Lost Junction (2003)

Fantastic!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Well, let's see... this movie is a little weird. I think it must not be judged from a logical and factual point of view. Movies are art... they are good if they make you feel or think what they intended to. And this movie made me feel Good! The film is about a man trying to escape his past and a strange and mysterious young woman of a small town. He meets her when his car breaks down on the road and the woman offers him help. The movie includes a supposed murder that don't get clear until the end. As the film progresses, events that led the young women to be as she is, are discovered. Drama, mystery and romance, presented with innocence... as if you were telling a story. Nice.

The opening shot of this pleasing film is enhanced by buoyant scoring from Normand Corbeil, and this reveals to viewers that the work that they are about to see is not meant to be noirish in nature, but instead, in an actor's scenario such as this, a general tincture of incongruity is to be established from the outset. Director Peter Masterson, with assistance from lead Neve Campbell, ensures that this is accomplished, while her co-lead Billy Burke consistently provides a foil for Campbell, both being aided by a well-crafted script credited to Jeff Cole, who also produces here. Drifter Jimmy McGee (Burke) is stranded with his broken-down automobile along a back road in an unidentified state in the American South when he is fortunately given a ride from Missy Lofton (Campbell), driving her vintage convertible, but he soon learns that Missy has more than altruism behind her offer of a lift, because she takes McGee with her to her bank in the small town of Lost Junction whereupon she withdraws her entire savings of over $320,000, after which she shows Jimmy the contents of her car's trunk: her dead husband. This all proves to be a bagful with which bewildered Jimmy must deal, and he decides to set off, by foot this time, along the same country road upon which Missy had found him, but she has other ideas and will not permit him to go his own way, Jimmy therefore discovering that he is tied to a woman whose sinister background is more startling than he could have expected, and the two of them, in addition to all other main characters from the screenplay, dovetail to a climactic meeting back in Lost Junction. The film's storyline unfolds in an interesting manner, and solid performances are turned in by the cast, with Campbell's reading being particularly effective, and director Masterson paces his scenes correctly, permitting the narrative's admittedly bizarre events to develop within a well-detailed and naturalistic framework. The editing of Peter Frank and cinematography by Thomas Burstyn, the latter utilizing beautiful Quebec locations, are invaluable, with all shooting occurring during daylight hours for this film that, largely as a result, becomes a whimsical character study that emphasizes its elements of mystery and romance, thereupon further negating any possible connection to the Noir genre.

To me, this film shows how great acting talent can save an otherwise hum-drum plot and story. Not that the story, itself, was bad. It was just not anything enthralling. What I liked most was seeing Neve act as a Southern Belle. Billy Burke played well off of Neve's strong presence. And Jake Busey... well, he just stole that letter quarter of this movie. I'd watch this movie again, just because I think the trio did really well. Though, I have to admit: Even if Neve wasn't a very good actress, all she'd have to do is smile and I wouldn't even notice if she was terrible. However, I've asked many people -friends and strangers, alike- and we all seem to agree that she is VERY talented. So, for once, my bias is on the money.She even helped assure that I wasn't totally disgusted with 'When Will I Be Loved'. That's a major feat!

Although 'Lost Junction' is not going to win an Oscar, it's a very entertaining movie, which is the first gauge I always go by. The characters are very believable, although the character development does not go that deep. The main characters play well off of each other, and everything slowly escalates until the last act, where relationships are strained and it's anybody's guess how it will turn out. It's a unique romantic comedy as it does not go down the comedy road so far as to make the romance unbelievable. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's a light drama with some really funny parts to it. 'Lost Junction' is a great curl-up-on-the-couch and eat popcorn movie. It's editing is well-paced, and the cinematic style is interesting. The twist at the end has you going, but it too is believable.