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The Lost Son

  • 1999
  • 12
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Daniel Auteuil in The Lost Son (1999)
Xavier Lombard is a world-weary private eye in London, in exile from his native Paris; his best friend is Nathalie, a high-class call girl. He gets a call from an old friend from the Paris police department, now a businessman whose brother-in-law is missing.
Play trailer1:44
1 Video
9 Photos
CrimeDramaRomanceThriller

A London PI and ex-Paris cop investigates a missing person case that leads to child trafficking. With help from his friend Nathalie, a high-end escort, he pursues "the Austrian," a trafficki... Read allA London PI and ex-Paris cop investigates a missing person case that leads to child trafficking. With help from his friend Nathalie, a high-end escort, he pursues "the Austrian," a trafficking kingpin.A London PI and ex-Paris cop investigates a missing person case that leads to child trafficking. With help from his friend Nathalie, a high-end escort, he pursues "the Austrian," a trafficking kingpin.

  • Director
    • Chris Menges
  • Writers
    • Eric Leclere
    • Margaret Leclere
    • Mark Mills
  • Stars
    • Daniel Auteuil
    • Nastassja Kinski
    • Katrin Cartlidge
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    2.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Chris Menges
    • Writers
      • Eric Leclere
      • Margaret Leclere
      • Mark Mills
    • Stars
      • Daniel Auteuil
      • Nastassja Kinski
      • Katrin Cartlidge
    • 33User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:44
    Trailer

    Photos8

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    Top cast26

    Edit
    Daniel Auteuil
    Daniel Auteuil
    • Lombard
    Nastassja Kinski
    Nastassja Kinski
    • Deborah
    Katrin Cartlidge
    Katrin Cartlidge
    • Emily
    Marianne Denicourt
    Marianne Denicourt
    • Nathalie
    Ciarán Hinds
    Ciarán Hinds
    • Carlos
    Billie Whitelaw
    Billie Whitelaw
    • Mrs. Spitz
    Cyril Shaps
    Cyril Shaps
    • Mr. Spitz
    Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood
    • Friedman
    Jamie Harris
    Jamie Harris
    • Hopper
    Hemal Pandya
    • Shiva
    Billy Smyth
    • Boy No 6
    Michael Liebmann
    • Peter
    Cal MacAninch
    Cal MacAninch
    • Martin
    Mark Benton
    Mark Benton
    • Giant
    Joe White
    • Barman
    Natalie Rogers
    • Lombard's Wife
    Charlotte Carew-Gibbs
    • Lombard's Daughter
    Gregory McFarnon
    • Leon
    • Director
      • Chris Menges
    • Writers
      • Eric Leclere
      • Margaret Leclere
      • Mark Mills
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews33

    6.42.2K
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    Featured reviews

    8billpride

    Very tough topic, well done.

    Violence, abuse, psychological drama, and sexual predation are real, and they're portrayed shockingly here, as is appropriate. Be warned. It makes you want to become an activist or a vigilante. Where was the law? Where were the other tradtional protectors? Can it ever be prevented and will it ever end?
    victor7754

    Only one reason to see this film...

    To know that these type of child sex operations exist and should be put down. You have to look away at times because it is very effective in suggesting what is taking place. To make us aware of such acts has to be the only reason to make this film. Any other reason would be a foolish perverted act.

    The film is not fun nor is it that good but it has some moments of suspense and we enjoy the bad guys getting what they deserve. The child urinating was a bit over the top. Auteuil wears a weary expression. His character is not that exciting but he grows on you somewhat. The rest of the actors seem awkward and once again Nastassja Kinski was wasted.

    Films like this leave me feeling like the end is near for us all.
    7secondtake

    Complex and sometimes slow, but intriguing, and Daniel Auteuil is good!

    The Lost Son (1999)

    All the elements are here for a classic noir-inspired investigation movie where no one is to be trusted and our leading man is a likable, steady, world weary paradigm. If you are familiar with "The Big Sleep" with Bogart and crew, you might actually get a sense of what this movie is trying to do. Not only does the plot begin in a similar way, with a rich family saying one of their members (the son) is missing and with the daughter being a steamy and somewhat unreliable secondary force (played by Nastassja Kinski), but then the rest of the movie proceeds to get increasingly confusing.

    In "The Big Sleep" this is almost a positive thing, making it fast, visual, and experiential (meaning you get sucked into the world and can't stop looking and trying to keep up). Here, in "The Lost Son," it isn't what anyone would call fast, which hurts it because the complexity builds and the suspicions fester with lots of lulls, either whole short scenes that don't seem quite necessary or with an editing that makes every little cut one or two seconds too long. Which adds up to a kind of pace some people might like, a loitering and inhabiting this strange little nether world the movie creates. But for me it just made me fuzz out a little.

    The leading detective, Xavier Lombard, is played by the really compelling French actor, Daniel Auteuil. He carries the movie even through it's pauses. Besides Kinski, whose role is small (and thankfully, really--she doesn't really "act" so much as say her lines), there is a second male lead, the Irish actor Ciaran Hinds, who is quite good. (He had a terrific role in the peculiar and enjoyable "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.") And the filming is rather nice, with a huge range of scenes and moods, held together not only by the camera-work, but the solid directing by Chris Menges.

    There will be an odd feel to this film for some American viewers, because it's an increasingly common hybrid of French and British filmmaking--language, crew, cast, and locations all spread out from one side of the Channel to the other. It's nicely European, but less of that familiar "British" film that many people know (or know without knowing they know it, looking vaguely like Hollywood). In short, this has a slightly fresh look. It does not however feel as new or odd or wonderful as some of the detective crime films coming out of, say, Scandinavia, among the European types.

    This matters only in that half of the film is its atmosphere. The plot and some of the core acting could use a bolstering and maybe even a sense of necessity at times (the movie just keeps going through its attractive paces), but in all, it might even be a film you'd enjoy more the second time. Which says a lot.
    8mcdaid

    Compelling if at times uncomfortable viewing

    Daniel Auteil gives a commanding performance as a French private investigator working in London following self imposed exile from Paris following the murder of his family. Making ends meet through a combination of blackmail of those involved in extra marital affairs and fees from their partners, Auteil is a weary character with little joy or passion in life, with the exception of football, and his friendship with a fellow French exile, Nathalie a high class prostitute. However when he takes on a case looking for the missing son of a wealthy industrialist, he finds himself embroiled in the sordid world of the child sex trade. A gripping story with good performances all round, especially from Auteil, this film tackles a taboo subject in a sensitive yet realistic fashion. Auteil's unorthodox methods to secure information should fill an audience with revulsion, yet in this situation, they seem entirely appropriate. Excellent if at times uncomfortable viewing.
    juandorte

    Enjoyable tense drama with a disturbing subject matter.

    Saw this film late night on cable. The story really draws you in. Enjoyable tense drama with a disturbing subject matter. Daniel Auteuil does a very believable job as the private investigator caught up in a case deeper and darker than he expected. A tad predictable at the end but over all a good film.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in Les Soprano (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After 45 features in his native language, this is Daniel Auteuil's first English speaking role.
    • Goofs
      Lombard picks up a Walther PPK pistol with the magazine removed. He cycles the slide and then inserts the magazine. Although it appears he was charging the weapon, all he has done is ensure the gun is not loaded (there may be rounds in the mag, but there is no round in the chamber).
    • Quotes

      Giant: [getting a beating from Lombard for showing up with a boy to be molested] Fuck You

    • Connections
      Features Dornröschen (1922)
    • Soundtracks
      100% Pure Love
      Written by Teddy Douglas, Jay Steinhour, Tommy Davis, Crystal Waters

      Performed by Crystal Waters

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    FAQ17

    • How long is The Lost Son?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 21, 1999 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • United States
    • Official site
      • UIP
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • En büyük günah
    • Filming locations
      • Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Arts Council of England
      • Canal+
      • Channel Four Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 42m(102 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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