Directed by Ray Lawrence

Starring Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney

Family drama comes under the spotlight in this Australian offering from Ray Lawrence, director of the internationally-acclaimed Lantana. In a return to similar thematic territory, Lawrence explores a tense family dynamic, in a story adapted from the Raymond Carver short story So Much Water So Close To Home. Stewart (Byrne) and Claire (Linney) are a New South Wales couple with a troubled past, whose lives are further complicated when Stuart and his buddies discover the body of a murdered Aboriginal girl, while fishing in a remote valley. Their decision to leave the body, and even postpone reporting the discovery to the authorities, exposes simmering social tensions within their isolated town of Jindabyne.

This was the only project that interested Ray Lawrence after the success of Lantana, and his connection to the material clearly resonates through strong performances, and an effective use of the country in which the story unfolds. There are many themes under discussion throughout, with the first act dominated by visual comments on the human intrusion to the stunning wilderness of remote New South Wales. Electricity pylons straddle the Bush, carrying power from a hydro-electric plant, and commercial flights cross the skies. Although the plot delves into Deliverance territory, Jindabyne focuses on where John Boormaní¢â‚¬â„¢s classic effectively left off, exploring the fallout of the mensí¢â‚¬â„¢ decision to initially ignore the body. Lawrence skillfully, and subtly, guides our attention, and whilst the film occasionally drifts into melodrama, slip-ups are rare, and all sub-plots lead back to the disintegrating relationship between Stuart and Claire. Both leads deliver layered, subtle performances. Byrne is excellent, portraying Stuart as a maní¢â‚¬â„¢s man whoí¢â‚¬â„¢s in his element in the outdoors, but increasingly alienated in the home. Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s Linney, however, who most impresses, delivering a superbly understated performance, as Claire deals with both an unwanted pregnancy and the uncertainty of seeing her husband in a new and unnerving light. Mature, thoughtful and moving.í‚  í‚  í‚  

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