Lantana (2001)

It's always slightly shocking to see a movie in which the actors look and behave like real people rather than glamorous movie stars--and that's part of the power of Lantana. But its real strength lies in its carefully observed script and the rich, committed performances of its cast. Anthony LaPaglia stars as a cop with an unsteady marriage; when he begins to investigate the disappearance of a noted therapist (Barbara Hershey), he suspects that her marriage to an academic (Geoffrey Rush) was similarly troubled, and he pursues the case as if his own marriage could be redeemed through it. Every character in Lantana is fully developed, sometimes with astonishing conciseness; the coincidences that drive the plot seem as faultlessly organic as the ones that might happen in your own experiences. (Lantana, incidentally, is a kind of plant; no doubt its interlocking foliage mirrors the movie's story.) --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

Thorns in the Garden

When I first saw this taut moody thriller, I found it absorbing, but I simply could not identify with the characters (which are, nevertheless, portrayed by an excellent ensemble cast). Why, I thought, doesn't an otherwise intelligent woman--a psychiatrist yet--who has wrecked her car, and has walked several kilometers down a dark lonely road to a pay-phone, call 911 (or its Australian equivalent)? And I found Anthony Lapaglia simply unappealing. That was then.

I have since watched the film several more times. As for my first complaint, I have come to understand the onslaught of hysteria in the physician who is in need of healing herself. As for Anthony Lapaglia, I have gotten used to him (The traditional handsome Hollywood hero he isn't!) and have come to admire him in the television show, "Without A Trace." Therefore I have cast aside my initial prejudice and now fully appreciate what an accomplished actor he is in "Lantana." Lapaglia is an excellent foil for Geoffrey Rush, who turns in a moving performance as the twice-bereaved Professor of Law.

The director presents a series of relationships that are as thorny and thick as the lantana hedges--which seem alive with shrilling cicadas--that run riot along the Sidney roadsides. He also subtly misdirects the attention of the audience, which may think it has cleverly intuited the solution to the mystery, but gradually realizes that it has been skillfully guided through the tangled Lantana maze and sent down the wrong garden path altogether.
July 13, 2008

Great movie !

First seen on the big screen while living in New Mexico, Lantana captures what many movies lack. Well put together story line, nice acting and music that blends. A sleeper, as I feel it never really cought on here in the states. I would pay $20 for this movie but you can buy it for pocket change. A nice display of real people having real emotions, the things society keeps trying to steal away from us. ~ Russell May 24, 2008

very good on mid-life pain and compromise, a bit weak on plot

Wrapped around an investigation that appears to be a murder, this story explores the lives of 4 interlinked couples. THree of them are in a serious crisis - infidelity, splitting up, grief - and are pondering the meaning of it all while groping towards reconciliation or compromise or perhaps divorce. The tone is unrelentingly sad, making it an agony to watch, particularly if you have felt pain and alienation in a marriage that once worked.

While the investigation side serves as a kind of plot device, it has barely begun by the middle of the film. Instead, the viewer gets a picture of each marriage, vividly and concisely portrayed like a series of vignettes, and the acting is positively excellent. For example, Barbara Hershey exudes a disturbing, if functional, depression as she attempts to treat some pretty troubled patients - it is a wonderful portrayal of emotional ricochet, where their issues get her to reflect deeply on her own life. Hershey has never been better. Though brief, each view is utterly convincing, indeed rivetting in the way a poem can have an emotional impact in an entirely different way from a novel. It is very successful art.

I recommend this film as a valuable exploration of couples in mid life. Very good, realistic drama, including the investigation. But it is not fun to watch and I doubt I will want to again any time soon. Rather than uplifting, it is stark and naked. November 13, 2007

Midlife crisis and marriage

Quiet examination of the midlife and marriage with all its hardship and beauty. Story revolves around four different couples at various stages in their marriage. It is a mistery as to what binds these people in their marriages. They are togehter but yet we keep wondering why or perhaps for how much longer. Since love cannot hold marriage alone, what are the other attributes that keep these individuals together: grief, loyalty, children, habit? Life with all its brutality can affect our relationships, especially the ones with people closest to us. No one can say that they do not feel numb at one point of their life. What does it take to bring back the emotions: trauma, loss, regret? This is emotionally fulfilling movie. The only reason it got only 4 our of 5 stars is that part with latin dancing is dragging it all into unnecessary direction. Otherwise, this is film worth examining. September 20, 2007

Flawless

I simply cannot praise Lantana highly enough. I have watched it many times over the past few years and never get tired of it. It is beautifully filmed and raises loads of interesting questions.

The plot is based around the interconnected lives of four married Australian couples. As the film progresses, the disappearance of a key character also opens up a murder mystery angle, which is played to perfection. The film explores what holds long-term relationships together and what pulls them apart. It puts the spotlight on love and trust and why people lose their way. All of the actors in the film really work well together and the couples seem to have a special chemistry between them so you don't doubt they would have ended up with each other. Anthony Lapaglia is particularly good as Leon, the cop who is having an affair almost without consciously having made a choice to cheat on his wife. The actors playing Paula and Nik also really stand out and their scenes together are very believable. Barbara Hershley is also brilliant as Valerie, a pyschiatrist who is struggling to deal with her own terrible pain.

Lantana has so many memorable and surprising scenes. To name a few - Leon running smack-bang into another jogger; Paula returning home to find Jane has tidied her house; Valerie falsely accusing a man of saying something to her in the street; Claudia watching a man she secretly admires slip out of her grasp yet again. The great thing is, all these scenes seem true to life. Director Ray Lawrence seems to know exactly how to get the most from each situation, and allows his actors to look natural on film, with lined faces, dark circles under their eyes etc.

Finally, I can't write a review of Lantana without mentioning the screenplay. It is so brilliant that I bought a copy to read purely for fun last year. Andrew Bovell is a really gifted writer and he conveys so much emotion with the simplest dialogue and actions.

For me, this film scores 10/10 as a psycholocial thriller, whodunnit and family drama. The ending is shocking and sad and heartening all at the same time. The final shot is simply beautiful and takes my breath away. Highly recommended for people who want to watch an intelligent adult drama. July 21, 2007

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