moonspinner55 Island travelogue and would-be 'uninhibited' male-female relations get sprinkled with psychosexual melodrama here, as only filmmaker Nicolas Roeg could present it. An older Londoner (Oliver Reed) advertises for a female companion to spend a year with him on a deserted island; Amanda Donohoe answers--she's the kind of gal who whips off all her clothes the minute the boat docks. Based on Lucy Irvine's book, one gets the sense this plot could be more a fantasy for women than for men--after all, the headstrong lady seems to call most of the shots, while Reed does the deep contemplating (with most of his clothes on!). The initial set up of the story is fun, but once the couple gets to the island, the script becomes non-existent. Director Nicolas Roeg isn't interested in lush, romantic tiptoeing through the flora and fauna (and he probably didn't see "The Blue Lagoon" anyway), yet one cannot help but imagining these two as older Blue Lagooners for a more cynical age, caught up in a messy combination between that scenario and the more political "Swept Away". Alas, this "Castaway" seems made up of leftover parts. *1/2 from ****

spj-4 I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie again! It has a beautiful sea-side setting, that has been explored from "Robinson Crusoe" to "The Black Stallion" to "Summerfield". That's apart from reading "Coral Island" & "Lord of the Flies" as a school-boy & such as TV-series as diverse as "The Count of Monte Christo" to "Gillian's Island". Since I enjoyed all of these, I fell into the familiar surrounds with abandon!Supposedly, it's based on a true story, but I would think some of what's presented is unlikely, like the willingness of the beautiful young woman to embark on such a reckless voyage of discovery, & having been caused to enter into a contract involving marriage in the process. These are merely introductions into the nature of the potential partners evolving, but they attempt to serve each other & at times, seem quite close. But they are in an Adam 'n' Eve-type scenario of ambivalence. So the hostilities between them do not take long to surface! And they dare to reflect remarkable similarities to the difficulties & modern complexities we are all part of, in our respective worlds, as islands, within islands, of government religion & media domains, almost always beyond our control, operate.So we have a movie here, a little over 20 years old as I write this, which invites the viewer to see a microcosm of the world that surrounds us everyday as we live & watch TV & visit the cinema! A bit ahead of its time, I would suggest! So, in the process of preparing this, I have upgraded my rating of it from 8 to 9 out of 10. Relationships are complex & its ending is rather sudden, but I felt I'd been on a good journey overall in watching this & didn't regret having re-visited this idyllic wilderness of natural beauty! Easy on the eye & yet not failing to note the turbulence all around!

TheNorthernMonkee SPOILERSSo this is the film which was fronted as the late, great Oli Reed's comeback. With Amanda Donohoe, Oli stars in a wonderful film about an Odd Couple who for certain reasons decide to live together on a desert island.Oli is superb as the 45 year old man who just wants to be alone on his dream island with the gorgeous Amanda Donohoe, and she's also superb as the girl who's forced to live with the volatile Oli Reed.The difference in viewpoint between the two central characters is stunning, and drives the film along well as whilst Oli is blatantly interested in both her, enjoying himself and fulfilling a few desires, she's keen on being much more active and building things. The comparison of the two continues as the film progresses until eventually a boat containing two men appear. Truth be told, it is the appearance of these two men (Jason & Rod) which leads to the film going slightly downhill for the customary dip which most films experience. The psychology of Donahoe as she blatantly gets upset at a missed opportunity to sleep with one of the men is slightly infuriating for the audience as well as the characters, and it's clever to see how the two characters behave differently amongst visitors and this is actually quite an interesting portrayal of how we change amongst guests compared with in close company.Eventually, the two almost die of malnutrition, and yet once again some random strangers turn up, this time in the face of nuns. It becomes blatantly obvious this time however that Donahoe does actually quite like Oli at times, when he's not being aggressive and violent, or excessively lazy. It is the upgrade in living enviroments and food provided by the nuns and their friends, that allows the two to regain their health and the film perks up now as the end of their year approaches.Eventually the film runs through to it's climax, via a few memorable moments, and the film is completed, as, looking back, it seemed destined to throughout.It's hard to sum up this film really. After a slightly weak review as the one I've just written, most people will probably have stopped reading by now. I guess, it's probably just worth saying that whilst films on desert beaches are by no means in short supply, this one is more enjoyable than most other efforts and is head and shoulders above both Tom Hank's most recent effort and the Beach with Leo Di Caprio. Enjoy one of Oli Reed's finest roles and find yourself inspired to escape society to a beach of your own.

boogieknights19 Castaway is based on the novel by Lucy Irvine about a young woman answering an ad in the paper placed by a man seeking a wife, to live with him on an island. Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as the gruff, thickly bearded 50yrs+ man who places the ad. And for once in a brilliant casting decision, an actress was chosen who shares much chemistry with him onscreen! Amanda Donohue is the much younger blonde and an aura of sensuality about her chosen to play his reluctant love interest in the film, Lucy. His young bride is only interested in learning island life, and the frustrated Gerald broods and seethes as young Lucy parades either naked, or wearing the tiniest of loin cloths. She is ever the tease and as she becomes more accustomed to island life, Gerald silently broods in his own lust. She has no interest in this man old enough to be her father, other than basic companionship. Gerald has other ideas. The movie is full of powerful scenes of the struggle of the sexes, and beautifully shot on a gorgeous island. Gerald and Lucy heat up the screen, and it is the contrast in their ages, and physical make-up that only add to the film. The story deals with their trials and tribulations, and contains many interesting twists. It builds up to a fantastic climax that shows the viewer the fate of both characters. Very powerful film, and beautifully cast, Castaway is highly recommended. More films of this nature should be made.