yolzy-90976 I don't want to give too much away, sister goes to beach every day, but doesn't allow her little sister to sit with her at the beach, which I found weird...was she laying on the sand doing naughty things with other boys? Why not let the little sister sit with her..instead left all alone... ...anyway sister goes missing, mum goes nuts...that's all I am saying. My question is where is her sister? What happened to her? The movie doesn't tell u..which cheesed me off a bit. Mum knows a secret..and Imbruglia is trying t o find out what the hell happened to her sister...you may enjoy it if you don't ind not knowing what happened at the end...

Toni Orcullo Antigo This beautiful tale of a woman Elise coming to terms of accepting the disappearance of her sister Frances is one of those movies that you will never understand if you don't listen to the dialogues attentively, which makes the movie even more interesting because there is no clear cue as to what really happened to the character whom the central emotions of desperation, longing, melancholy and even confusion revolve around. The way the movie presents its conflict is flashback. Flashback is a great tool to present two realities that are quite complex. In this movie it is used effectively through the aid of great cinematography. There are moments when flashbacks are too lengthy to be useful to the message the film tries to convey but overall, it was used in a palatable manner. One problem I find the movie is characterisation. There are characters that are confusing as to how they are related to the one another because the characters themselves are off-tangent and exaggerated but acted in a restrained and underwhelming manner. Especially The doctor, Elise's love interest.Overall, the film is beautiful. Quite dark but beautiful. If you pick up the cues, you'd probably know more than Elise as she seems too oblivious of the fact that her sister was giving her signs that something wasn't going well with her life that possibly led to her disappearance. In the movie the resolution is as unclear as the the conflict but true to what the film is suggesting that in grieving and moving on, you do not need to know all the intricate details, you just need to do it to better yourself.

MarieGabrielle Simply beautifully filmed, with Natalie Imbruglia as Elise, who has lost her sister under mysterious circumstances in 1987. They live on Semaphore Beach in Australia, she now lives with her mother who wallows in deep depression from loss of her husband, and then her eldest daughter Frances.Elise wonders what happened to her sister as they went to the beach daily the summer Frances disappears. She works at an aimless job at a movie theater, models for her friend who asks why she wastes time dating Marvin. "he loves me, he really does" she wants things simple. She imagines at times seeing her sister at a nightclub, or walking the beach.The set decoration is realistic, Elise's mother a waitress lets the house go when husband dies, the pink and green tile and cheap paint in kitchen reflect a kind of disorder. Elise's mother spends the next 20 years cutting out news articles about other missing children.The beach itself portrays a sense of loss, then renewal after turmoil...seems trite but it isn't in this film: there is no real answer to anything, it is like having a loss in real life.I lost my mother to an accident in the 1990's and I suppose this film has special cadence for me. The loss, why did it happen...we see all of this as Elise wanders the beach, lives a half existence with her depressed and depressive mother.This is a niche film, it should be seen a few times to pick up the hints and nuances. Ultimately Elise finds internal spirit, it is subtle but we see as she plants the seaweed garden and moves on with life: it is never easy but somehow people go on, and Elise moves forward deciding not to live within the pain any longer. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who has felt deep loss. 10/10.

kevin-rennie Australian writer/director James Bogle has given us the very introspective Closed for Winter, an adaptation of Georgia Blain's 1998 novel of the same name. This dark film brought to mind the recent French language I've loved you for so long, "This is a sombre, desolate tale. It is as much about her complex relationships as it is the past." Both stories explore coming to terms with loss, about achieving the dreaded ubiquitous cliché and about creating a new beginning.Twenty years after the disappearance of her older sister Frances (Danielle Catanzariti) Elise Silverton (Natalie Imbruglia) is obsessed by her memories. Frances' fate is still unresolved. Her mother Dorothy (Deborah Kennedy) spends her waking hours compulsively reading and responding to similar tragic news items. Her dilapidated house is piled with newspapers. The shadowy absence of her husband, who died in a work accident before the disappearance, hangs over everything.Two other men help to break this cycle of mourning. A relationship with her boss Martin (Daniel Frederiksen) offers a way out for Elise. Daniel's performance as the geekish nerd who manages the local cinema was the hardest to warm to. It seems too much of a caricature.John Mills has been the family's long-term doctor. His developing friendship with Elise brings the film's climax that helps her to confront the past. Tony Martin gives a restrained, perhaps underwhelming, portrayal.Those who haven't followed Neighbours or aren't great fans of popular music, Natalie Imbruglia may not be as familiar as Kylie Minogue. Most of her acting has been for television. She does brooding silence very well but doesn't handle vigorous dialogue as skillfully. The young Elise (Tiahn Green) does silences even better. Like many recent roles by child actors, her performance steals a lot of Natalie's impact. Natalie also seems a few years too old for her part.Deborah Kennedy maintains a crazed sparkle in the eyes, warning that Dorothy's neuroses should not be taken lightly.Bogle's controlled direction manages the frequent flashbacks fluently and effectively. The beach scenes with the aging pier mold the mood of the tragic summer perfectly. However, at times these shots linger too long, in what is an otherwise concise production. There are some twee aspects such as the garden and the mosaic but they are minor irritations.The film is not really a mystery or suspense, though much of the critical action happens off camera. Towards the end Elise says that she now knows as much as she need to. The same is true for the audience. The resolution is predictable but that doesn't spoil this troubled journey. An emotional life that has been flat-lining for so long has only two possible directions.Kevin Rennie Cinema Takes: http://cinematakes.blogspot.com/