Lost Penny (2015) Reviews

• Smart, Symbolic, Playful

  uhpsadaises2016-09-15

  Bouncing between lighthearted and mysterious, I got a kick out of "Lost Penny" and my brain got a workout. There's lots of symbolism throughout in this good versus evil story line. As boisterous teenager Penny looks for her father, validation and significance, the narratives of friendship, bullying, figuring out who's on your side vs who's not, superstition versus religion play out too. it's something of a counterpart to the coin may never lay claim to. The title contains an engaging contradiction. If something is worthless (like a penny), not much priority is put on looking for it. So why would one consider a penny to ever be lost? If you had put value onto that particular penny, perhaps. The main character, fun-loving Penny, does get lost while searching for her birth dad. That's a simple enough reason to call it "Lost Penny." There may be a hint toward those scriptural stories of what a shepherd did when even one sheep was missing--spend all night looking for it. Is today's penny similar to a latter day sheep? With the musicality of an Alice-in-Wonderland lost down a rabbit hole, the opening soundtrack nabbed me. The quirky, fresh-faced main character sets the tone with refreshing close-ups. More chaotic wide scenes play out and also keep you guessing as the choose-your-own-adventure-type mystery unravels. The aspect of a playful make-your-own-adventure movie with playfulness and character driven, visually stimulating storytelling is something I find reminiscent of The Grand Budapest Hotel. The layered meanings and symbolism of "Lost Penny" lead me to think of The Village.