Review of Lantana (2001) by Drew S — 03 Mar 2008

The obvious inspiration for sister film Jindabyne, Lantana is stronger simply by account of a more focused plot and a larger, yet still interesting cast of characters. The big theme here is infidelity of many kinds - betrayal of trust in general - and the murder here is a perfect conduit for revealing these things.

Anthony LaPaglia has always been kind of a one trick pony, but his trick happens to suit him very well here. He's a prick, but not a totally unapproachable one; the issues that he certainly has seem like ones that could be ironed out with the right kind of attention. You want the character's circumstances to improve, so he can improve himself. Geoffrey Rush is fantastic, handling a crucial character twist so flawlessly that it breaks your heart. Barbara Hershey and Kerry Armstrong are also interesting as the women involved in these affairs, Rachael Blake makes a solid studious neighbor, and the young couple are suitably optimistic and likable. The performances are all even and intelligent, suiting the ensemble cast perfectly - it is exactly what the movie needs to flourish. Because so little ultimately happens in Lantana, the characters are what the movie needs to shine, and shine they do.

I guess I could elucidate that obvious titular metaphor for you, but the movie does it pretty blatantly. The kind of explosive blooming of many different people...