Eden

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.

"Eden" is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking film that delves into the complexities of human nature, community, and our relationship with the natural world. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Galapagos Islands, this movie follows a group of individuals who embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

The film's cinematography is stunning, capturing the harsh yet majestic beauty of the Galapagos landscape. The direction is deliberate and nuanced, allowing the audience to absorb the characters' struggles, triumphs, and introspections.

The cast delivers powerful performances, bringing depth and authenticity to their characters' experiences. As they navigate the challenges of their new environment, they must confront their own demons, desires, and motivations.

"Eden" raises important questions about our place within society, the importance of community, and the human need for connection with nature. This film is a must-see for fans of character-driven dramas, environmentalism, and philosophical explorations.

Overall, "Eden" is a hauntingly beautiful and thought-provoking film that will linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

Jude Law was just awesome. What a interesting film. I had no idea of this story. It gives an interesting look at peoples internal motivations and another look at people during that time that were trying to flee a more and more radical Germany. Honestly between Sydney Sweeney very tough/kind character and Jude Laws (savior of the planet) character you really were dealing with all types of people put into a difficult situation surviving on Flortenia (Galapagos). I really loved the plot and pacing and the tension slowly increased to what you can imigine was an interesting and captivating breaking point.

Set in the Galápagos Islands, but filmed in Australia.

I was able to see the press conference that Ron Howard and the four main stars gave. Howard explained that he had the project in mind for a time, worked on it some during the recent COVID pandemic and lockdowns. He knew it would not be a project that a typical studio would go for so he went at it his way.

The movie is a fictional drama based on real people and their attempt to find their own Eden in the Galápagos Islands (filmed in Australia). It doesn't work out as hoped because, in the end, people are people and they can cooperate together for only so long.

This is analogous to the theme that played out in the year 2000 movie, "The Beach" with Leo Dicaprio. As I wrote in my comments for that one, "Even though these 20 or 30 men and women all went to the island for "pleasure seeking", ultimately roles need to be taken, duties accepted, not everyone agrees, jealousy starts to erode relationships, certain people seek power, and when some get seriously injured, "out of sight, out of mind" is the remedy so as not to upset "paradise." In other words, they end up creating on a smaller scale the same world that they sought to escape from. Eventually this "house of cards" starts to fall down, and ultimately everyone realizes paradise is internal, not some idyllic place."

Good for Howard to bring this story to the screen.

No pun intended - also this is based on a real story and people ... I am not sure if that was communicated in the marketing of the movie (I tried to stay away from trailers and everything else) ... I was aware of the cast! Amazing to say the least - now depending on your taste, this can be Law, Bruehl, Kirby, Sweeney and/or De Armas.

For various reasons I suppose - now if those reasons are titillating ... let me tell you that while there are things uncovered - this should not be the main reason to watch this. Actually there is a minimal amount of that (and I mean no offense to Judes Law (or whatever you want to call it).

All kidding aside, the movie is about class, about society and about humanity (and the lack thereof?). How we behave with each other - how we are quite egotistic ... even the good professor who should be above it all. He's just a human after all, right? Same goes for his apparently (is she though?) more sane woman by his side.

Now since this is a real story ... and some material was written about ... let's call it adventures on the island ... we might get some version of the truth, but maybe not all of it ... quite surely not everything probably. But it is not so much what we believe might be true or what happened ... this is or sometimes feels too on the nose ... but it also feels like an escape some might want to go along with ... especially with that crowd ... well the actors not the characters they portray necessarily ... you'll understand! Very well played for sure ... if you like nuance and subtle hints too (like someone rejecting Ana de Armas ... and you just know why, even if it never gets spoken out it is obvious)