squirtycream I can fully understand the majority of film watchers being a bit bored by this, and its fine, were all different in our thoughts and observations, I would never accuse them of sarcastically 'needing' more explosions/gun battles action etc to satisfy their requirements as I think any art is subjective and any opinion is valid. I wasn't bored at all, in fact I was absorbed by this movie, nothing happens, except an examination of family life, on an angst ridden and tension filled family holiday. Immature yet grown up children, with Edward taking the limelight, the overly needy sister playing up most of the time like some spoilt child, and poor slightly neurotic Mum trying her best to keep it all together, in the absence of a Father who couldn't (or didn't want to) get there. The scenery gives a lot of atmosphere, its a tad bleak (wonder why they didn't go in summer?) The Scilly Isles in November was perfect for the slightly gloomy and foreboding atmosphere. The self obsessed artist Chris tries to understand what is going on but keeps himself snug and warm in his own arty avant-garde pretensions. Its not a movie for everyone and if you hate it fair enough, but if you like slower pedestrian films that examine human relationships, if you can let yourself be drawn into their world, then I recommend you try it. I will be re-watching it.

The_late_Buddy_Ryan A fretful Englishwoman joins her fragile adult children at a familiar vacation spot, a guesthouse on Tresco in the Scilly Isles, for a feast of locally caught lobster, locally shot pheasant and painfully awkward smalltalk. There's plenty of drama, but not much plot in the usual sense. My wife and I didn't get much out of Joanna Hogg's latest film, "Exhibition," but this one, from 2010, was weirdly involving from start to finish. The troubles of this trio of gentlefolk (including Tom Hiddleston, the reason we decided to watch this film in the first place) may not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world, but the way the camera lingers after a character's left the room or climbed a staircase, the dim interior light, even the birdsong and dreamlike landscapes (from glacial boulders to spiky subtropical palms) all contribute to the atmosphere of tension and expectancy. The title "Archipelago" might refer to the Scilly Isles (of which there are over a hundred) but also, I'm guessing, to the characters in this film, who are linked by blood and memory but isolated from one another by some pretty rough currents. (There's a big framed photo, "Storm off Tierra del Fuego," hanging over the mantelpiece when they arrive at the guesthouse; it makes them uneasy and they take it down.) Fans of Alan Ayckbourn and Edward Gory, as well as Vinterberg and Haneke, might want to take a chance on this one. Tom Hiddleston fans might stop to consider whether this wussy, neurotic, self-doubting Tom Hiddleston is the Tom Hiddleston they first fell in love with

Tweekums Before Edward departs for eleven months of volunteer work in Africa his family decide to get together for a family holiday on the island of Tresco in the off season. Here Edward, his sister Cynthia and his mother Patricia are joined by Rose the cook and art teacher Christopher. It quickly becomes apparent that there are family tensions; Cynthia clearly doesn't agree with her brother's decision to go to Africa thinking he should get a real job and there father never turns up despite talking to the phone to Patricia more than once. We follow them through their holiday; watching them go for a picnic, go out for a meal at the hotel and sit and talk... or sometimes just sit. As time passes tempers fray but never so much that we think it may have a lasting effect on the characters. Then they leave.Having enjoyed many visits to the Isles of Scilly over the years I really wanted to enjoy this; the problem was it felt a little too real; as though we were just being shown a group of fairly unsympathetic characters having a miserable time on holiday. There were long pauses and conversations about things of little consequence; realistic perhaps but sadly not that interesting. Strangely the family seemed to have almost no interaction with anybody but each other, Rose and Christopher; we see Rose chatting to a couple of locals when she acquires some lobsters and pheasants for dinner but apart from that the island seems strangely deserted... even when they go out for dinner the restaurant is deserted apart from the staff... if it hadn't been for the fact that we see them leave at the end I might have thought it was all a metaphor for purgatory! I can't really fault the actors as I did believe in the characters; even if this meant I disliked many of them! I might not have found this hilarious but I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh at all.While this clearly wasn't the film for me I certainly wouldn't recommend avoiding it all together; the large number of '10' reviews suggests quite a few people love it; perhaps I was just missing something and you will love it too.

chris_wales I loved this film. It is an absolute deadpan satire, dry, wry and very sly. And it made me laugh out loud, which is quite unusual... I don't know how much of the dialogue is improvised, but it is spot-on. The performances are stunning and the lighting, camera-work and composition are beautiful. I love the way the camera keeps its distance for so much of film before moving in close. You could turn the sound off and just watch this film for the pleasure of the visuals alone.One reviewer mentioned Tarkovsky; comparisons are odious I know, but I just have to add that it reminded me of Antonioni – and for me it doesn't get any better than that.I'm surprised how many reviewers seem to miss the point of this film completely. For me, it was like those old Magic Eye pictures: you could of course look at it and not really see anything, but change your focus a little and this amazing hidden gem appears.It's not all subtle sarcastic send-up either, I think the picture has a real heart, and it's all the more moving when it is eventually revealed.Great moments? There are tons. Here are three: The Cook carefully wrapping up her knives, as much like a surgeon as a chef, dissection over perhaps, or time to stop the stabbing. The role of the Cook is excellent: the witness to it all, the presence of the director/writer perhaps. The hand puppet round the door is a brilliant scene, loaded, as is so much of this film. Christopher's lines to Edward who is looking at his painting, a quick look at the Blues, a statement of intent from the writer, a great bit of improv? It finishes: "I quite like that blue: Joyous". Cut. Superb.It is a real shame a film of this quality is rated 5-point-something. It's a great piece of work and it deserves proper recognition.If you hated this film I would urge you to watch it again; if you haven't seen it you really should.