Isola (2000) Isola: Tajuu jinkaku shjo

Directed by Toshiyuki Mizutani

Starring Yoshino Kimura, Y Kurosawa, Susumu Terajima

A film with a lot of promise that is let down by heading into all too familiar territory.

Dedicated to the people of Kobe after the earthquake in 95 and indeed effectively using this natural disaster as the setting for the story, 

A girl (Yukari) with the unwanted ability to read minds travels to Kobe to help with relief work, during her time there she becomes involved with another troubled soul, a school girl (Chihiro/Isola etc), suffering with mpd (multi-personality disorder). Strange things are happening for which there is no logical explanation but people are dying and others are blaming Chihiro.

Even more complications arise when they learn that a scientist died during an experiment on 'out of body experiences' at the time of the quake. Apparently the experiment had been a success so although the body had been killed, the spirit had remained but had found a new host, the most accessible one available, Chihiro.

Unfortunately an interesting premise collapses in on itself and takes the easy route even stealing the ending from The Exorcist; it is a shame because you feel something really deep and interesting could have been done with the characters.

Ugetsu Monogatari is referred to several times during the story but Isola certainly doesn't live up to comparison with this literary and film classic.

The actual sets are pretty convincing of the wreckage after a quake plus the relief efforts, the cast are fine, indeed a few faces are very familiar plus theres the odd cameo. It's just a shame that it falls into the category of could have been because it truly could have been so much better rather than just adequate.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15

R2 dvd released by Ventura with a really terrible cover, in fact the cover has put me off from seeing this for years.