An intriguing but hit-and-miss documentary, “The Lost City of Melbourne” offers a fascinating retrospective of the architecture of Melbourne since the grand construction of the gold rush era. Its primary lens of the city’s many cinema houses, most of which have vanished, is well done but drags slightly over the first two-thirds. The underlying thesis of architectural and cultural loss comes through but failed to completely convince this viewer. Any Melburnian in particular will find much of the archival photographic and video footage a trip through memory lane. The finale is perkier, with an uptick of both storyline and music, and The Lost City of Melbourne is a valuable contribution to the historical record.
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