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Lantana on DVD (2001)

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Average rating: 70%
1113411122047
3.5
from 1,259 members
 
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Anthony La Paglia, Barbara Hershey, Rachael Blake, Vince Colosimo
Director: Ray Lawrence
Studio: UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL
Run time: 115 mins
Certificate: 15
User collections: Australian Style, some hidden gems, 50 Cinematic Gems, The best of Oz
Genres: Drama
Languages: English
Hearing-impaired: English
Released: 17/02/2003

Brief synopsis of Lantana

Ray Lawrence's LANTANA is an intelligent, well-written, well-acted film that is much more than just another cop thriller--it's more like YOU CAN COUNT ON ME with its realistic, complex relationships and believable characters. The film opens with a slow pan over a dead body, eerily reminiscent of BLUE VELVET. Anthony LaPaglia stars as Leon, a Sydney police detective who is cheating on his wife, Sonja (Kerry Armstrong), with a married woman from their dance class (Rachael Blake), even though he still loves his wife. There's something missing from his life, but he's not sure what. His relationship with his son is strained, and even his partner, Claudia (Leah Purcell), knows something is wrong. But as his affair heats up and a murder mystery that seems to involve all of the people in his life begins to consume his attentions, he is forced to reexamine his future both as a family man and a cop.
LANTANA won seven Australian Film Institute Awards, including best picture, best director for Lawrence, best actor for LaPaglia, best actress for Armstrong, best supporting awards for both Blake and Colosimo, and best adapted screenplay by Andrew Bovell, who based the script on his play SPEAKING IN TONGUES. As the murder investigation gets more complicated and the tangled web leads to even more lying, cheating, and deception, the acting intensifies, and the sharp dialogue allows the characters to blossom as beautifully as the lantana bush referred to in the title.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 4 stars out of 5 Radio Times

In his first directorial outing since the admirable Bliss in 1985, Ray Lawrence belies his roots in commercials with this engrossing adaptation of Andrew Bovell's play, Speaking in Tongues. It's a supremely controlled ensemble piece, in which chance and coincidence increase the tension of what is, ostensibly, a suburban thriller. But, as the mesh of imperceptively interweaving relationships becomes increasingly complex, the identity and fate of a missing woman become less important than the resolution of the different domestic crises involving psychiatrist Barbara Hershey and husband Geoffrey Rush, world-weary cop Anthony LaPaglia and the unhappy souls who inhabit the fringes of their lives.

Rating of 3 stars out of 4 Halliwell's Film Guide

An intense exploration of prickly relationships rather than a whodunnit, this well-crafted and -acted movie provides both suspense and insight.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 5 starsFilm-making at its best......

Andrew from Scotland , 07/06/2004

A woman lies dead in the middle of woodland....the relationships of all those involved in finding out how and why she got there are examined. Everything about this film is top class - the script, cast, acting directing, editing.. everything. This is a superb ensemble film and should not be missed. Anthony Lapaglia is particularly good.

  20 out of 21 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsHanging Rock revisited.

Allan4syth from Norfolk , 02/02/2004

"Lantana" is an ensemble piece involving four couples living in a suburb of Sydney, similar in intention to Robert Altman's superb "Short Cuts". The film opens, a la "Blue Velvet", with a woman's corpse, but no clue to how she got there. The narrative then switches to the lives and loves of each of the couples and how their lives intertwine on a daily basis. The corpse is almost forgotten for a while, before it becomes apparent that one of our protagonists may well become the victim. The question still remains, how did she get there and who is to blame... "Lantana" is an immensely enjoyable fim for drama lovers, taking it's time to depict multi-dimensional characters living in a complex world. It reminded me a bit of Todd Solondz's film "Happiness" in structure, though without the black humour. The central death is also reminiscent of another great Australian film, "Picnic at Hanging Rock". There are some very touching moments and the DVD has an insightful commentary. Highly recommended.

  17 out of 18 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsTruly excellent film

Chrisg from london , england , 03/06/2004

This is a beautifully told and beautifully acted film. I watched it on a recommendation from a friend knowing nothing about it and was truly entertained. It is an engrossing story that stayed with me for days. Watch it!

  11 out of 13 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsScriptwriting

lyndonparker from london , 14/10/2003

These is the best screenplay I have ever seen in my life. Couple that with an intelligent director and a faultless cast of high quality actors and the result is perfection. This film constantly tricks you into thinking it is going in different directions. All through the movie, you will find yourself judging characters, pre-empting storylines that aren't there and getting impatient to find out how it all ends. I can't praise this film enough. Geoffrey Rush deserved an oscar for this subtle and contained performance and the casts of all our major soaps should be made to watch this film to remind them of what good acting is all about.

  8 out of 10 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 4 starsGood Film.

A customer from Essex. , 17/10/2005

This is a beautifully told and beautifully acted film. We watched it on a recommendation from a friend knowing nothing about it, and was truly entertained. It is an engrossing story. Watch it!

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 stars

jcar from LONDON , 12/03/2004

A hugely enjoyable, adult film, which examines the lives of a group of urban Aussies. On a superficial level, this is a standard detective story. However, underneath, the film is complex & fascinating. It draws you in by skilfully manipulating your emotions and expectations - there are real, believable surprises here. Highly recommended.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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