional movie in every way and deserved to be seen. I suspect it will do well in the LA Film Festival and others.

I was fortunate to see this film at a private screening in Los Angeles and liked it so much that I rushed to a repeat showing at the LA Film Festival. How a work of art of this caliber, evoking a corner of our country heretofore neglected by filmmakers, could have passed so far under the public and critical and distribution radar is a vexing mystery. "Islander" was, quite simply, one of the finest films I saw in 2006, a year that included "Pan's Labyrinth", "The Queen", and "Children of Men." I will even go so far as to assert that, to my personal taste, "Islander" is superior to that year's Oscar winner, the overrated "The Departed"! This is not because I prefer smaller, independent films to larger, slicker, more mainstream products: I don't, at least not habitually. It's just that "Islander" is so much more substantial emotionally, its characters more accessible and real, its concerns more familiar to most of us. Small in scope, yes. Lacking in box-office "name" clout, yes. A simple, intimate tale about ordinary people, yes. Nonetheless, this tale of transgression and redemption moved me deeply, convinced me, compelled me, impressed me. From every point of view -- story structure, acting, score, direction, you name it -- this film is well worth your time.

Watched this movie at Sedona Film Festival in March 2007. The movie did very well and won the people's choice award.

Great story with very good storyline and character development. None of the flash from scene to scene to keep your attention tactics.

Very well done movie with a great lesson in living life.

The director provided a detailed account of the making of the film in a question and answer session after the viewing. He and a few others that worked with him on the film believe that they truly captured the essence of the island life in the film.

If memory serves me correctly, there were numerous people in the movie that were actually residents of the island.