By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Lea Pool
Starring: Jessica Paré | Mischa Barton | Piper Perabo
Country: canada
Year: 2001
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0245238
Michael says: “LOST AND DELIRIOUS is the first English language feature from French Canadian Lea Pool (director of SET ME FREE which won last year’s Best Actress Award). This emotionally high strung tale deals with lives and loves of Mary, Paulie and Victoria, roommates at a girls’ boarding school. Mary is apprehensive as she is delivered to the school by her father and stepmother. She’s still reeling from the death of her mother three years earlier, and introduces herself as Mouse… ‘that’s what everyone calls me.’ Her roommates, beautiful and privileged Victoria, and fiery, rebellious Paulie take her under their wing and a bond forms between the three. It isn’t long before Mary discovers that Victoria and Paulie are WAY more than friends, but when a handful of other girls make this discovery, Victoria cannot cope with the relationship and cuts Paulie off. This sends Paulie on a downward-spiral as she struggles to cope with her loss while acting out increasingly more grandiose gestures to win Victoria back.
“The emotions running through this film are suitably heightened to match the adolescence of the characters. The three leads all do a wonderful job making us feel their respective joys and pain. Most remarkably, Lea Pool does a terrific job making the movie about Mary, even though she is really just the narrator, watching the crash and burn of a powerful love affair. Pool makes excellent choices with the way she shoots her scenes and selects the songs for her soundtrack.
“While some may think the film is over-the-top, I felt it truly reflected the tone and emotions of the featured characters and was appropriate.” 4 cats