Bergman Island: there is a moment in Mia Hansen-Løve’s drama when the protagonist wonders aloud if the film she is writing may not be too flimsy; she is right, as both halves of this film, even in tandem, are unsubstantial. Both the film and the film within the film are heavily informed by the melancholy of the setting, a simple, austere, and coldly beautiful location. The characters, however, are too shallow, underdeveloped; their relationships are explored from too large a distance. The main names of the cast (Vicky Krieps, Mia Wasikowska, Tim Roth, Anders Danielsen Lie) give quiet and workable performances, but a great number of the smaller roles are performed in a wooden, almost declamatory manner. Cinematographer Denis Lenoir’s images of the locale are beautiful.