“Islander” has the feel of a homemade movie, an understated project that uses real locations and some non-professional actors mixed in with the real thing.
As such, at times it threatens to veer from “homemade” to “amateurish.” But before long, the New England drama kicks into gear and takes on a resonant ring of truth.
The opening is pretty clumsy, a long episode detailing how a lobsterman on a small Maine island causes the accidental death of another fisherman. This is Eben Cole (played by co-screenwriter Thomas Hildreth), a rangy hothead with a wife (Amy Jo Johnson) and daughter.
Eben does his jail time, a five-year stretch during which he loses his boat, his wife and his mullet. But he returns to the island anyway, and his program of slow re-adjustment and re-acceptance is the movie’s subject.
The story wouldn’t be enough to hold the film together were it not for the strong realist approach of director Ian McCrudden. The locations on Maine’s Vinalhaven Island are so authentic you can almost smell them (which would not always be pleasant), and I like the way you get to know how a lobster boat works while watching the movie.
And despite some awkward dialogue and a general lack of surprises, the movie gains in legitimacy as it goes along its measured, thoughtful way. One big help is the central performance by Hildreth, who has the taciturn style of an old-school movie star from the Gary Cooper era, yet believably looks as though he could go ape-crazy at any moment.
Hildreth grew up in Maine and spent summers on Vinalhaven Island, so he even has the benefit of a real Maine accent, too.
There are a few recognizable performers lending support, including veteran character actors Philip Baker Hall and Larry Pine. The likably low-key work of Judy Prescott, as the island doctor, is typical of the do-easy style of the film.
“Islander” is one of those tiny movies that work its way around festivals and occasional engagements, and it’s not going to blow anybody away. But if you appreciate movies that immerse you in a strong sense of place, well, this is that kind.
Thomas Hildreth stars in “Islander.”
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