Lantana (2001)

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Andrew Bovell (play)
Andrew Bovell (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 October 2001 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

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:

Homosexuality | Salsa | Adultery | Psychiatrist | Car Trouble

Awards:

34 wins & 17 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 | 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:

Continuity: During the conversation between Leon and John on John's deck, the water level and position of the pitcher changes.

Quotes:

Leon Zat: I tell my wife everything.
John Knox: That suprises me.
Leon Zat: Why?
John Knox: Most men hold something back.

Movie Connections:

References Passion, En (1969)

Soundtrack:

Permiso Que Llego Van Van

A rare accomplishment

"Lantana" is one of those rare films which which transcends entertainment with meaningful messages, however subliminal, while avoiding the dumbing-down, flocking, hype, titillation, and other excesses of the usual Tinseltown product and relying solely on good story telling. The film uses the nonlinear Magnoia-esque jigsaw puzzle approach showing a piece of each player one at a time while methodically completing the final puzzle picture. Though the film involves a cop, a shrink, a missing woman, infidelity, adultery, grief, suspicion, etc., "Lantana" isn't about any of these things; a fact which is made clear in the end when the final puzzle piece is dropped into place. A must see for mature realists into serious drama.