10/09/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Welcome to Auk, a remote island somewhere off the coast of Scotland with a population comprising two people and a whole bunch of seabirds. The human inhabitants are siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) and they were born here, when the place was a small but thriving community. Over the years it has steadily declined in numbers and, since the deaths of their parents, the twosome have clung tenaciously to their established routines, surviving on a diet of gulls, fish and crustaceans.

They pass the lonely hours by making up stories about the evil incomers from the mainland, the ones who first tempted the rest of the island’s population away and who they now believe must be resisted at all costs. The pair of them are quite feral, bickering and scrapping like teenagers and occasionally dressing up in bizarre feathered costumes to enact their own self-created mythologies.

But progress finally has the island in its sights. Council worker Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson) is dispatched from his office with the thankless mission of telling Isla and Sandy that they are trespassing on a place that is being earmarked as a nature reserve – that they shall be removed (by force if necessary) and rehoused somewhere on the mainland. To be honest, Daniel is reluctant to be the bearer of such tidings. He’s shy and diffident and a bit of a loner in his office – but his ambitious boss, Roz (Michelle Gomez), makes it clear that it’s time he started pulling his weight.

So Daniel makes the long crossing to Auk and finally comes face-to -ace with two people who are predisposed to hate him…

This quirky, low-budget comedy, written and directed by Louis Paxton, features appealing performances from the three leads, while the smaller roles are all nicely handled (keep your eyes peeled for a delightful cameo from John Hannah as you’ve never seen him before). Patrick Glan’s cinematography captures the wild beauty of the setting and Selina Wagner contributes some delightful animated sequences, which are skilfully incorporated into the narrative and never overstay their welcome.

Paxton manages to avoid painting Daniel as some kind of saviour offering a better life – indeed, as the story unfolds, he’s the one who changes most – and there’s a satisfying conclusion which manages to tie the whole thing up without wading too deep into sentimentality. Whenever the story threatens to defy credulity, Paxton brings it back from the cliff edge. For example, there is a pretty convincing explanation for why the siblings have never managed to leave Auk – and why they are so keen to remain there.

This is an impressive debut and I’ll be very interested to see where this fledgling director ventures next.

4.2 stars