Lost and Delirious

Rating:
Summary: superb acting, but a mediocre script
Review: When Mary (Mischa Barton) arrives at boarding school, she quickly finds out that her roommates Paulie (Piper Perabo) and Tori (Jessica Paré) have a lesbian relationship. When Tori's younger sister also finds out, Tori feels forced to end the relationship, because she thinks her parents will never understand. Paulie can't take this and goes mental.

So far so good. This could actually make a very interesting movie. But unfortunately, the rest of the script kills it. The movie unfolds in dramatic clichés upon more dramatic clichés, from the passionate reciting of poetry to a duel between Paulie and Tori's new boyfriend. It all just gets too over the top dramatic, which is a shame, because the entire cast gives out a superb performance and really deserved better.

Rating:
Summary: Angst-filled Love Story Tinged with Tragedy
Review: "shall I abide in this dull world, which in thy absence is no better than a sty?" -Antony and Cleopatra, Act IV, scene XV

Take a touch of Shakespeare, a dash of drama, and the passion of first loves, and you'll have "Lost and Delirious," the stunning film by Canadian filmmaker, Léa Pool. Based on the novel, "The Wives of Bath" by Susan Swan, the film follows the lives of three very different boarding school roommates: shy and unassuming Mary "Mouse" Bradford (Mischa Barton, The Sixth Sense, TV's The O.C.), the striking and rakish rebel, Paulie (Piper Perabo, Coyote Ugly), and beautiful, but privileged Tory (Jessica Paré).

Leaving behind a life filled with sadness since the death of her mother, Mouse is quickly embraced by her new roommates and discovers a sense of belonging for the first time in her life. Dubbed one of the "lost girls" by Paulie, she is mesmerized by Paulie's bold and rebellious nature. She also finds her roommates to be more than friends, as Paulie and Tory's late-night rendezvous and moments of whispered passion become part of her daily existence.

Alas, nothing is forever, and the newfound peace Mouse has come to enjoy is soon shattered when Tory and Paulie are discovered, their relationship exposed. Faced with the possibility of her family finding out, Tory panics and abruptly ends the relationship, going to the extreme of fabricating lies and embracing a relationship with a boy from a neighboring school. All the while, Tory professes to Paulie she will never love anyone like she loves her, but it's time they "grew out of it."

Tory's betrayal is nothing short of devastating to Paulie, who loves with all her heart and sees Tory as the only person who has ever loved her. Abandoned by her birth mother, Paulie had an almost desperate need to be loved and she found that in Tory. Faced with the loss of their love, she embarks on a mission to get her back and enlists Mouse as her partner in crime.

Torn between the two, Mouse is overwhelmed. Her attempts to console Paulie are shunned after she tells Paulie that Tory's simply not a lesbian. "Lesbian?" Paulie responds, outraged. "Are you f***ing kidding me? You think I'm a lesbian?! I am Paulie in love with Tory..." At first glance, some lesbians may find that sort of response disturbing in a lesbian film. But if you reflect for a moment, you see the brilliance of Léa Pool's vision with that statement. For Paulie, she simply loves Tory. Period. End of story. It's not about being a lesbian and all the trappings of the word. It is simply about love from the heart. What Pool does is make you look beyond labels, beyond societal mandates, beyond the guilt placed on those who love outside society's approval, and allows you to see love in its purest form. She lets you see how we all could love if there were no rules.

The character of Paulie is simply fantastic! Reminiscent of Angelina Jolie during her Oscar-winning portrayal of the sociopath, Lisa, in "Girl, Interrupted," Perabo's performance is stunning as she embodies Paulie's eroding mental instability. For Paulie, life is all or nothing. "Love is...it just is...," she says, and if you don't have it, you have nothing. Although young love is typically cast as desperate and angst-ridden, you actually feel Paulie's heartbreak and desperation over the loss of the only person who has ever loved her. The rollercoaster of Paulie's emotions increase when, after making love for the last time, Tory tells her that she will never love anyone as she does Paulie, kisses her, then leaves. Paulie's fragile state of mind is simply shattered after that and the consequences of her ensuing actions bring about an ending of Shakespearean proportion.

The supporting cast is not to be forgotten. Jackie Burroughs as caring head mistress, Ms. Vaughn, and Mimi Kuzyk as tough professor, Ms. Bannet, are superb in their roles. Vaughn casts the sympathetic role, attempting to help Paulie as she spirals out of control, while Bannet plays the tough, but caring, partner who sees danger ahead. Although their relationship is never defined, it is questioned by the girls and often the topic of speculation. Graham Greene shines in his role as the school's gardener, and newfound friend and confidant, of Mouse. Insights into Mouse's life and her growing concern for what's happening and Paulie's deteriorating condition are played out during her moments with Greene in the most delightful manner.

Brilliant directing, superb acting, and love's ultimate sacrifice - this film has it all. "Lost and Delirious" is a timeless tale about mad, passionate love that crosses all boundaries, and the tragic consequences we sometimes face when that love goes awry. It is truly destined to be a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Because if you move, you fall. You fall.
Review: I saw "Lost and Delirious" right after I saw Piper Perabo in "Coyote Ugly". Her performace is just great.
This movie will show you how love can make you feel. It can make you blind, and it can make you fall. This is what this film is about. Falling.
I loved the movie when I first watched it on dvd. But when you watch it over and over again, it will get.. not boring.. maybe annoying. Some lines and scenes are very "unnatural". You just can't get why Tori is making this or why Mouse (Mischa Barton) has had to do that.
I would recommend this movie to everyone who is interested in a short and sweet lovestory. But if you are in a "crying" mood or a depressed mood.. I wouldn't watch it. I wasn't crying at the end, but for some people this ending will be hard and sad.

Rating:
Summary: Great acting! Mischa Barton is destined for better things.
Review: I was engrossed by her character more than any other. She really does a great job portraying the thoughtful, introspective type. Jessica Pare also conjures up some inner workings to put together a great performance.

Plot: we have three boarding school roommates. One of them has recently just arrived at school(Barton). She soon discovers that her two new friends have a fondness for one another that involves much more than sharing clothes and late night girl talk - well, there is something happening late at night but it's not exactly girl-talk.

I would have rated this film higher if not for these scenes. I've grown weary of sex-scenes that could just as easily been cut out. If you disagree, ask yourself why you enjoy those scenes.

As the drama unfolds, Piper Perabo's character is forced into a heavy decision after her little sister finds the two young ladies in bed together: act as if it was nothing, or stay committed to her friend.

It's clear that all three girls have deep reasons for doing what they do in this film, and it all stems from a disconnected relationship with their mothers. They find reason and harmony in each other. This is the part of the film I believed spoke truer than any other.





Rating:
Summary: An Inspiration
Review: This film is absolutely delightful and one of my favorites. It has some of the best love scenes featuring two women that I've ever enjoyed. Piper Perabo (Polly) is the more aggressive of the pair, and Jessica Pare (Victoria), with her enchanting deep set eyes and her enrapturing [...] (shown in silhouette during their after-hours trysts), is the essence of loveliness. The story is told through the eyes of Misha Barton (Mary), their roommate, who is innocent and non-judgmental.

The first half of the movie is like a fairy tale come true as the girls give to one another completely. But after being discovered by her sister, Victoria tries to downplay the significance of the relationship - and instead switches her attention to boys. Polly, however, is not so quick to let go - and she goes down swinging, which gives the movie a predictably tragic (lesbian movie) ending.

On another level, though, this film contrasts two very different types of woman-to-woman relationships; one that is bisexual and enjoyed by girls before they discover boys; and another that is lesbian which leads to a very different place. For me, this movie's message is that girls can find a measure of happiness with each other - so long as they take the former path. And that the latter route is always more treacherous.

Making love to another woman today immediately earns one the title of `lesbian.' But, as Victoria's character attempts to demonstrate, girls being affectionate with one another can be a charming and naturally reassuring step towards achieving maturity, and that it needn't lead one to loving women exclusively (which, from my own experiences, I already knew to be true).

I'm just thrilled that a movie as utterly enchanting as `Lost and Delirious' is the one serving up this alternative reality for women - to everyone. Please don't miss it!


Rating:
Summary: Amazingly bad
Review: I have to say, usually I find Amazon reviews to be a helpful place to find out more information about an item, and I usually find that the reviews are at least relatively on target. This movie is a shocking exception. I'm amazed at the large number of positive reviews for a movie that I nearly couldn't watch all of the way through, it was so painfully overwrought. Add together an overdose of teen angst with some overdone dark symbolism and you wind up with this film.

I expected so much more. I think the film tried really hard to be artistic, deep, meaningful, and powerful. But it just tried TOO hard, and instead ended up being self-indulgent and irritating.



Rating:
Summary: To Stay or to Come OUT!
Review: Love this movie! Deals with hard issues concerning lesbian relationships and loss. Although young, the pain of losing a love is still heartbreaking.

Piper gave her life trying to understand abandoment and the price of fear. At the age of 43 I am proud to finally see someone with the guts to deal with the subject of suicide in gay teens. it's way overdue!
Would buy over again.



Rating:
Summary: Amazing, beautiful, powerful
Review: The best movie I've ever seen. It's simply amazing, beautiful..so powerful. It doesn't seem at all like a low-budget film. It's made brilliantly. Great acting. Very powerful movie..very powerful metaphors.

I rented it at Blockbuster, but now I am definitely going to buy it.

I recommend this to everyone... you'll have to see it to believe it.

Rating:
Summary: great film - very moving story & performances
Review: i loved the film, watched it last night and cannot quit thinking about it today. great story & performances, did not at all look like a low budget or made for tv film. steamy love scenes too! I have to disagree w one reviewer who wrote language was unbelievable for characters - i found it very realistic - these are boarding school girls - not exactly monosyllabic grunting as communication style to be expected,no? piper perabo delivered amazing performance - as did the main characters. i highly recommend this film - so glad we chanced upon it.

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally involving
Review: This is a French-Canadian co-production, meant for TV.
It's not a large-budget, Holliwood-like superproduction and I think it's important to keep this in mind as the pretentions of this production are dimensioned to the budget. And so ought to be our expectations.
What does that mean? It simply means that in a superproduction, the spectator is entitled to expect that nothing in the movie will remind him or her that he or she is actually watching a movie and not some real-life event. This is not always the case here.
But hey guys, what do you want. Again, it was meant fo TV. And this is also where I found it extraordinary.
In this story we find three adolescent girls sharing a room in a boarding school in Canada. Even though the heart of the situation is a homosexual relationship between two of the three roommates, the movie is not about homosexuality, as Andie from Tennessee beautifully wrote. The important message I got was about the clash of social rules (on one side) and emotional being (on the other). It seems that in order to cope with social life we have to crush our emotions and so give up who we truly are. Adolescence is when this usually happens, and unfortunately also is when we are less prepared.
It's surely not the first time a movie tackles this problem, but in spite of this our society continues to impose its harsh rules. The movie has a beautiful way of remind this to us. It will also remind those of us who are parents of the difficulties our children may be living.
In spite of the 'imperfections', I enjoyed it a lot. I remembered how growing through adolescence was difficult for me and so I was quite involved emotionally.
So to conclude I found it far more enjoyable and meaningful than the average daredevil (just an example). Here's another example of how marketing can bring exaggerated success, when a worthwhile movie may stay in the shadow. And honestly the price of the DVD is more than reasonable, so I wouldn't even think about 'renting' the movie before deciding whether to buy it (how can someone even think about suggesting this, I don't know).
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