The eagerly awaited follow up to director Joanna Hogg’s critically acclaimed debut Unrelated.
With her son Edward (Tom Hiddleston) about to embark on a trip to Africa, doting mother Patricia (Kate Fahy) wants to give him a good send-off, and gathers her family together for an idyllic getaway on Tresco, one of the Isles of Scilly. Edward’s father’s attendance is eagerly anticipated, though sister Cynthia (Lydia Leonard) appears to be there under some duress. The holidaymakers spend their time walking, cycling, taking picnics and being tutored in oil painting, appreciating the breathless beauty of their surroundings. But gradually, fractures within the family set-up begin to appear.
Archipelago serves as a worthy companion piece to Hogg’s brilliant debut, filled with astute observations on the malaise of the upper middle-class and extracting sometimes painful drama from incidental events. It confirms Hogg as one of the most intriguing and exciting voices in contemporary British cinema.
