Lantana (2001)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Andrew Bovell (play)
Andrew Bovell (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 October 2001 (Australia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It's tangled

Plot:

Psychiatrist Valerie Somers disappears one night; Det. Leon Zat is called to investigate; his wife has been getting advice from Somers.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Neighbor | Grief | Marriage | Doctor

Awards:

34 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Anthony LaPaglia	...	Detective Leon Zat
Rachael Blake	...	Jane 'Janie' O'May
Kerry Armstrong	...	Sonja Zat
Manu Bennett	...	Steve Valdez (as Jon Bennett)
Melissa Martinez	...	Lisa
Owen McKenna	...	Old man in pajamas
Nicholas Cooper	...	Sam Zat
Marc Dwyer	...	Dylan Zat
Puven Pather	...	Drug dealer
Lionel Tozer	...	Police officer
Glenn Suter	...	Police officer
Leah Purcell	...	Detective Claudia Wiss
Barbara Hershey	...	Dr. Valerie Somers
Natasha Guthrie	...	Young girl
James Cullington	...	Man at book launch

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexuality.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Australia | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:AA | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Trivia:

The first film to win all of the top six categories of the Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards: best picture, best director, best actress, best actor, best supporting actress, best supporting actor. It also won for best adapted screenplay. This record remained unbroken until all 13 AFI categories were swept by Somersault (2004).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Sonja and Leon are in bed, the crew is reflected in a large standing mirror.

Quotes:

Leon Zat: [Leon has chest pains after having sex with Jane] I get this pain in my chest sometimes.
Jane O'May: You know, you really should have told me that you have a weak heart.
Leon Zat: I don't.
Jane O'May: It's because I don't want to have an affair with...
Leon Zat: For Christ's sake, I don't have a weak heart, all right? This is not an affair, it's a one-night stand that happened twice.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Permiso Que Llego Van Van

Drama, with black Aussie humour

This film shows Australia, not as a sunny soap opera land, but life as it happens. There were many twists and turns throughout and showed just how small a community can be. Particularly enjoyed the sharp Aussie wit and black humour that flowed with the unfolding of the plot.

Antony LaPaglia plays a believable role and as sub plot you see his character change in the space of two hours.

All in all a very enjoyable film.