Based on the autobiographically-inspired novella by David Vann, the latest feature from French writer and director Vladimir de Fontenay is My Father’s Island. Known by the book’s title Sukkwan Island in some countries, the psychological family drama centres around teenager Roy (Woody Norman) who lives with his mother Elizabeth (Tuppence Middleton) after her divorce. Seeking an opportunity to bond, his estranged father Tom (Swann Arlaud) suggests that they spend a year together at a lakeside cabin on a remote island in Norway. The pair’s trip begins as a wholesome soul-searching adventure, but soon becomes an intense fight for survival.
Shot on location in the icy fjords, it makes for a breathtaking cinematic landscape of beautifully crisp greys and blues. They soon establish an idyllic day-to-day routine in the wilderness, their early awkwardness thawing as they enjoy hunting, swimming, and gathering firewood. In one particularly effective scene, they open up to each other as Tom imparts some wisdom to Roy on the vulnerability of early sexual encounters. This is nicely handled in the script, strengthening and deepening their difficult relationship.
As the plot develops, things get chilly once again, figuratively and literally as they become overwhelmed by the unforgiving nature around them. The framing device for the central narrative is a bold storytelling choice from de Fontenay, though he is of course beholdened to the material being adapted. While it provides some intrigue in how it addresses a child’s perception of their parents, it takes a turn that is ultimately frustrating and pisses the credit it had built up into the snow.
Woody Norman and Swann Arlaud both deliver admirable performances, living up to but also breaking free from the stereotypes of moody teen and grumpy dad. They have very little in common, even coming from different cultures, but as they’re put to the test by harsh surroundings and each other, their fractured dynamic grows into something quite compelling. This, in a way, makes the final act all the more disappointing as My Father’s Island thrives for something in the realm of Aftersun, but is frostbitten by a poorly conceived twist of fate.
Cinema Perspective 