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...

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.

mauvemoonlight The film's plot, such as it is, revolves around a teenage or pre-teen girl named Frances, who disappeared some twenty years ago and the profound effect it had and continues to have on her mother and younger sister, Elise. Elise is now an adult but we have flashbacks throughout the film.Eventually some extremely vague hints are made regarding some things that might have happened to Frances prior to her disappearance - but nothing is ever clearly stated.So what happened to Frances? Well, nobody ever really says - suicide, murdered, snatched by someone, or ran off? Just go with whichever one of those strikes you.The film is more watchable than some films out there - but I would not particularly recommende it. What it mostly has going for it is that it contains no graphic sexual or violent scenes.4 Stars

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/