Isolated (2013)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Admittedly I am not a surfer but I do enjoy surfing movies. I put this on in the background just for the noise. I hadn't seen the trailer and didn't know anything about it.The self righteous indignation from many of the reviews is surprising. They are up front about their intentions - simply to find the perfect wave. They did not start off with lofty pursuits just looking for a good wave. That they connected with the indigenous people of the area they were visiting was a turn in the story.I was not aware of the atrocities of the Papua people. I found the story compelling and enlightening. The surfers were clearly touched by the people they stayed with and are trying to take the message of those people to the rest of the world. Are they TFB - maybe - are they just rich surfers - probably - but they are using their position to shed light on a population who is being terribly abused.

The entitlement displayed in this film is very troubling to me. This kind of "dropping in" on a culture and feigning understanding and bonding with the people who live there is disrespectful and ethnocentric. I could not continue watching it - heard "they were like family" one too many times. Also, featuring the woman cast member in her bikini in every other shot, when the native women were covered, was painful to watch. Did these people not do any kind of basic research on Papua, New Guinea and its culture before they made this trip? Or did they not care? The lack of responsibility and awareness is just astounding.

I will confess to being neither a surfer nor a surfer fan. I decided to watch this documentary on Netflix to expand my understanding of surfing and the people who pursue it as a lifestyle. It is not my first surfing documentary, but it may be my last.Most of this film is a home movie about the exploits of young people who have managed somehow to jump out of their societies to become tropical vagabonds. They have tapped into some income stream in some cases apparently by writing and filming things related to surfing. I suppose they are surfing entrepreneurs. Mind you, they come from capitalist societies which have obviously afforded them with early nutrition, dental care and education. These are not street waifs by any means.Now, I have seen "The Beach". I know the great spiritual depth that is claimed by beach bums. I suppose some of this can be attributed to sacrificing creature comforts of one kind for their obsessive pursuit of creature comforts of another kind. A rush on a wave. A tropical beach around a fire at night and all that may entail with adequate drinking and flirting.The cast of "Isolated", however, seemed less enlightened than childishly naïve. When confronted with the brutal oppression of Papuan peasants by Indonesian authorities on behalf of international monetary interests, their reactions were a slight notch above "Bummer." In other words, I found the political slant added to this film somewhat offensive. What contribution, real contribution, are you making to human rights by floating from one thrill destination to another? Is making a room of surfer fans all say "Bummer." together while they discuss this film enough? I seldom fast forward a film out of respect for the makers of it. This was an exception. Not only does this film have little to contribute to the Papuan situation other than milking it for politically correct marketing, but it seems outright exploitative.

I admit I didn't watch it until the end. But that was because I became bored with one too many scenes of native children playing in the surf, feral surfers showing children how to surf, ruminations about us all living together happily, surfing on low waves as they search for the big wave. A lady alluded to the fact that genocide is going on in the country and that it's being kept secret. But that has been known for a few years especially with the growth of the internet. Actually more inclusion of the human rights violations mentioned in the Netflix promo probably would have helped break up the drowsy inducing scenes of the hip young Westerners interfacing with their native hosts but as I said I finally couldn't take it anymore. Maybe at the end they found the big wave I don't know by then a wave of sleep had overtaken me.