The point here is just like the mushrooms, Lost Lake Confessions gets really fun once it kicks in after 20 minutes. Not that there aren’t any good hooks until then, as the sequence on the phone with Guerrero gets hilarious enough to hang on for a while longer. In Lee’s defense, there is no way around this kind of ramp-up due to the central cancer element. That is why it is such a brilliant idea to unveil it early and have it overcast whatever happens next.
The audience is trapped by this lake in a writhing nest of bummers when suddenly Lee sends his characters on a mission to party until the world obeys. It becomes this huge bonding experience for the viewer of getting f****d up with these people, who aren’t so bad once you get a couple of caps in them. This bonding seals the deal for enjoying their drugged-up wilderness adventures and getting to like everyone a lot. So when things get really heavy again, we are standing shoulder to hallucinogenic shoulder with them.
“The point here is just like the mushrooms, Lost Lake Confessions gets really fun once it kicks in after 20 minutes.”
Let’s talk about the magic of the magic mushroom cam. I was floored by how cleanly and effectively the magic mushroom scene was done with the lighting and lens work. The digital effects that were selected are flat-out wonderful and are major highlights of the show. Lee understands that you have to have bursts during the bubbling of the humor, so there are well-placed eruptions of hilarity throughout the running time.
Cancer, while omnipresent, is wisely superseded by several surprising reveals that help dilutes the taste of death. I was particularly impressed by the development of Nelson and Gerard, as they were introduced for comedic background. I wish that Velinsky and Wilsher had been further developed like the other two. They have that assumed identification that is put upon leads in movies where they react to what happens without further exploration of who is reacting. Wilsher does a wonderful acting job with what she has, as does Velinsky, but they could have had more to play with.
The gorgeous location is captured like a golden eagle’s eye by cinematographer Matthew Leigh, as the Lost Lake itself is also the star of the show. Lee isn’t suggesting that all of life’s problems can be solved by intense intoxication, only just the important emotional stuff. Sometimes, it is best to let the liquor do the thinking. Lost Lake Confessions lets you laugh, cry, and see s**t on mushrooms with strangers who become your friends. Sounds like a good cinema weekend to me.
For more information about Lost Lake Confessions, visit Sand Castle Pictures.
"…was floored by how cleanly and effectively the magic mushroom scene was done"
