The Rage In Placid Lake review

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Sadly, not a sequel to Lake Placid, though a giant crocodile might've been just the thing to liven up this slack Aussie comedy. Instead we get singer-songwriter Ben Lee as the peculiarly named Placid Lake - the geeky offspring of hippified parents who rebels against their free love ethos by eagerly embracing conformity.

Rushmore offered a similar spin on the teen-pic dynamic and Tony McNamara's 2003 film suffers from the comparison. Though his gentle portrait of alienated youth provokes a few knowing chuckles, it's hard to fathom why anyone's bothered giving it a belated release. Okay, Miranda Richardson has fun as Lee's mum, while the petty jealousies and rivalries at his ultra-conservative insurance company will undoubtedly strike a chord.

Apart from that, there's only Rose Byrne's turn as the hero's brainy best friend and a fleeting cameo by Lee's then-squeeze Claire Danes to ease the tedium.

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