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      Lantana

      R Released Jan 25, 2002 2h 1m Drama List
      91% 106 Reviews Tomatometer 82% 5,000+ Ratings Audience Score Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey) suspects that her husband John (Geoffrey Rush) is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia) attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement. Read More Read Less
      Lantana

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      Critics Consensus

      Lantana is an intricately plotted character study that quietly shines with authenticity.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Gareth v One of the great Australian movies. This movie is as much a study on relationships as it is murder mystery. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Marriage is complicated but also messy and dangerous with its secrets Barbara Hershey, Rachel Blake, Geoffrey Rush, Anthony Lapaglia The focus is on 4 people; a couple who's marriage is waning and another with the husband cheating Valerie, her daughter was murdered and she's grief-stricken and believes her husband John is having an affair Leon is a detective hoping to solve the case Love, sex, and deceit takes over all of them wondering who's motives are in question This acts way more like a character study than an edge-of-your-seat erotic thriller So I didn't find it quite enthralling as it moved at a snails pace There should've been bigger parts of melodrama Good performances no doubt for an Australian drama Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member The performances from the main 4 make this short story about infidelity so impactful. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review William L Lantana is a murder-thriller set against the far more prevalent backdrop of romantic strife, taking a mature look at deteriorating relationships, betrayal, and the slow, painful spiral as characters fall out of love. And for parts of the runtime, that's a solid premise to build the film on, except for the fact that no actual crime is committed until nearly an hour until the film's runtime, and when it is it feels exceptionally halfhearted. Instead, a massive proportion of the script revolves around melodrama, to the point that it becomes overdone and tired; every form of middle-aged crisis is on display, ranging from marriage counseling, to uncomfortable dance classes, to repeated and spontaneous bouts of screaming. In the film's attempt to dive into modern domestic discord, it lingers far too long beating you over the head with these monotonous, repetitive scenes that don't develop the theme much beyond "emotional distance is bad, and it sucks when relationships fall apart", instead of adding depth to the characters or creating more of an involved plot. Props to an Australian film (a country that leans more conservative politically) of such age for including a sincere portrayal of a homosexual character that is shown on equal footing with other characters struggling with romantic entanglements, even if his role isn't exactly integral to the plot. (2.5/5) Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/26/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. It was entertaining and a good cast. However, I thought about recommending it to some friends and then thought they wouldn't appreciate it. So, it's not for everyone. It also wasn't a movie that took things to the next level and won't be a classic. It was on Tubi. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review ronald h Half murder mystery and half soap opera, Lantana is so well done that it has quite an impact. Yes, there's an abundance of middle class married ennui, and it gets a bit tiring. But the mystery elements will keep you watching. The coincidences are hard to believe, but that problem is counterbalanced by excellent performances, especially Anthony Lapaglia's. When it's over, we realize how deadly lack of trust can be. Definitely one of the better films of 2001. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Marrit Ingman Austin Chronicle Rated: 3/5 Mar 10, 2003 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 4/5 Mar 2, 2003 Full Review Nev Pierce BBC.com Rated: 5/5 Aug 5, 2002 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) Achieves an intelligence, eloquence and emotion that showcases Australian film at the height of its powers. Rated: 5/5 Jul 28, 2020 Full Review Erik Anderson AwardsWatch Lantana is an embarrassment of riches. Its beautiful storytelling as its thread of conflict and insinuation are used to expose unsettling truths. A real gem of rich performances that should not be overlooked. Rated: 3/4 Apr 7, 2020 Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro It's not entirely far-fetched to see a link between the clunky expositions of character, plot and theme from an everyday soap, to those in Lantana. Rated: 2/5 Feb 4, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey) suspects that her husband John (Geoffrey Rush) is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia) attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement.
      Director
      Ray Lawrence
      Producer
      Rainer Mockert, Mikael Borglund
      Screenwriter
      Andrew Bovell
      Distributor
      Lionsgate Films
      Production Co
      Australian Film Finance Corporation
      Rating
      R (Sexuality|Language)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jan 25, 2002, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 1, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $4.5M
      Runtime
      2h 1m
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)