If anything attracts my cinephile palette are films that pay tribute to the auteurs of years past. Mia Hansen-Løve’s new film, Bergman Island, immediately grabbed my attention on its title alone. After reading its premise, it was a sure-fire addition to my New York Film Festival line-up; and while the film does offer homages and tributes to the acclaimed Ingmar Bergman, the film’s slow pacing and unique third act narrative choice ultimately left me not longing for more.
Bergman Island stars Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth as filmmakers Chris and Tony, who have traveled to the island of Fårö for the summer. They travel to the island, known for being the place where director Ingmar Bergman lived and shot some of his most legendary films, with the hopes that Bergman’s creative ju-ju will pass on to Chris and Tony.
When Bergman Island is at its best, the focus is strictly on Vickey Krieps and Tim Roth. However, Mia Hansen-Løve’s first half allows viewers to grasp the core of their relationship. Tony exudes confidence in his work while being the more famous of the two, while Chris is the indie director who is clamoring to find her authentic voice in the median.
Both Roth and Krieps shine in their performances and chemistry. The subtly of Tony and Chris walking through the island to the backdrop of Denis Lenoir’s stunning cinematography of the beautiful Swedish landscape works so well because Roth and Krieps bring realistic, down to earth perspectives to their performances that allow the viewer to engage in both of their underlying objectives on this trip.
Suppose this is where the film put 100% of its focus, then this would outright be a film I adored. However, during its third act, Hansen-Løve transitions the movie into a short film of its own. Based on Chris’s screenplay, we meet two couples, Amy (Mia Wasikowska) and her offscreen partner, and Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie), with his offscreen partner. It is established that Amy and Joseph used to be a couple, and during a wedding, they drunkenly rehash that romance at a wedding. While the film within a film concept is nothing new, the narrative structure change completely took me out of the film, and while Wasikowska offers a satisfactory performance, it’s hard to invest in this arch of the film when it’s not warranted.
Ultimately, Bergman Island offers much promise but fails to deliver fully. While the quiet, beautiful landscape is a delight to view and Roth and Krieps’s chemistry is radiant, the film does not have much to say. Its abrupt conclusion leaves a feeling of emptiness and disappointment that turned a film I fully expected to love into one of the most disappointing outings of the year.
