Heartbreak Island

An intelligent but rather studied film about idealism and its betrayal, set against the 'Formosa Incident' (a troubled pro-democracy rally of the '70s) and its aftermath. A woman is released from prison where she was locked up for a decade or so for terrorism; in seeking out friends and colleagues, and the lover who inspired her to become an activist, she comes painfully to realise that not only the world but people's feelings have changed. The movie, beautifully acted and visualised, is a blend of the personal and political, somewhat in the style of Hou Hsiao-hsien, but lacking the resonance and emotional punch that make Hou's films so compelling.