I think this is quite a good movie, spoiled by that weird end coda where you're treated like an idiot and shown where everyone is in their respective lives, and it just doesn't "compute" as they say. I do think that much of the film is good, but if it were up to me I'd re-edit it to make it shorter and zippier, probably cut out all that unnecessary stuff about Patrick and centre more closely on Leon the only truly interesting and developed character in the film. However it does help that he's portrayed beautifully by Anthony LaPaglia, who as one critic wrote recently, can make even reading the alphabet exciting!!

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It seems this movie has the ability to polarize people. Reactions of "if you don't like it why dont you go and see Fast and the Furious smacks of intellectual elitism and are entirely unhelpful.
For my part, I too found this movie dull and directionless. Excrutiating is the word. I loved Bliss but that was over 20 years ago and had a brilliant Peter Carey novel as it's backbone. Pretty hard to screw up that.
When something looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, smells like a duck, chances are pretty good that it's a duck. This movie is a duck. A telemovie duck at best.

My wife and I watched this movie recently. We were laughing out loud at the plot, especially as the character played by Geoffrey Rush in the end was lumbered with 2 remotish spots to mourn and remember.
However the music was fab and the suspense and twists very entertaining. I especially liked the last scene where the Salsa music was belting out as the various plot resolutions became apparent.
Recently i bought the movie and soundtrack - my wife said asked why? are you crazy?

It's an odd thing. I agree that there is something about the movie that just feels "off" - it just seems to be trying far too hard to make a point about the nature of modern relationships. Purporting to deal with "real" characters, all I experienced were stale stereotypes that utter phrases that I'd heard thousands of times before.
The storyline itself reminded me far too much of a television cop show. It's a good film, but perhaps it would make an even better episode of Blue Heelers?
That said, the filmography was brilliant, and some of the twists were pulled off well. And, with Australian cinema still struggling to find its way, it was infinitely better than another mediocre "comedy". In comparision with something like Somersault, though? No, you just can't compare. Lantana just lacks spark.

I watched this just now March 2006 and thought what was all the fuss about too. I liked the intertwining plot but thought the acting in places was over dramatic.
The story-line I though what very good what Barbara Hersey adn Peter Phelps. It's amazing what a suspicious mind can drive you too.

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How could any film with Geoffrey Rush in it be bad? LOL

you either A liked it or B didnt. simple, obvious who cares what others think

good point,
not a typical Hollywood cop tale
I knew nothing 'bout "all this fuss" around that movie
but it kept me awake
and could have been interesting even without the dead body in it

No I don't think the other critics remark is pretensious. I think it's provocative.
I quite liked "Marie Jo" for me it reached it's ambition is realised beautifully with tasteful choices. I agree with (Aka-ed) It's not Bergmann either mind you. But I think the work of more bravery than "Lantana".
As for Wenders yes Lantana works closely to this territory. But Wenders last great film was "Alice of two cities" and "Paris Texas" is a great story. I really believe. Will be interesting to see "Dont come Knocking".
I think "Lantana" is adequate. And the over the top praise of this film indicates to me that perhaps Australians expect nothing more from their cinema. I wish very much that they would be trying to cultivate Bergmanns and Tarkovsky's who got close to their "bloated" vision than very average stories that seem to succeed in that they have very little ambition but to present family drama.

"Marie" struck me as sentimental, overwrought and shallowly manipulative (using the soundtrack to convey wonderful sex how imaginative!). Bergman dealt far more honestly with such themes. I wouldn't put Lantana on a par with Bergman, but neither are its ambitions that high.
"It really only stands up as TV drama." Perhaps the most meaningless statement I've ever read from someone pretending to have a serious view of film. Martin Scorsese's most recent work, though not a drama, will have a broadcast debut. Do you therefore you expect it to be lousy? Wenders has worked in television. Shame on him!
My fondness for brutal cinema, which to my mind covers any film that deserves to be called "noir" (speaking here of the true noir of the 30s, 40s and 50s "Detour," "Asphalt Jungle," "Gun Crazy," etcetera), classic Japanese historical dramas, the peak period of Hong Kong cinema in the 80s and 90s, and more modern noir, from "Blood Simple" to "U-Turn," was only mentioned to qualify my appreciation of the way that this movie uniquely dealt with a murder theme.
Your desire to turn my simple remark into some kind of critique of my character reveals you as a "film bigot" of the most bloated and pretentious sort.

Good to hear you love violent films. We'll all sleep better at night. Also good to hear you like to be challenged. Now see the films on INFIDELITY. Plus the french film "Marie and her 2 Lovers" Then talk to me about Lantana. It really only stands up as TV drama.

I was responding to the initial post, that essentially questioned what interest there lay in this film for anyone. I specified why I felt I may have found it more satisfying than others did.
If you find that my answer makes no sense to you, you'll need to point out the exact words that failed your understanding, so I can break it down for you. Unless, that is, you are just "taking the piss."

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your response makes no senseand hardly answers or challenges the previous posts. I guess..you are too old to read.

I trust that you are too young to realize what an absorbing theme the difficulty of making marriage work is for anyone who's been married longer than a couple of years.
Also, the tightly-wound cop whose job destroys his marriage is among the most common themes in the typical Hollywood cop tale. It's refreshing to see a movie that plays against that old saw, just as it is refreshing to see a suspense film that has no violence in it, not even the expected "murder." And I love violent films myself (when well done).

I agree, it wasn't the easiest to sit through at times, but overall was a lovely and enjoyable film- and who doesn't love Phelpsy!!!
But if the lameness of the Scary Movie type films is your thing, then by all means . . .
Oh, forgive my bluntness. It's a device I use to cope

Lantana is about as expressive as my high school art teacher. Safe, palatable and aesthetically uninteresting.
Here is a list of truly beautiful films dealing with infidelity:
LE BONHEUR by Agnes Varda,
FACES by John Cassavettes,
UNAGI by Shoshei Immamura,
JULES ET JIM by Francois Truffaut,
DARLING by John Schlesinger

American acclaim is a bit like a pat on the head for a faithful dog. Whether it be cultural or political; if your not with us yeah yeah. You need to have credibility to bestow judgement thats "worth anything" so please, spare us the righteous crud.
that aside
Lantana is a beautifully expressive film. If you cant appreciate or understand it, give in to your inner revhead and see fast and furious.

I disagree with both your points.
Anyway, as far as I can tell, American acclaim is the only acclaim that seems to be worth anything. I wasn't aware it was ever even given a formal release over there.
Lantana is the movie I hold up as the height of Australian movies (of the ones I've seen, anyway). I also love Moulin Rouge, but they are too different to be compared. Different genres completely, different cinematography and direction, different actingjust COMPLETELY different (let's not even mention budgets). Anyway, I like Lantana more.

Please note:
This film only got Local and American acclaim. Sundance and AFI. Sundance is a cheesy festival. Disregard its opinions. It likes easy expositional style movies mostly.
MOULIN ROUGe although flawedwas far more ingenious.

Without having waded through this entire thread, I thought I would add my own two cents.
Lantana is the best Australian drama I have ever seen. In fact, it's one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I honestly don't understand how married adults could not appreciate this moviemaybe they shouldn't be married in the first place? Anyway. What I love about this movie is its tension. It is a slow build up of traumatised, subtle characters, their interactions and their convergence before a truly brilliant plot twist.
This movie has some of the most insightful, personal, emotional dialogue of any I have ever seen, and its ensemble cast delivers such a fine-tuned performancewow. I can't speak highly enough of Lantana. Geoffrey Rush is simply breath-taking; Glenn Robbins delivers an unusual (yet not unexpected) convincing perfomance; Peter Phelps is fantasticI think what Lantana does so well is take some very ordinary people, place them in an unusual circumstance, and shows us every single degree of emotion that they each go through, and how this affects others around them.
I have never been married but I have been in emotionally confronting relationships and Lantana captures this perfectly. It's happy, sad, torcherous, violent, sensual
I love this movie.

Anthony LaPaglia's
performance, in particular, kept me with it
That which is not yet, but ought to be, is more real than that which merely is.