fludd.org - Movie Review

As you all remember it, 2005 was probably the year that has shaken the world of cinema because so many movie directors are daring to explore grounds that are left in the shadow most of the time. In fact, as you all know it, this is the year of social controversy in the USA because of the release of Brokeback Mountain, a movie that deals with homosexuality. Even though it is considered a masterpiece in the History of Canadian cinema, Where the Truth Lies, a movie made with a budget of $25 millions, was a flop at the box-office mostly because of its strong sexual content, but you can be sure that Where the Truth Lies is definitely not a sex flick.

Before we go further, we will talk about the problems that Where the Truth Lies has encountered in an other paragraph of this movie review. So, what should be said about the script adapted from a novel written by Rupert Holmes? Well, we can straightforwardly affirm that this beautiful script written by Atom Egoyan doesn’t have any problem with the pace. The storyline’s complexity (or simplicity, depending on your point of view) gives you the feeling to continue watching the movie, because no matter what happens, the movie viewers just want to know all the truth about the murder that occurs in the movie.

As a matter of fact, this unpredictable first-class movie directed by Canadian movie director Atom Egoyan (Felicia’s Journey) has an accent of a film noir. If you do like movies brimming with suspense, you will notice, while watching Where the Truth Lies, that Egoyan skilfully maintains the movie viewers in a state of doubt and uncertainty by blurring the lies and Karen O’Connor’s thoughts. Obviously, Karen O’Connor, the journalist who is investigating on the murder that occurred in Vince Collins’ and Lanny Morris’ hotel suite, always manage to get closer to the truth and as she is getting closer to it, the problems that she encounters during her investigation make the movie more interesting and above all, more gripping than you could imagine.

Now, speaking about the reason why so many cringed at the very idea of seeing Where the Truth Lies it’s in part because of the script. As opposed to a movie directed by Wong Kar-Wai (2046) in which you must rely on subjectivity to construct the story in your thoughts, Where the Truth Lies’s storyline already has a clear and precise narrative structure that allows us to understand it perfectly (if we pay attention, naturally). However, since the storyline is not linear, we have to be mentally involved in the movie in order to follow the story and to see if most of the things make sense. Unfortunately, this movie will certainly be appreciated by European movie lovers, but not by North Americans, because of the very bewildering complexity of the story and I'm not saying that all North Americans won't like this movie.

Secondly, the strong sexual content found in Where the Truth Lies got certain silly Americans’ ire up. I can’t believe that this Canadian movie has not only been rated NC-17 (the most severe rating in the USA), but in the USA, a rumour has it that Where the Truth Lies was likely to be censored. Seriously, I’ve seen this movie and I haven’t been shocked by what I saw. As opposed to what you might think, the erotic scenes are not necessarily inserted in the movie to reveal flesh and skin. These scenes, which are not mindless at all, are here to illustrate the characters’ feelings and emotive motivations. They do help us to understand what the characters explicitly feel for each other with the love scenes that are filmed in a very candid way. In short, the love scenes are part of the characters' development. Because of Atom Egoyan's directing talent, the erotic scenes don't bring you to the nudity; you are brought directly to the characters.

I must say that Atom Egoyan definitely knows how to choose actors that he wants to work with. Alison Lohman, as Karen O’Connor, is not just one of those beautiful actresses that you like to see, but also one of the best actresses that have graced the big screen, in my opinion. Her portrayal of the journalist Karen O’Connor not only makes her very lovely, but it also points up extremely well the determination of a tough journalist who is so ready to do anything in order to see where the truth really lies. The chemistry between Kevin Bacon (Mystic River), as Lanny Morris, and Colin Firth, as Vince Collins, is top notch. Bacon and Firth both plays two intriguing characters who have so many things to hide by delivering such a nice performance full to the brim with nice psychological nuances and subtleties that reveal us more than we can believe about their respective character’s personality. All in all, the three leading members of the cast is well supported by great talents such as Rachel Blanchard, David Hayman and Maury Chaykin (The Art of War).

Finally, if, as opposed to certain Americans, you’re open-minded and you’re looking for a nice thriller that speaks with the almost forgotten accent of a film noir, then Where the Truth Lies is definitely a movie that you should see. Seriously, Where the Truth Lies, as a mystery movie, is sexy, sensual, full with rich characters and animated by a narrative coherence. Even though this Canadian movie didn’t make too much noise at the box-office, I’m deeply convinced that History will give justice and visibility to that wonderful Canadian cinematographic masterpiece that many people will not forget because perhaps in fifty years, Where the Truth Lies will be considered as a jewel of the Canadian cinema.

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