The Lost Son (1999)

Director:

Chris Menges

Writers:

Eric Leclere (writer)
Margaret Leclere (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

21 April 1999 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Certaines causes méritent de tout sacrifier.

Plot:

Xavier Lombard is a world-weary private eye in London, in exile from his native Paris; his best friend is Nathalie...

Plot Keywords:

Exile | Call Girl | Child Pornography | Mexico | Corrupt Cop

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Daniel Auteuil	...	Xavier Lombard
Nastassja Kinski	...	Deborah Spitz
Katrin Cartlidge	...	Emily
Marianne Denicourt	...	Nathalie
Ciarán Hinds	...	Carlos
Billie Whitelaw	...	Mrs. Spitz
Cyril Shaps	...	Mr. Spitz
Bruce Greenwood	...	Friedman
Jamie Harris	...	Hopper
Hemal Pandya	...	Shiva
Billy Smyth	...	Boy No 6
Cal Macaninch	...	Martin
Mark Benton	...	Giant
Michael Liebmann	...	Peter
Joe White	...	Barman
Natalie Rogers	...	Lombard's Wife
Charlotte Carew-Gibbs	...	Lombard's Daughter
Gregory McFarnon	...	Leon
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Mrs. Carlton
Will Welch	...	Lover
Ray MacAllan	...	Paul
David Hayman	...	Nathalie's Pimp
Christine Perez	...	Nina
Júlio Garcia	...	Priest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mem Ferda	...	Pimp (as Mem Ferda)
Anneka Svenska	...	Call Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Chris Menges

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Eric Leclere		writer
Margaret Leclere		writer
Mark Mills		writer

Produced by
Georges Benayoun	....	executive producer
Paul Cowan	....	line producer
Polly Duval	....	assistant producer
Finola Dwyer	....	producer
Marina Gefter	....	co-producer
Judy Menges	....	associate producer
Nik Powell	....	executive producer
Sarah Radclyffe	....	executive producer
Flore Rougier	....	assistant producer
Stephen Woolley	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Goran Bregovic

Cinematography by
Barry Ackroyd

Film Editing by
Luc Barnier
Pamela Power

Casting by
Catherine Conklin		(as Cathy Conklin)
Simone Ireland
Vanessa Pereira
Kathy Smith

Production Design by
John Beard

Art Direction by
Ray Chan
Ricky Eyres
Louise Marzaroli

Set Decoration by
Niamh Coulter

Costume Design by
Rosie Hackett

Makeup Department
Roseann Samuel	....	hair stylist
Roseann Samuel	....	makeup designer
Tina Sims	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Chris Wheeldon	....	production manager: UK

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuart Renfrew	....	assistant director

Art Department
David Balfour	....	property master
Helen Britten	....	co-set decorator
Tony Chance	....	storyboard artist
Kelvin Cook	....	props
Bill Garber	....	greensman
John M. Oswald	....	on-set dresser
Lee Ross	....	lead scenic
Anthony Szuch	....	master drapes
Lynny Warner	....	set dresser
John Wells	....	chargehand dressing props
Mark Scruton	....	assistant set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Chris Atkinson	....	sound trainee
Christopher Atkinson	....	sound assistant
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Annie Gould	....	assistant dialogue editor
Djordje Jankovic	....	sound engineer
Nick Lowe	....	dialogue editor
Predrag Milanovic	....	sound engineer
Kate Morath	....	boom operator
Ognjan Radivojevic	....	sound engineer
Bjorn Ole Schroeder	....	first assistant sound editor
Martin Trevis	....	sound

Special Effects by
Bob Hollow	....	special effects coordinator
Tez Palmer	....	special effects technician (as Terry Palmer)

Visual Effects by
Sally Clayton	....	digital artist
Simon Giles	....	digital effects producer
Chris Petts	....	digital effects animator
Peter Talbot	....	effects film scanner
Matthew Twyford	....	digital effects compositor

Stunts
Marc Cass	....	stunt performer
Ray De-Haan	....	stunt performer (as Ray De Han)
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator
Terry James	....	stunt coordinator: Tuscan unit (as Terrance James)
Mark Lisbon	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Devlin	....	electrician
Jean-Marie Leroy	....	still photographer
Darin Meyer	....	camera trainee: Tucson
Larry S. Prinz	....	gaffer
Miles Proudfoot	....	clapper loader
Diego Quemada-Diez	....	assistant camera (as Diego Quemada)
Alastair Rae	....	Steadicam operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Blanca Garcia	....	costume supervisor
Tess Hammami	....	costumer
Alex Carey	....	costume breakdown artist (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Emily Grant	....	assistant editor
Stephen Law	....	post-production consultant
Nadia Naimi	....	second assistant editor
Jamie Pearson	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Bob Last	....	music consultant
Bjorn Ole Schroeder	....	music editor

Transportation Department
J.D. Hicks	....	wardrobe driver
Jason LaFountain	....	driver

Other crew
Ryan Green	....	runner
Sasha Harris	....	assistant production coordinator
Jason Horwood	....	stand-in
Patrick Isherwood	....	production accountant
Becky Jones	....	assistant location manager
Keith Mosca	....	armorer
Pierre Mouline	....	stand-in
Jonathan Rutter	....	publicist
Rachel Quigley Smith	....	assistant production accountant
Scott Stravitz	....	set medic
Anthony Szuch	....	master drapes
Philippa Wood	....	assistant to executive producer

Production Companies

• Arts Council of England
• Canal+
• Channel Four Films
• Film Consortium, The
• France 2 Cinéma
• France 3 Cinéma
• IMA Productions
• Scala Films
• UCG International

Distributors

• Artisan Entertainment
• Bac Films (France)
• Herald Film Company (Japan)
• Motion International (Canada)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (UK)

Special Effects

• The Film Factory at VTR (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment
• Camden Film Office  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• International Stunt Company, The  stunt services and rentals
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Scala Films  copyright 1998
• Wood Hall Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for scenes involving sexual exploitation of children, strong violence, language and some nudity

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France | UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | France:-12 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18

Filming Locations:

Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Lombard picks up a Walther PPK pistol with the magazine removed. He cycles the slide and then inserts the magazine. Although it appears he was charging the weapon, all he has done is ensure the gun is not loaded (there may be rounds in the mag, but there is no round in the chamber).

Movie Connections:

References Peeping Tom (1960)

Soundtrack:

Requiem

Well-filmed thriller, worth watching.

It is interesting that "8MM," with a plot so similar, came out the same year. I found this film more interesting and believable and far less dark and stomach-turning. It is well-filmed and acted with some interesting locations. The tension is well-metered. I enjoyed the colorfulness of the filming. The cosmopolitan/European flavor lends a great deal. I enjoyed the music as well. I would see this film again with a friend.