barryrd Review of Bunny Lake Is Missing

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)

The ordeal of a missing child under strange circumstances

[8/10 · 24 March 2012]

A new neighbourhood, inhabited by strange people, is not the place where you want to discover that your child is missing. That is what happens to Ann Lake, performed by Carol Lynley, as the mother of Bunny Lake, the missing child. She is close to a brother named Stephen, Keir Dullea, who immediately rushes to her side when the child goes missing. There is little help from the school and the eccentric characters like the founder of the school Martita Hunt, and the alcoholic landlord, played by Noel Coward, are hardly any consolation. The one source of some comfort is a professional inspector named Newhouse, played by Laurence Olivier. He brings police officers and police dogs to the scene and tries to calm the mother as he gathers the facts. It doesn't help that no one has seen Bunny besides Stephen and Ann. The atmosphere becomes more strained as the story continues and there seems to be no answer to the question as to where Bunny has disappeared. The rambling school house is a nightmare for finding a lost child with many rooms, hidden passages and cupboards. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the frenetic activity of the mother early in the day meant that there was only indirect contact with the school staff and no recognition of who the child actually was. After the taut and gripping atmosphere, the ending is disappointing. However, this does not mar the impact of the movie. Director Otto Preminger skilfully created this gut-wrenching nightmare of a parent with a missing child. Keira Dullea and Carol Lynley both give exceptional performances. Olivier, as the rock solid inspector, is superb. The supporting cast mentioned above as well as Luci Mannheim, Finlay Currie and Anna Massey are excellent. This is not a comfortable movie to watch but a movie that takes us out of our comfort zone is a good recommendation for this haunting movie.