Mansion by the Lake ( Wekande Walauwa )

Mansion by the Lake (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: Wekande Walauwa
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cannes Film Festival

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )
Hindi ( Dolby Digital Stereo )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
106 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Biographies
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2003 and produced in:
Sri Lanka ( India, Eastern Asia )

Directed By:
Lester James Peries

Written By:
Anton Chekhov
Lester James Peries

Actors:
Malini Fonseka ..... Sujata Rajasuriya, the widow
Vasanthi Chathurani ..... Sita, the adopted girl
Sanath Gunatillake ..... Gunapala, the brother
Paboda Sandeepani ..... Aruni, the teenager
Ravindra Randeniya ..... Lucas, the upstart
Iranganie Serasinghe ..... Aunt Catherine
Asoka Rodrigo ..... Inspector Alwis
Nuwangi Liyanage ..... The servant
Ranjit Rubasinghe ..... The activist student
Elson Divituragama ..... Valet in mansion
Lucky Dias ..... The lawyer
Satischandra Edirisinghe ..... The mansion's caretaker
Dayananda Jayawardena

Synopsis:

An opening credit informs us that the Sri Lankan director Lester James Peries's film was adapted from 'The Cheery Orchard.' This misspelling more than summarizes the film; 'Mansion by the Lake' is a bland, pitted reconfiguring of Chekhov. The declamatory nature of the dialogue doesn't add texture, nor does what is some of the strangest dubbing in movie history. Not only is there a slight but perceptible delay between the parting of lips and the sound of dialogue, but also almost each line from the actresses starts with a sharp intake of breath and ends with a girlish giggle, as if the same person were doing the voice-over for all of the women.

A wealthy Asian tycoon dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances and returns as a ghost to try to uncover the secret of his death. Two eager detectives investigate the death chasing all leads and suspects, including the dead man's three children. The ghost witnesses his own funeral wake, attended by jealous relatives and business competitors as well as the police investigation that unveils hidden family secrets.

Very loosely based on Anton Chekov's the Cherry Orchard, the film follows a family of formerly wealthy, expatriate Sri Lankan landowners, now impoverished, as they return from England to the magnificent country estate they left behind. A deeply moving study of a caste and a country torn apart by social change.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 05 April, 2011.

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