This is a Resurfaced review written in 2002 or earlier. For more information, please visit this link: Resurfaced Reviews.

Lantana

Rating

Director

Ray Lawrence

Screenplay

Andrew Bovell (Play: Andrew Bovell)

Length

2h 01m

Starring

Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong, Rachael Blake, Vince Colosimo, Russell Dykstra, Daniella Farinacci, Peter Phelps, Leah Purcell, Glenn Robbins

MPAA Rating

R

Review

The small art house film with a hidden soul has become a rare commodity in today’s let’s-pack-’em-in theater style. Even formerly independent Miramax has started losing its contemporary edge. Australian import “Lantana,” however, is a step in the right direction.

“Lantana” is a complex murder mystery with twists and turns even a veteran film critic would find difficult to guess. The film revolves around three couples who come together in rather unsuspected ways. Anthony LaPaglia is Leon Zat, a cop who is cheating on his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong) with another woman from their dance class, Claudia (Leah Purcell). Claudia is a neighbor of the second couple, the D’Amatos, Nik (Vince Colosimo) and Paula (Daniella Farinacci). Sonja is seeing Dr. Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey), psychiatrist and novelist wife to Geoffrey Rush’s John Knox.

The emotional distances in each relationship show how abundant romantic dysfunction is. From Leon’s philandering ways to John’s frigid distance, “Lantana” is an interesting, yet run of the mill film from director Ray Lawrence.

The movie plods along from beginning to end with occasional bursts of brilliance, but an abundance of dullness with some interesting moments. “Lantana” is so named for a type of plant that grows in Australia. It’s a patch of this plant that holds the body of the murder victim.

The performances in the film are much stronger than the story itself. Rush and Hershey match quite well, each a very demanding, almost heartless individual. There’s a reason the two are married and they convey that well. LaPaglia, on the other hand, isn’t as convincing. While he portrays the battered, love-torn husband to the best of his ability, his style is less impressive than his counterparts and the audience will find difficulty forming an emotional kinship with the character.

The technical aspects of the film from design and editing to sound and image take back seat to the performances that drive the picture. The leisurely editing makes the film feel longer than it is, the art and costume designs are minimalist, the sound doesn’t enrich the film at all and the cinematography is good, but not spectacular.

Andrew Bovell who wrote the screenplay adapted it from his own stage play titled “Speaking in Tongues.” Its pedigree is quite apparent in the expansive acting parts and the low-key story involved. Definitely more suited for the stage, “Lantana” benefits from its berth as an art film through distributor Lion’s Gate, one of the last, great, independent, production houses.

Audiences will find some parts of “Lantana” interesting as, in many instances, it will mirror their personal lives. Unfortunately, most audiences won’t come away with an understanding of the subtle morale references contained within. Instead, they will see a film as a reflection of reality and not as a cautionary tale warning its viewers against befalling its own evils.

Review Written

April 9, 2002