Alison tempted me along to see 'Lantana' on Wednesday at the Phoenix Arts. I wasn't especially aware of the film before deciding to go and see it, but the blurb in the Phoenix guide which mentioned reference points such as 'Magnolia' and 'Blue Velvet' sounded promising. To compare 'Lantana' to those movies wholesale, however, would be doing all concerned a grave disservice.

This fine Australian movie is essentially an ensemble piece. The many interwoven characters are well developed, and with a warm subtlety. The character with whom we get the closest relationship is Leon Zat (played by Anthony LaPaglia). Zat is a middle aged Policeman whose marriage is in a difficult spell. He is unfit and slightly emotionally immature, occasionally brutish. We follow Leon's passage through an affair and his turbulent journey as an occasionally violent and unfulfilled man trying to get his life back on track.

Valerie, a relationship counsellor/psychoanalyst (Barbara Hershey) is struggling to get over the killing of her young daughter and there is a mutual distance between how she and her husband John (the superb Geoffrey Rush) are dealing with the situation. She suspects an affair, and this suspicion is played on when a gay client of hers reveals that he is having an affair with a married man.

Jane (Rachael Blake) has occasional sexual liasons with Leon, who attends the same dance class as Leon is dragged along to by his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong). Jane, meanwhile, is neighbour to Paula (Daniella Farinacci) and Nik (Vince Colosimo). Jane is a divorcee and in her thirties. She is fond of, but looks down on her latino neighbours. At one point she offers some cash to Nik to help pay the bills. She doesn't really approve of their messiness, especially with them having young kids.

One night, Valerie ends up disappearing after having left a message home to say she is flagging a lift. She doesn't arrive home and the police end up finding her body. Jane finds a stray shoe that she sees Nik throw into the undergrowth late at night. The police are involved, and to Leon's surprise he finds himself investigation the aforementioned item of footwear by visiting Jane's house, whilst Jane is in the middle of reconciliation with her former partner.

I don't want to shade in the gaps too much, but this is an understated delight. Refreshingly simple, despite the broad palette of characters, and engagingly human. It sort of reminded me of Moretti's 'La Stanza Del Figlio' ('The Son's Room') in terms of looking at people damaged by loss as well as on the level of emotional depth of the characters.

All in all, this is a great, subtle and moving picture with a moving ending and a couple of twists along the way.

- Roger Ebert's review of 'Lantana'
- The IMDB entry for 'Lantana'
- Bikkit.com's review of 'Lantana'.

"broad palette of characters"
"essentially an ensemble piece"
"warm subtlety"

You Goose! Listen to the Predator - and listen up GOOD.