Islander

The acting is decent, the story is believable, the characters are convincing, the script is mediocre, but the photography and visuals are stunning. The story is as much about life on the island as it is about the main character(s), and the plot synopsis says it all. There's nothing to "spoil". I've never lived on an island off the Maine coast or fished for lobster, or built a boat, but after watching this film I can appreciate all those things more, even if there are some inaccuracies. If you like "atmosphere" in a film, this has it. By the second hour, you can smell the lobster pots and diesel fumes. My only reason for giving it a 7 instead of 9 or 10 is the clunky script.

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.

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...

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.

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.