The thought of running off to a tropical island is one that a lot of people have and in Possibility of Paradise, this seems to be the reality for some. Taking place on a tropical island the documentary tells the stories of the different people that call the island home. From indigenous people to school children and people who have seemingly unlimited money and resources and can live out their dreams by moving there.
But the movie jumps from story to story and often does not go back to tie them up. Yes, the plight of the older well off woman who has to rebuild a huge and accidentally purchased land near the crematorium may be interesting to some. But what about more about the school kids? Or the dancer after she makes her next step in life. It seems like it just wants to give you a taste of different people living there, but not really tell you the story.
Sure, this could be in order to show the viewer the contrasting lives that are all taking place on the island. But really, shouldn’t there be more of a thread to the story or a drive than that? We can focus on the outsider’s perspective more, since the film does, but isn’t that more focused on a colonization type of story than the voices of the residents that make up the island and make its culture what it is?
Yes, the movie is beautiful, as any movie shot in that type of location would be. But without a thread of a theme beyond “they live here” to tie these stories together, the film drags.
Possibility of Paradise had it’s debut last month at the Venice Film Festival.
Overall Rating
About Possibility of Paradise
On a paradise island, diverse lives unfold: schoolkids wait for the rain to stop, a former advertising executive closes a villa deal, an entrepreneur battles nature, a veterinarian clears snakes from foreigners’ gardens, and an influencer recovers from a sudden loss. A father and son prepare to leave, a dancer adopts a new identity, and divers risk their lives exploring the unknown. As each person faces choices that shape their destiny, the pursuit of happiness drives them all, revealing the tension between dreams and reality in this earthly paradise.