Lost Things (2003)
By: J.R. McNamara August 15, 2006.
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| Accent (Australia). All Regions, PAL. 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0. 80 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Martin Murphy
Starring: Leon Ford,
Charlie Garber, Lenka Kripac, Steve Le Marquand,
Alex Vaughan
Screenplay: Stephen
Sewell
Music: Carlo Giacco
Country: Australia |
Film Company Accent has a penchant for releasing
an eclectic range of independent and art house
product. From Matthew Barney's bizarre Cremaster
3 – The Order to the uncompromising
brutality of Irreversible and High Tension, they tend to put
their name only to the cutting edge of innovative
cinema.
This release, Lost Things,
was written by Australian Playwright/screenwriter
Stephen Sewell who won an AFI for his 1998 film The Boys, and directed by fellow
Australian Martin Murphy, who has been a regular
director on Australian TV, and has also been responsible
for a few shorts, one of which, Nightride,
can be seen here as an extra. This film was an
official selection for several film festivals,
including The Santa Barbara International Film
Festival 2004.
Lost Things starts in the way
many horror films begin. Four friends, Gary (Leon
Ford), Brad (Charlie Garber), Emily (Lenka Kripac)
and Tracey (Alex Vaughan) decide to forget their
studies and get away for a weekend of surfing,
drinking, and, if things go the boys way, a little
bit of the old rumpy pumpy. Deciding on an out
of the way, secluded surfing spot they start to
enjoy themselves, but as time wears on, something
starts to make them feel uneasy, which the appearance
of the eccentric Zippo (Steve Le Marquand) does
not help to abate, especially as they themselves
all start to act strangely, and friendships start
to fray…
Clearly a film written for actors, it easily
could have fallen apart if the cast weren't
skilled at their craft, but luckily all involved
were excellent. The four players depicting the
teenagers held their own incredibly competently,
especially considering two of them were fairly
inexperienced, and Steve Le Marquand's portrayal
of the weirdo Zippo was understated and realistic,
only rarely sinking into 'local nutcase'
territory. Sewell's script is low key, and
the fragmented storyline make for an unsettling
mood that never lets up. Murphy's direction
really shines as well, and makes for an effective
horror movie considering the fact the majority
of the piece takes place on a bright sunny day
at the beach. The combination of all this talent
is held together nicely by a spooky score, written
by Carlo Giacco and some amazing cinematography
that really shows off the 'Australian beach'
by Justine Kerrigan. This unusual independent
(and maybe a little art house) film, which will
bring about comparisons to Memento and Carnival of Souls without
ever seeming derivative, is a slow moving story
that puts you on edge and keeps you there. |
| Video |
| A stunning clear picture in 16x9 widescreen transfer
that pulled me into the picture to the point I could
almost smell the sunscreen; both the Director and
the Director of Photography should be proud of the
amazing shots used in this film. |
| Audio |
| You can choose to listen to this film in either
Dolby Stereo or 5.1; having only listened to the
5.1 track I can say for a film that doesn't
have chainsaws running or guns blazing, the effect
is impressive. The subtlety of the sound mix and
the understated score by Carlo Giacco make for a
breathy, chilling day at the beach. |
| Extra Features |
| The commentary is by director Michael Murphy and
producer Ian Iveson. This is a decent commentary
about the joys (or lack thereof) of independent
filmmaking, and also confirms or in some cases clears
up any ideas the viewer may have about the film.
This film is definitely worth watching with the
commentary on.
Lost Things Trailer (1 minute
27 seconds), which is just that.
Interviews (10 minutes 36 seconds ) is a series
of interviews with director Michael Murphy, writer
Stephen Sewell, producer Ian Iveson, costume designer
Theresa Jackson, production designer Karla Uriza,
co-editors Benita Carey and Karen Johnson, cinematographer
Justine Kerrigan, continuity Julia Boros and actors
Lenka Kripac, Leon Ford, Charlie Garber and Alex
Vaughan. This is an interesting look into the
joys and problems of making an independent feature,
and discusses the storyline as well.
Short Film (10 minutes 58 seconds) is a film
from 1997, written and directed by Martin Murphy
called Nightride. It tells of
a young man caught in unfortunate circumstances
upon a nightride bus.
This DVD features trailers for other Accent titles: Heavy, Bus 174, Birthday Boy, The Tasty
Bust, Criminal Lover, Persona Non Grata, My
Flesh and Blood and the aforementioned Cremaster 3 – The Order. |
| The Verdict |
| Lost Things is an understated
cerebral film that burns slowly into your mind.
This is not a bloody rampage of carnage, but one
of those psychotically gentle movies that at times
seems obvious…almost too obvious, but still
keeps you guessing until the very last frame, and
even then will sit in your brain and simmer for
a few more hours, as you try to maintain your understanding
of it. A real nice film by an Australian crew. |
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