THE LOST (2008)

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This is a film I saw while at the 2006 Rock and Shock convention in Worcester, Mass. It was a pretty cool event because actress Dee Wallace and producer Lucky McKee introduced the film, touching upon the production and even hinting at the horror to come. Novelist Jack Ketchum was also in attendance signing autographs on the floor below. But my favorite part of the convention was meeting Erin Brown and having her sign a photo of her lying naked on a coffin, pubic hair showing and all. Man, how I love that girl. The picture hangs in my office and makes quite a good conversation piece. No, really it does.

“The Lost” is a pretty interesting film. The story centers on a group of kids that are trying to find their way in the world, hence the title. No one ever discusses his or her purpose or even what their ambitions are, they just sort of hang around doing drugs, screwing, and, if there’s time, maybe a little killing. Films like The Outsides and Over the Edge come to mind here. Although I do remember Pony Boy rambling on about something shortly after he dyed his hair blond; maybe something about being a poet or the need to suck a dick. I have no clue.

But I say this film interests me because not all that much happens during the two hour experience and somehow I’m enthralled by it. I guess when nothing happens and the film remains interesting that’d mean you have a character piece, which is exactly what “The Lost’ is. By the way, when I say nothing happens I just mean there’s no consistent chain of events that propel the storyline forward. I’m guessing you’d be smart enough to figure that out, but I can’t have some of you thinking the film is about four people engaged in the world’s longest staring contest. But back to these characters...

I think this film’s success lives and dies by these characters. We have our lead antagonist Ray Pye (Marc Senter), who goes to the extent of stuffing crushed beer cans into his boots just to gain a few inches in height. Then we have a sixty-year-old police sergeant who spends his time filling up a girl who could easily be featured in Hustler’s Barely Legal Magazine. And let’s not forget Lisa Steiner, a lesbian who walks around the woods naked with her female partner. Yep, that would be Erin Brown’s character, big shocker there. We love you honey buns! But all these characters are damn entertaining.

The break out performance though, hands down was Marc Senter as Ray Pye. Amazing job, brother! (He’s not really my brother.) It honestly shocks me that more casting agents and directors didn’t snatch this guy up when this film hit the festival circuit years back. Unless everyone else except me knows that in reality Marc is very similar to Ray. I guess that’d make me the village idiot. But then again, if Marc was just like Ray then he’d either be dead or in jail. Maybe he is in jail and that’s why I haven’t seen him in movies? OH MY GOD! (Head explodes coving the walls with brain fragments and blood.) Seriously though, Marc Senter is the man and it wouldn’t surprise me if this kid wins an Oscar someday, with the right vehicle of course. Like maybe a Ford Taurus.

The film also feels very real and very raw. Even in the opening sequences when Ray commits his first round of murders I found myself affected by the killings. I had only met the victims for literally three-minutes, but because the scene was executed the way it was and the performances were there I truly felt bad for them. But even better is the ending, which is insane. You’ve spent so much time with these characters and hopefully care for them that when the sh*t goes down it’s all that much better. And again, because the way Director Chris Sivertson executes the scene it feels like your right these in the middle of the sh*t storm with them, which is very effective.

Chris Sivertson also makes some interesting stylistic choices with the film. One sequence that comes to mind shows Ray having sex with two different women. We cut back and forth between the two. In one scene we see Ray nailing this girl up against a wall with thrash metal blaring in the background. The camera shots are sped up, like the viewer is tripping themselves. Then we cut to Ray “making love” to another girl while soft pretty music is playing. We cut back and forth between the extremes several times. A great eclectic score by Tim Rutili shines too and works great with Chris’ stylistic choices.

The only real complaint I can muster up would be the casting choices. Some of the supporting cast just didn’t seem to have the acting chops necessary to keep up with Mr. Senter, and when you’re dealing with a film this serious in tone that’s bound to be a problem. Another thing, can we stop casting well known faces in minuscule roles? We’re talking about Dee Wallace here. She literally has something like four lines in the entire film. I mean, why even bother? It just takes me out of the film only hoping to be quickly drawn back in. Thankfully “The Lost” drew me back in almost immediately.

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed “The Lost”. I loved the gritty rawness of the picture. I loved the nudity. I loved the sequences of intense violence. I loved the kick-ass script. I loved the quirky characters. But most notably I think the film introduces filmmaker Chris Sivertson and actor Marc Senter as talents to keep an eye on. I know I will. With that being said, if you could care less about character driven movies or movies that have little to no morale values then “The Lost” probably isn’t for you. It’s borderline exploitation.

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