Eden

by Mike McGranaghan

Some directors have very distinct styles, so that you could identify their films even if there were no credits on them. There’s simply no mistaking a Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino picture. Ron Howard is not one of those directors. He’s more old school, working dependably across genres. His output, while often impressive, tends to lack thematic connective tissue. Howard can follow up a sci-fi adventure like Solo: A Star Wars Story with the gut-wrenching documentary Rebuilding Paradise, then move on to the dour drama of Hillbilly Elegy. His latest, Eden, is a typically unexpected effort. It’s an odd movie based on an even odder true story.

Jude Law plays Dr. Friedrich Ritter, a writer who has fled post-WWI Germany with his wife Dora (Vanessa Kirby). They've moved to an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, where he plans to establish a new society that eschews bourgeois values and fiery politics. Letters he writes are published in German newspapers, inspiring another couple, Heinz and Margret Wittmer (Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney), to show up, ready to restart their own lives. Soon after, Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas) arrives with an entourage, intent to foist her own vision upon the isle.

Eden focuses on the collision between these various players. Ritter is protective of his island, making him resentful toward intruders. The Wittmers are good, hard-working people who thrive a little more quickly than Ritter would like. The Baroness, meanwhile, represents everything Ritter rejects. All kinds of conflicts arise among them. Life on the island is difficult, so in addition to dealing with each other, the characters have to fight for food, water, and shelter. Creating a new society is not as easy as anyone expects.

There’s a bottom-line quality to the film that holds your attention. Aside from the fact that’s inspired by actual events, the hardships faced by the settlers are mind-boggling to contemplate. You can’t help imagining yourself in their shoes. Every member of the ensemble cast gives a full-blooded performance that lets you see the struggle while also making the interpersonal clashes vibrant. Ana de Armas is a particular standout, giving the sexed-up Baroness a larger-than-life personality that masks very dark motives. She’s a villain you’ll love to hate.

In spite of those good qualities, Eden doesn’t seem to know what direction it’s going in. For a while, it’s about Ritter’s efforts to pen his manifesto. Then it’s about the Wittmers trying to build a home and get sufficient amounts of water to it. Then it’s about the Baroness seeking control. Noah Pink’s meandering script never figures out how to weave them all together, leading each subplot to feel underdeveloped and, in spots, somewhat silly. The final act gets bogged down in episodes of violence and deception that would have packed a much bigger punch had the weight of the individual arcs reached their full potential.

In the end, the movie lands as a curiosity. It’s got enough of interest to remain watchable throughout, yet it doesn’t gel into anything that will truly impact you. In other words, a quintessential “wait for streaming” release.

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