Jindabyne (2006)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Raymond Carver (short story "So Much Water So Close to Home")
Beatrix Christian (written by)

Release Date:

20 July 2006 (Australia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Under the surface of every life lies a mystery

Plot:

Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated...

Plot Keywords:

Town | River | Fishing Trip | Aboriginal | Park

Awards:

11 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Chris Haywood	...	Gregory
Tatea Reilly	...	Susan
Laura Linney	...	Claire
Sean Rees-Wemyss	...	Tom
Gabriel Byrne	...	Stewart Kane
Deborra-Lee Furness	...	Jude
John Howard	...	Carl
Eva Lazzaro	...	Caylin-Calandria
Maya Daniels	...	Caylin-Calandria's Mother
Bob Baines	...	Doctor #1
Max Cullen	...	Terry
Stelios Yiakmis	...	Rocco
Simon Stone	...	Billy 'The Kid'
Victoria Allen	...	Girl at Garage
Leah Purcell	...	Carmel

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing images, language and some nudity.

Runtime:

USA:123 min | France:123 min (Cannes Film Festival) | Norway:118 min (DVD censored version)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

April Films

Trivia:

The screenplay is based on the short story "So much water so close to home" by American writer Raymond Carver. The song "Everything's Turning to White" by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly was also inspired by Carver's story.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The telephone number on the door of Gregory's, the electrician, Land Rover starts with '70'. This cannot be a Jindabyne telephone number as they start with '64' in that part of N.S.W., Australia. (Note that the code ‘70’ is a special prefix for movie use. It is issued by the Australian Media and Communications Aurtority).

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Getaway: (#15.30)" (2006)

Promising story but ultimately unsatisfying

There are similarities between Ray Lawrence's "Jindabyne" and his last movie "Lantana" – a dead body and its repercussions for already dysfunctional lives. But whereas "Lantana" offered some hope and resolution, "Jindabyne" leaves everything unresolved in a bleak way that will leave most viewers unsatisfied, perhaps even cheated.

The storyline - the aftermath of a fisherman's discovery of a corpse floating in a remote river - is based on a short story by Raymond Carver. It became an element in Robert Altman's classic 1993 ensemble "Short Cuts". Lawrence uses this theme for an exploration and exposition of relationships within a small Australian community under stress. The movie poses some moral questions "Would you let the discovery of a dead body ruin your good weekend?" and more poignantly for Australians "Would it make any difference if the dead person was an aboriginal?" The acting, especially by Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney, is commendable. And there are elements of mysticism reinforced by haunting music, not unlike "Picnic at Hanging Rock".

If all this sounds like the basis for a great movie - be prepared for a let down, the pace is very slow and the murder is shown near the beginning, thereby eliminating the element of mystery. And so we are left with these desolate lives and a blank finale.