Thursday, January 28, 2010

Adoration

It seems we’ll have to wait a bit longer for Atom Egoyan’s best work. Egoyan has promised so much with his earlier films, such as The Sweet Hereafter and Exotica; both of them fine films, but always struck me as the work of a director who could go that little bit further and create a really great film. Adoration isn’t even close to that. Nevertheless, it is an interesting piece of cinema that provokes issues of identity, perception, grief and loss among more obvious themes. It doesn’t deal with them in a satisfactory way – but I don’t think that was Egoyan’s point.

Adoration tells the story of Simon (Devon Bostick), who is encouraged by one of his teachers, Sabine (Arsinee Khanjian), to develop a classroom written exercise into an autobiographical performance. Simon lives with his Uncle, Tom (Scott Speedman), who has been guardian to the boy since a dramatic incident involving his parents. We are introduced to this incident in the film’s opening private scene between Simon and his grandfather on his deathbed relating the details of the event. It is this incident that Simon expresses in a very public way: first in front of his classmates, which then extends and spreads virally outwards to an Internet audience.

As always with Egoyan the truth is much more than in the telling, the viewer becomes implicit in the misleading stories as the structure of the film prods the audience into making false assumptions. Egoyan’s strategic withholding of information is not simply a means of creating cinematic tension and a way of justifying the ends of narrative revelation; it’s more a case of allowing the story to untwine in its own particular way. As a result, it’s best not to approach the film seeking some sort of conventional narrative structure; but rather take it for what it is, warts and all.

The film itself is very much a game of two halves as it shifts from its initial external preoccupation with technology to its final internal preoccupation with emotion as Simon (and those around him) ventures out on a physical journey of self-discovery. This works dramatically, but is frustrating as it prohibits any real exploration of themes that are established, and are then abandoned.

The film’s lack of narrative drive and strained coincidences that upset the norms of storytelling do prove frustrating and the plot gets caught up in its own convoluted web. The film is not a story that opens itself up and then offers closure in the traditional sense of mainstream cinema. Egoyan throws so many ideas into the space of one and a bit hours and doesn’t drive them home – suggesting them rather than seeking to explore them. Although the film never reaches the height of its ambition; if you are able to control your annoyance at the film’s sense of self-importance, take wince-inducing dialogue, suspend all disbelief, and accept how certain things connect (!), you’ll find something of interest in this film. Irritating as it is at times, it is an oddly compelling experience. And there is a funny scene involving sandwich-induced rage – always a good thing.

Adoration is an intriguing (and beautifully photographed), if flawed piece of cinema. And, as is often the case with Egoyan, it’s difficult to imagine any other director making this kind of film. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to you…
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