Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

ShangLuda Admirable film.

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

yolzy-90976 I don't want to give too much away, sister goes to beach every day, but doesn't allow her little sister to sit with her at the beach, which I found weird...was she laying on the sand doing naughty things with other boys? Why not let the little sister sit with her..instead left all alone... ...anyway sister goes missing, mum goes nuts...that's all I am saying. My question is where is her sister? What happened to her? The movie doesn't tell u..which cheesed me off a bit. Mum knows a secret..and Imbruglia is trying t o find out what the hell happened to her sister...you may enjoy it if you don't ind not knowing what happened at the end...

leplatypus I write this review the last day of my 40th year, being again unwell and hoping that this Annus Horibilis will be definitely over. For the first time in my life, my body had been in constant pain all along the year, attacked by accidents or by illness: what's funny is that browsing my previous reviews, I can link them with the actual problem: with « American graffiti » in January, it was tinnitus ; In March with « Kramer vs Kramer », it was bronchitis ! Two weeks of silence in April when i had surgery ; in May, with « house of sand and fog », it was teeth pain ; now, in august, it's Adam's apple shock ! Like the previously mentioned movie with Jennifer, this one resonates with my difficult being as it's about the disappearance of a child, which is for me the worst pain for parents and sibling ! The ambiance is very heavy, sad, depressive and for that Natalie was the perfect choice. Being a sister too, she could easily find a connection but above all, Nat has this dark side, this spleen in her. For me, it's because she seems inside torn that she got a worldwide success with the same song because she was living it ! In a way, her millstone that i presume explains surely why Nat runs away from glamour, exhibitionist that other female singers abuses : here, in the movie, she dresses seriously and don't want to play with her skin ! So that's why I like Nat very much : she is authentic, has values and fragility and here she thus seems very natural and it's a pity Nat didn't get more opportunities after !In addition, the movie is interesting in a way as the fate of the sister is left to the audience as the clues are rather vague. At last, the young sister is also a lucky pick as she has definitely a bit of « Nat » in here too !

MarieGabrielle Simply beautifully filmed, with Natalie Imbruglia as Elise, who has lost her sister under mysterious circumstances in 1987. They live on Semaphore Beach in Australia, she now lives with her mother who wallows in deep depression from loss of her husband, and then her eldest daughter Frances.Elise wonders what happened to her sister as they went to the beach daily the summer Frances disappears. She works at an aimless job at a movie theater, models for her friend who asks why she wastes time dating Marvin. "he loves me, he really does" she wants things simple. She imagines at times seeing her sister at a nightclub, or walking the beach.The set decoration is realistic, Elise's mother a waitress lets the house go when husband dies, the pink and green tile and cheap paint in kitchen reflect a kind of disorder. Elise's mother spends the next 20 years cutting out news articles about other missing children.The beach itself portrays a sense of loss, then renewal after turmoil...seems trite but it isn't in this film: there is no real answer to anything, it is like having a loss in real life.I lost my mother to an accident in the 1990's and I suppose this film has special cadence for me. The loss, why did it happen...we see all of this as Elise wanders the beach, lives a half existence with her depressed and depressive mother.This is a niche film, it should be seen a few times to pick up the hints and nuances. Ultimately Elise finds internal spirit, it is subtle but we see as she plants the seaweed garden and moves on with life: it is never easy but somehow people go on, and Elise moves forward deciding not to live within the pain any longer. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who has felt deep loss. 10/10.

kevin-rennie Australian writer/director James Bogle has given us the very introspective Closed for Winter, an adaptation of Georgia Blain's 1998 novel of the same name. This dark film brought to mind the recent French language I've loved you for so long, "This is a sombre, desolate tale. It is as much about her complex relationships as it is the past." Both stories explore coming to terms with loss, about achieving the dreaded ubiquitous cliché and about creating a new beginning.Twenty years after the disappearance of her older sister Frances (Danielle Catanzariti) Elise Silverton (Natalie Imbruglia) is obsessed by her memories. Frances' fate is still unresolved. Her mother Dorothy (Deborah Kennedy) spends her waking hours compulsively reading and responding to similar tragic news items. Her dilapidated house is piled with newspapers. The shadowy absence of her husband, who died in a work accident before the disappearance, hangs over everything.Two other men help to break this cycle of mourning. A relationship with her boss Martin (Daniel Frederiksen) offers a way out for Elise. Daniel's performance as the geekish nerd who manages the local cinema was the hardest to warm to. It seems too much of a caricature.John Mills has been the family's long-term doctor. His developing friendship with Elise brings the film's climax that helps her to confront the past. Tony Martin gives a restrained, perhaps underwhelming, portrayal.Those who haven't followed Neighbours or aren't great fans of popular music, Natalie Imbruglia may not be as familiar as Kylie Minogue. Most of her acting has been for television. She does brooding silence very well but doesn't handle vigorous dialogue as skillfully. The young Elise (Tiahn Green) does silences even better. Like many recent roles by child actors, her performance steals a lot of Natalie's impact. Natalie also seems a few years too old for her part.Deborah Kennedy maintains a crazed sparkle in the eyes, warning that Dorothy's neuroses should not be taken lightly.Bogle's controlled direction manages the frequent flashbacks fluently and effectively. The beach scenes with the aging pier mold the mood of the tragic summer perfectly. However, at times these shots linger too long, in what is an otherwise concise production. There are some twee aspects such as the garden and the mosaic but they are minor irritations.The film is not really a mystery or suspense, though much of the critical action happens off camera. Towards the end Elise says that she now knows as much as she need to. The same is true for the audience. The resolution is predictable but that doesn't spoil this troubled journey. An emotional life that has been flat-lining for so long has only two possible directions.Kevin Rennie Cinema Takes: http://cinematakes.blogspot.com/