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Chloe
Chloe,
the psychological, sexual thriller by Atom Egoyan is an underrated film
that didn’t achieve the commercial success one would expect of a film of
this quality. While it isn’t a perfect film it is an interesting and
original, well acted, thriller.
The film revolves around Catherine’s (Julianne Moore)
belief that her husband David (Liam Neeson) is having an affair and so
she sets out to find the truth. This is where Chloe (Amanda Seyfried)
comes into the story, an escort paid by Catherine to attempt to seduce
David. Initially this film feels like any other thriller, but then it
develops into something far more interesting. You may think you know
where this film is going but you’ll probably be wrong.
Catherine is a woman who feels invisible and Moore
perfectly captures the feelings of inadequacy that lead the fatal
ending. The director, Egoyan, whose previous films include Erotica,
is skilled at depicting sexuality and he has two women, both good
actors, who are at different stages of their lives and their sexuality.
Like very few films out of Hollywood it allows an older woman to be
sexual, toying with the idea that society has that after a certain age
women become invisible.
Ultimately this film is well made but it falls flat in
terms of the set design, which feels like a set rather than a real lived
in house, and the ending of the film. The sudden resolution of the film
without any guidance for the audience about what they should take away
from it is more than likely the reason that it wasn’t as successful as
it could have been.
For this reason the special features section adds
something to the audiences understanding of the film. While it does only
have a few deleted scenes and some alternate endings and it was because
of these that I was able to discern something a little deeper about the
film that Egoyan was trying to say.
Whether you are looking for an easy thriller film to
watch or a more in depth look at the sexuality of women and their role
in society you will find something to enjoy in this film. For everyone
else simply spend the 92 minutes enjoying the depiction of beautiful
bodies Egoyan so artfully presents to the audience. |
