Moving Images

Sat through Lantana for the first time as it was broadcast on channel 9. Didn't give much room to the movie when it first came out receiving raving reviews. Must say that I was deeply impressed and captured by the scriptwriting. Very simple use of devices to draw the audience in with the characters. Devices we learnt through film class those summer days ago. It all came too familiar to see how easily they were used, yet effective to bring out the part.

The actors were quality as well. Anthony Lapaglia, Vince Colossimo and the rock solid Geoffrey Rush. And there was that guy from Stingers (Peter Phelps) playing a gay guy entangled in a relationship with a married man. Which I thought was quite a brow raising choice; a subversion of his macho straight role of mr. detective.

The story revolves around four marriages and the broken relationships therein. Beautifully written script completing with the canvas of Paul Kelly's haunting soundtrack, many parts of the movie resonated with me. Perhaps having been dumped and walked away from a broken relationship recently had to do with it. Objectively saw the operation of man and woman in a relationship. Found myself asking the same sort of questions and holding the same sort of frustrated hesitation and silence the men in the movie resorted to. It's really funny when you see bits of what happened in your past relationships playing before you on national television. I guess this is supposed to help me feel better since it is a common issue everyone faces. I'm not so sure about that. Just taking a step at a time, cos I've come to this crisis in my life where I am not sure about the things I was sure about anymore.

Because the more I know, the less I learn. So for now, I am not even going to ask.