Seven strangers with very different stories have one thing in common: they are all searching for something. Their seven lives unexpectedly intertwine at a small lost and found office in an Irish train station.
I went into this film with no knowledge beyond the two-sentence synopsis above, and it took a few moments to figure out what was going on because it does not have a single linear narrative. Lost & Found is an anthology; a collection of seven or so short stories that are all based in the same small Irish town.
Each story is neatly split into its own chapter with a title card. Despite the film being neatly split into short sections of the film that could be critiqued independently, they occur in the same town, with a cast of recurring characters, with the events of earlier stories in some cases affecting later chapters. It's a curious mix of independent yet dependent short stories, that--apart from a couple specific mentions of time passing--provides little in the way of a narrative direction.
Perhaps what appeals the most about Lost & Found is the small-town mentality. That innate sense of drama that comes around because everyone knows everyone. You can't take any form of action without bumping into people you know and being questioned. It is well put forward in the film, and neatly encapsulates what it is like to live in a small town, where reputations are easily formed and difficult to lose.
Labelled as a comedy-drama, you can feel the comedic vibes more from Richie Buckley's score than from the actual script. The comedic elements have a peculiar over-the-top subtlety (is that even a thing?). Perhaps a more accurate way to explain it is that the performances are quite exaggerated at times, but the final punchline after the build-up is often a one-liner that is easy to miss, thanks to the accent and pace of the delivery. Realistically, the drama is where Lost & Found shines. With the chapters Ticket to Somewhere and The Will, really hitting home at an emotional level.
This is definitely a passion project for director Liam O Mochain, having filmed it a few days at a time over several years and, unfortunately, it is visibly obvious, with the actors gaining and losing weight between scenes, as well as inconsistent hair length and stubble. The film also suffers from the short story format leaving very little room for character development. Put together with the change in appearance, this can lead to confusion in scenes when characters are reintroduced.
With emphasis placed on the milestones and significant events of one's life (engagements, weddings, and deaths) the stories are pleasant and mildly endearing. Beyond keeping track of each character's interactions in this spider's web of connections, there is little that you would consider thought-provoking, and without a consistent device or character driving the narrative (despite O Mochain's presence in nearly every chapter), the film meanders rather than setting a clear direction, ending as abruptly as it started.