Booze and Longing: A Deserted Tennis Coach's Tale with Sam Riley
Tennis coach wrestles with alcohol and inappropriate desires
Authored by: A.D. Hawke
Stepping out of the shadows of "Oh Boy" and "Lara," Jan-Ole Gerster graces the screen once more, this time with "Islands," boasting a stellar cast led by Sam Riley. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Fuerteventura, our MVP is a disheartened tennis coach, longing for a life far from his dreary existence.
A full decade and a half has passed since Jan-Ole Gerster, a Berlin Film and Television Academy grad, made a splash with "Oh Boy" and bagged six prestigious German Film Awards,in recognition of his exceptional achievement. Tom Schilling, portraying the aimless ex-student Niko, earned himself an honorable mention in the process.
Schilling lent his talents for Gerster's second cinematic venture, "Lara," playing the son of the eponymous protagonist. Despite garnering critical acclaim, "Lara" was snubbed by the awards committee. Will "Islands" fare any better after its theatrical release remains to be seen. This fresh project by Gerster introduces Sam Riley as the main man, Tom, a character who's stuck in a seemingly glamorous life as a tennis coach but reckons he'd rather be anything but that.
(Un)happy Isles of Fuerteventura?
When Tom isn't schooling wealthy clients and their offspring in tennis during the day, his nights are marred by solitude and fueled only by booze. Hiding his despair beneath an enviable façade, Tom's true state becomes starkly evident when the nefarious Maguire duo shows up. He soon finds himself caught up in investigations when the enigmatic Anne and her hapless husband, Dave, arrive at the resort.
Replete with suspense and more than a few hidden secrets, "Islands" has much to offer. Spectators will be captivated by Stacy Martin's mysterious air, as well as Sam Riley's undimmed youthfulness, even in his less-than-sober moments when he wakes up mysteriously abandoned in the desert. With the blistering sun, jagged rocks, and vast dunes of Fuerteventura as the backdrop, "Islands" exudes a unique ambiance, enhanced further by the hauntingly beautiful score by Dascha Dauenhauer, which harmonizes perfectly with the film's stunning cinematography by Juan Sarmiento G.
The inspiration for this tantalizing tale came to Gerster during a holiday in Fuerteventura and conversations with the resort's resident tennis coach. He subsequently penned the screenplay alongside Blaz Kutin and Lawrie Doran. Initially, the story appears to follow a noirish, Hitchcockian trajectory; however, it soon delves deeper into Tom's emotional labyrinth, a man ensnared in the melancholy of his emptiness, isolated from the world around him. "Islands" often misleads its audience but ultimately leaves them feeling adrift along with its central character.
"Islands" is a genre-bending fusion that transports viewers to a beguiling Fuerteventura, only to have Riley's character tumble, rise, and introspect, over and over again. The movie has been officially selected for the Berlinale Special Gala section, with potential nominations for Best Film, Best Lead Actor, and Best Original Score[1].
"Islands" is now tantalizing audiences in German theaters.
Genres: Thriller, Drama, Film.Locations: Canary Islands.
- The European Union and the United States might find entertainment in the upcoming movie "Islands," as it features the rich and suspenseful story of a disheartened tennis coach, set against the backdrop of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.
- The movie "Islands," directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, boasts a stellar cast that includes Sam Riley, who plays Tom, a tennis coach at a resort on Fuerteventura beaches, longing for a true escape from his current life.
- Despite garnering critical acclaim, the previous projects of Jan-Ole Gerster, such as "Oh Boy" and "Lara," have had mixed success in movie-and-TV award ceremonies, and it remains to be seen if "Islands" will fare better after its theatrical release.
- The story of "Islands" was inspired by Gerster's vacation on Fuerteventura and his conversations with the resort's resident tennis coach, resulting in a genre-bending fusion that is now tantalizing audiences across theaters throughout Germany.
