Jindabyne

Ray Lawrence, who wrote and directed the superb Lantana, has created another marvelous and mysterious film. The story takes place in the small town of Jindabyne, Australia.

Stewart Kane (Gabriel Byrne),who is Irish, and his wife Claire (Laura Linney), who is an American, have made a life for themselves in Jindabyne. They have a small son and Stewart owns a auto repair shop. We detect that there have been some problems in their marriage and later on we find out more about this.

Fishing is very big in Jindabyne and catching a big one is a big deal. Stewart and three of his friends take off on a fishing weekend. While Stewart is roaming around the lake he notices the body of a young Aborigine woman. The men don't know what to do with her. They decide to continue fishing and don't call the authorities until the end of the weekend. The townsfolk don't look upon them too kindly for doing this. And their actions stir something up in Claire. She feels that she must somehow make amends with the dead girl's family (even though she had nothing to do with what happened at the lake). And that is all I will tell you about the storyline.

As I said before, Lawrence did a terrific job writing and directing this film. The screenplay is based upon a Raymond Carver story (the same story was also used for part of Robert Altman's Shortcuts - I must see that again so I can compare how it is told). Linney is outstanding as Claire. Her character just breaks your heart. And the underrated Byrne is equally as strong. A fine supporting cast rounds things out. And the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

This is a film that will make you think and wonder after you leave the theater. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys using their brain.