A promising cinematic talent growing in rather painful fits...

In her second feature-length film, Joanna Hogg shows us a dysfunctional family full of repressed resentments simmering close to the surface as they settle into a holiday on Tresco, a remote island that makes up part of the Isles of Scilly.

Hogg is a director who enjoys the gritty realism of life in the context of family relationships. Unfortunately on this occasion she is unable to find the balance in the love and hate dynamic felt between siblings and parents and the drab melancholy of life her characters inhabit.

Part of this results from the introduction of two non-actors, Rose, played by professional cook Amy Lloyd, and painting teacher Christopher Baker. Whilst on occasions this can work, particularly with kids, here it adds emphasis to the burgeoning battle between realism and drama, the former conquering to the detriment of the viewers’ ability to immerse themselves in the individual struggle of the characters attempting to break out of their box.

In many ways this is a very experimental film. The music, as in her breakthrough film Unrelated, all issues from within the movie itself, whilst the camera is just as likely to capture an empty room with the action taking place next door. This is nothing new, nor are Hogg’s methods of shooting in sequence and avoiding close-ups, but if she is more likely to be associated with Leigh and Loach over Curtis’ view of happiness seeping out of misery, then she still has some way to go to match their technical proficiency and the perception of their vision.

Archipelago does have some nice ideas at its core, particularly in the dilemma faced by Edward, who is contemplating a change of career from a city job to volunteering in Africa. Played by the talented Tom Hiddleston, Edward’s good nature is tested to its limits by his sister Cynthia, who constantly puts her foot in her mouth either in commenting on her brother’s friendship with Rose or complaining about the food at a restaurant. However, whilst Cynthia seems to suffer from some deep-rooted emotional issues, her mother is concerned more with the continuing absence of her husband and putting paint to canvas with Christopher who has become almost a de facto father.

Despite a few delicious moments of awkwardness and a thin spreading of humour, there just is not enough drama to sustain interest over the two hours. For the most part it feels rather like observing a dull middle-class family rather than eliciting any particular insight into the human condition.

There is no doubting that Hogg will, in two or three films' time, craft a picture that successfully conjoins her love of the art form with a stronger dramatic narrative to create a compelling story. For the time being, however, you may want to watch Archipelago as an example of the work of a maturing and talented artist - if at times this is rather like watching paint dry.

Archipelago goes on general release in the UK on March 4th 2011

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