Ever since I saw The Adjuster and The Sweet Hereafter I watch every movie by this director I can lay my hands on. This one is visually beautiful, well acted (with a notable exception) and touches important issues of today. And yet it left me rather disappointed. Atom Egoyan is a moralist who demands a lot from his viewers and invites them to check their own instincts. In reverse the viewers have the right to expect clarity and a straight story. Here, the director fails them. The story is too convoluted and contrived. It slows down everything and the whole does not find its proper rhythm. I found Arsinée Khanjian's persona and her performance problematic. It's got a syrupy intensity I found hard to stomach. The rather heavy-handed toying with the exotic is simply annoying. From her first appearance I thought, that person should not be allowed to teach intelligent adolescents. And appearing on somebody's front lawn in full North African (?) garb at Christmas Time? And then being asked to take that character seriously? Well, for me, it was too much. At least it gave me occasion to check my instincts, which is never a bad thing. So the movie may just have served its purpose ...
Review of Adoration
