Lantana (2001)

The relationships of four couples unravel after the discovery of a young woman's body in Lantana bush in suburban Sydney.

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Andrew Bovell (play), Andrew Bovell (screenplay)

Stars:

Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Rachael Blake

36 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Leon
Rachael Blake	...	Jane
Kerry Armstrong	...	Sonja
Manu Bennett	...	Steve (as Jon Bennett)
Melissa Martinez	...	Lisa
Owen McKenna	...	Old Man in Pyjamas
Nicholas Cooper	...	Sam
Marc Dwyer	...	Dylan
Puven Pather	...	Drug Dealer
Lionel Tozer	...	Police Officer
Glenn Suter	...	Police Officer
Leah Purcell	...	Claudia
Barbara Hershey	...	Valerie
Natasha Guthrie	...	Young Girl
James Cullington	...	Man at Book Launch

Storyline

Trust. A dead body in bracken. A cop cheats on his unhappy wife who, in secret, sees a psychiatrist whose own marriage is corroded by grief: she thinks her husband is having an affair with a gay patient of hers. The cop's lover, Jane, is recently separated, and her neighbors - a couple with children - include a muscular unemployed man. Late one night, the doctor skids off a back road, finds a call box, and tries in vain to reach her husband. She sees headlights and flags down the driver. Later that night, Jane sees her neighbor park his truck and throw something into the lantana in a vacant lot. It's a woman's shoe. Unraveling the mystery lays bare five couples.

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Plot Keywords:

adulterous wife | lust | scantily clad female | rear entry sex | nylons | 

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Taglines:

It's tangled

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Films [United States]

Country:

Australia Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Лантана

Filming Locations:

Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

AUD 430,696 (Australia), 6 October 2001

Opening Weekend USA:

$66,701, 16 December 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,460,426, 21 April 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

MBP (Germany), Jan Chapman Productions, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Glenn Robbins was originally considered for the lead role of Detective Leon Zat, but Anthony LaPaglia was eventually cast. Robbins was then cast as the role of Pete O'May

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Goofs

When Sonja is in the car park, at about 54' at the bottom of the frame you can see the dolly track complete with sandbag, wedges and Mafer clamp.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

Grateful acknowledgement of assistance to all our families

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Connections

Referenced in On Location with 'The Irishman' (2006)

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Soundtracks

Respeta Mi Tambo
(1997)
Written by Pablo Justiz
Ahi-Nama Music - Musica Unica Publishing
Licensed from Universal Music Publishing Pty. Ltd.
Performed by Los Naranjos
Courtesy of Ahi-Nama Music

User Reviews

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.