Eden
Eden
Starring Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas
Directed by Ron Howard
In 1929, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his girlfriend Dore (Vanessa Kirby) flee their native Germany and settle on the isolated island of Floreana in the Galapagos Islands to escape the bourgeois values they feel are harming mankind. They spend years on the island alone, while Dr. Ritter writing his manifesto that finds its way to the mainland and inspires young couple Heinz (Daniel Bruhl) and Margret (Sydney Sweeney) Wittmer and their young son to the island. Ritter doesn't like neighbors, so the Wittmers form their own society with their own water irrigation and farming land, and the two families live in a co-habitable co-existence.
Then The Baroness (Ana de Armas) arrives on the island with three men, and her flamboyant, seductive and manipulative attitude rubs the other families the wrong way, especially when she announces she plans to build a millionaires-only resort on the island. Now the three families try to co-exist, but their differing ideologies, personalities, and methods come to blows more times than not, proving that humans can't really re-create the fabled garden of Eden.
"Eden" could've been a spectacular movie that showcased the negative aspects of humanity, and, again, it does manage to do that - but at a literal snail's pace. At 129 minutes, the movie could've shortened twenty minutes for a more tight narrative, but as it is, it's repetitive and at times boring, with events happening multiple times (such as when the Baroness steals food from both couples). It's a movie I was looking forward to seeing, and I'm still glad I saw it, but I just wish it could've been more thinner in its length.
This is due to the performances of the movie, which is the film's highlight. Jude Law and Vanessa Kirby play the founders of the island, who more or less want to be left alone and be around absolutely no one, with Law's Ritter writing his manifesto about the evils of society and Kirby's Dore meditating, enjoying time with her pet donkey, and using her meditation to cure her multiple sclerosis. They don't eat meat and have a thriving garden, and essentially they're the Adam and Eve of the story. Seeing how the Wittmers and the Baroness get to them, however, they really turn into Adam and Eve - kicked out of utopia after surrendering to their more carnal natures. Law and Kirby flourish in smaller roles, and seeing both of them deteriorate from peaceful nomads to what they turn into is quite fascinating.
Daniel Bruhl and Sydney Sweeney also excel in their roles as the pious, devout Heinz and Margret Wittmer, who wish to live in the island after reading Ritter's manifesto to live a more peaceful life. They immediately rub Ritter the wrong way, even though they're nothing short of saintly, and manage to create their own utopia on the island. Margret is pregnant and also raising their young son, and Heinz knows how to hunt and build, and the two work in-sync incredibly well, as does the actors themselves.
Then the powder keg hits with Ana de Armas's The Baroness, who arrives on the island sitting on a chair carried by her lovers as she sets to turn the untouched island into a millionaire's paradise. She doesn't understand the word "no" and is duplicitous, deceitful and dishonest in her dealings with Ritter and the Wittmers so much so she tries to turn them on one another, but ultimately just causes them both to turn on her. Ana de Armas shines in this role as she chews the scenery with class, sophistication, and also with a sociopath attitude that threatens to destroy everyone in her path.
The dynamics between these three families continually come to blows, with the tension escalating from moment to moment before everything Ritter worked for falls apart at the seams and violence takes over. It's a fascinating study - since it's something that really happened - about how society breaks down so easily, even if you're living on a utopian island away from the hustle and bustle of society itself. If only it had been 100 minutes - or the pacing would've been better - then the movie could've been something grand as opposed to something just...there.
The Score: B
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