Before she was singing ‘Zou Bisou Bisou’ to Don Draper on Mad Men, French-Canadian actress, Jessica Pare, was breaking Piper Perabo’s heart (and ours) in ‘Lost and Delirious’. Filmed in Ontario, Canada by director Lea Pool and adapted from Susan Swan’s novel ‘The Wives of Bath’, the movie follows the friendship of three students at a posh all-girl boarding school. The narrator and witness to the unfolding events is Mary :Mouse” Bradford (Mischa Barton), a shy 14 year old girl who has just arrived at the school and is soon befriended by Paulie Oster (Piper Perabo) and her best friend Victoria “Tori” Moller (Jessica Pare). All three girls share a common bond; they’re neglected and rejected children. Mouse’s mother recently died from cancer and her father, who remarried, has sent her to a boarding school at the new wife’s insistence. Paulie, who has always felt like an outsider, is adopted and has contacted the agency that handled her adoption in order to get in touch with her biological mother. Tori’s mother is a cold and distant woman.

In contrast to Mouse’s shy demeanor Paulie is extroverted and full of life; her emotions and dreams are greater than the dull surroundings she’s contained in. Tori is beautiful and athletic. Within a short time Mouse realizes that Paulie and Tori’s very close relationship is more than friendship; they’re lovers. The three girls form such a close bond that one night Paulie and Tori even make love with Mouse in the same room in the next bed. The girls are awakened the following morning by Tori’s younger sister and some of her friends who barge into the bedroom without first knocking. Paulie and Tori are naked together in bed and the true nature of their relationship is now exposed. Tori cannot tolerate the thought of her very wealthy and conservative parents may reject and disown her. She lies to her sister, telling her that Paulie has a crush on her and snuck into her bed that night. In her despair to rid herself od her true feelings and become….or at least appear hetero, Tori later has sex with a boy in the woods. Unbeknownst to her, both Mouse and Paulie witnessed this. When Paulie confronts her Tori tearfully explains that while she will always love her she cannot bear her family’s rejection and that their relationship must end.

Shortly thereafter, Paulie receives a letter from the adoption agency informing her that her birth mother does not wish to be contacted by her. A devastated Paulie, with all the passion and intense emotions of adolescence and first love begins to act out and engages in puerile means in a desperate attempt to win back Tori. We see her increasingly quoting Shakespeare, and even challenging Tori’s new boyfriend to a duel. The closeted headmistress, who knows and understands exactly what’s going on, tries to reach out to Paulie, but to no avail. As the audience and Mouse helplessly observe Paulie’s descent in despair we already foresee the inevitable tragic end.

While the three young actresses deliver strong performances, I found ‘Lost and Delirious’ to be a very unsatisfying film.