Islands: Sunny Noir in the Canary Islands

Professional tennis players make a lot of money. Tennis "pros" don’t. At least not pros like Tom, a.k.a. “Ace.” The term “tennis bum” would be more apt. He gives lessons to guests staying at a luxury hotel on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, but Tom’s daily reality is rather depressing. He should probably know better, but the tennis pro still gets involved with a troubled couple hiring his services in Jan-Ole Gerster’s Islands, which opens today in theaters.

Tom is about as down and out as you can get while still having a job—barely. Unfortunately, clients keep booking him for 9:00 AM sessions, even though he usually arrives late and hung over. Anne is the latest to drag him to the court at such an unseemly hour. Nevertheless, he enjoys teaching her young son Anton. He also appreciates her company, so it is far less fun when her husband Dave brings Anton for his second lesson. Impressed with his game and his rapport with Anton, Dave hires Tom to take the dysfunctional family sight-seeing on his day off.

Tom’s initial opinions regarding each family member are quickly confirmed, but Dave still cajoles him into joining him for a night of the kind of clubbing that is inappropriate for a married father. Even a degenerate like Tom tires of it, so he leaves Dave with a group of hippy girls and a bottle of vodka. However, he learns the next morning Dave disappeared over the course of the night. Soon, suspicion falls on Anne, whom Tom feels perversely compelled to protect.

Critics are calling Islands a thriller, but the thrills are sluggish, because Gerster almost never establishes any personal stakes for Tom, our primary POV character. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, he should be fine. Of course, that is difficult for him. Nevertheless, the audience rarely experiences any concern or tension on his behalf.

Presumably, Gerster wants build suspense and uncertainty as to whether Dave is alive or dead and the potential implications of either. However, without a sense of jeopardy, there is little tension. The primary blame falls squarely on Gerster, which is surprising, because his execution on A Coffee in Berlin was so sure-footed.

It is a shame because Sam Riley is quite impressive as self-loathing Tom. Stacy Martin was also clearly gearing up to make Anne a great femme fatale, so it is quite disappointing she never gets a real chance to follow through. However, Jack Farthing is badly miscast as Dave.

Without question, the best thing gong for Islands is Dascha Dauenhauer’s score, which shamelessly evokes Bernard Herrmann’s best work for Hitchcock. That’s a high compliment. The picturesque Fuerteventura backdrops also help distinguish the film. However, it is hard to compensate for the lack of danger and emotional stakes. Not recommended, Islands opens today (1/30) in New York at the Quad.