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“shall I abide in this dull
world, which in thy absence is no better than a sty?”
—Antony and Cleopatra, Act IV, scene XV
 Lost and Delirious:
Angst-filled Drama Tinged with Tragedy
Take a touch of Shakespeare,
a dash of drama, and the passion of first loves, and you'll have Lost
and Delirious, the stunning new 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 with Paulie, 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 fucking 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.
Images copyright © Lions
Gate Films. Used with permission.
Rating: (on a scale of 1-5, with
one being poor and five as excellent)
Lost and Delirious 
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Lost and Delirious
Director: Léa
Pool
Starring: Piper Perabo, Mischa Barton, Jessica Paré,
Jackie Burroughs, Mimi Kuzyk, and Graham Greene
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Released: 2000 | Rated: R
Category: Drama
Length: 100 minutes
Retail: $24.99
Format: DVD / VHS
Official Movie Website: www.lostanddeliriousthemovie.com
Click here to order
LOST AND DELIRIOUS
NOTE: Canadian DVD release
contains bonus "Behind the Scenes" material; U.S. version does
not. |
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