People are voting emotionally.

Good movie but grossly overrated

As Good As It Gets

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

One reviewer suggested that the director, Joanna Hogg, works in the manner of Yasujiro Ozu, so I got curious. That reviewer turns out to have only the most superficial appreciation of Ozu. I am a great admirer of filmmakers like Ozu, and Farhadi, directors whose skill is in subtleties. Hogg's work, at least on ARCHIPELAGO, is empty not only of fresh ideas, let alone subtle insights, it is also empty of plot, of feeling, and of mood. Well, that's not quite true. It is moody, but it sustains one mood throughout, with no ups, downs, or cadences of any sort.While Ozu's quiet films build power, Hogg's movie (this is the only one I will ever watch) build nothing but anticipation, and even that peters out after a few scenes in which nothing-- and I mean nothing-- happens. Hogg nails the camera to a spot, usually about 10 feet from the actor(s), and lets the film run while they do something or, less likely, speak. We watch a woman going down stairs. A man gets ready for bed, then gets into bed. A woman cleans the kitchen. A woman gets on a bicycle and pedals out of the frame. A man paints a landscape. Minutes go by... more minutes... When there is dialog, the tedium actually worsens. My yawns almost dislocated my jaw. Her actors stammer in the manner of Woody Allen's neurotics, conveying nothing. When they do express a thought, it's invariably a stale one: the sister disapproves of her brother's humanitarian work, declaring it a "luxury," and saying he should "get a job like the rest of us." Nothing fresh about the observation, the way it is made, or the way it is filmed. The whole film is like that; I assume the whole Hogg is.Tom Hiddleston is in three of Hogg's movies. Even he-- as engaging and expressive as any active film actor I can name-- is not enough to make ARCHIPELAGO worth the nearly two-hour running time. I, for one, am grateful that he has moved on to films and plays worthy of his time, and ours.

English screenwriter and director Joanna Hogg's second feature film which she wrote, premiered at the 54th London Film Festival in 2010, was screened at the 15th Busan International Film Festival in 2010, was shot on location in Tresco, Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, England and is a UK production which was produced by producer Gayle Griffiths. It tells the story about a man named Edward, who goes on a goodbye holiday to a vacation house on an island with his mother named Patricia and his older sister named Cynthia. As they settle in, they await Edward and Cynthia's father who is expected to join them and Edward befriends a cook from Northamptonshire named Rose.Distinctly and precisely directed by British filmmaker Joanna Hogg, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a quiet and contemplative portrayal of the solidarity, individuality and tensions within a family that is missing one significant piece. While notable for its naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, reverent cinematography by cinematographer Ed Rutherford, production design by French production designer Stéphane Collonge, fine editing by Danish film editor Helle Le Fevre and use of sound, colors and light, this dialog-driven story about crucial decisions, interpersonal communication and family relations, depicts some dense and internal studies of character.This tangible, theatrical and humane drama from the late 2000s which is set on a private island in South West England which is one of the five Isles of Scilly which forms an archipelago, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, rare aura, interesting characters, partly improvised dialog, underlying emotional substance and the refined and involving acting performances by English actor Tom Hiddleston, English actresses Kate Fahy, Lydia Leonard, Amy Lloyd in her debut feature film role and English landscape painter Christopher W. Baker. An atmospheric, at times lyrical and modestly though efficiently expressionistic character piece.

The plot of 'Archpeligo' is very simple: a repressed, upper-middle class family go on holiday to Sicily and proceed to have a dull, miserable time. And that's it. The underlying cause of their inability to enjoy life is never explained, there are no dramatic developments, nor any particularly sympathetic characters; just a selection of privileged individuals sharing mutual unhappiness. It's sometimes said, probably falsely, that everyone has a book in them; this film feels as if someone felt they had a film in them, presumably inspired by their own insipid life. If this is actually a work of imagination, then I'm even more alarmed.

Locked off cinematography much discussed. In compensation every shot seems to have been beautifully considered. Yes it is slow but it is also brooding.Not at all pretentious in my mind. Very atmospheric. Great soundscape. Love the shot where Edward goes looking for Cynthia and is calling 'C' against a night time shot with the white wave crests breaking in the distance. Fabulous.Yes there is no action. The lack of which does not result in no drama. The improvisation certainly adds substance to a austere script. The characters are somewhat under developed at times (Rose garners the most sympathy) but that merely encourages the viewer to "think" for themselves.Beautiful scenery from the Isles of Scilly. Loved it.