Film review: Where the Truth Lies, by Atom Egoyan
By Ray Bennett
CANNES (Hollywood Reporter) – Atom Egoyan has delivered a big, slick
and sexy mystery in “Where the Truth Lies,” turning the Rupert Holmes
novel into a sumptuous tale of show business hype and duplicity.
Boasting a handsome cast, top-flight design and evocative music, the
film should have no trouble attracting audiences seeking high-style,
grownup entertainment.
Rich in backstage atmosphere and the glamour of big-time hotels and
nightclubs, the movie delves with considerable wit into the ugly side
of the entertainment industry.
In the late ’50s, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin
Firth) are the biggest comedy duo in America. The last thing they need
is the naked body of a beautiful blonde in the bathtub of their New
Jersey hotel room.
In fact, the last thing the comedians do as partners is to deny they
had anything to do with the dead woman, and they promptly break up
their long-standing and hugely successful act.
Fifteen years later, a young writer named Karen O’Connor (Alison
Lohman) wins a fat contract from a publisher to write a book about
Vince Collins, and it is through her eyes that the secret behind their
split is slowly revealed.
Using flashbacks from different points of view, Egoyan traces the lies
and deception that have kept the sordid events that followed a Miami
telethon from a still-adoring public.
Larry and Vince had been forced by a no-nonsense gangster named Sally
Sanmarco (David Hayman) to fly directly from the Miami gig to the
opening of his New Jersey nightclub, where the corpse was found.
As O’Connor discovers, many facts were quickly hidden and the comics
appear to have covered their tracks cleverly but with their careers
pretty much over by the ’70s, their mutual desire for public acclaim
drives them to reveal a version of the truth.
But the young writer cannot resist being drawn into the pair’s intense
world of fabrication and celebrity worship. “Having to be a nice guy
is the hardest job in the world when you’re not,” Larry tells her.
Egoyan has enormous fun peeling the wrappers of showbiz lore so that
we see the hoodlums, the drug taking, kinky sex and unstoppable
violence. Soon O’Connor is wrapped up in it as much as the superstars
who might or might not have committed murder.
The film obeys the sometimes strained logic of mystery novels so that
there’s more than the occasional need to suspend disbelief, but
Egoyan’s script moves slickly along to a satisfying conclusion.
Bacon is as taut and effective as usual, and Firth might prove a
revelation to those who have seen him only in period pictures and
English comedies. Lohman carries the weight of lead investigator with
immense charm and no little grit.
Best of all, the film looks wonderful, and full credit is due to
production designer Phillip Barker and costume designer Beth
Pasternak. Mychael Danna’s music, too, is sly and seductive, adding a
touch of noir class to the proceedings.
Cast: Lanny Morris: Kevin Bacon; Vince Collins: Colin Firth; Karen
O’Connor: Alison Lohman; Maureen: Rachel Blanchard; Reuben: David
Hayman; Sally Sanmarco: David Hayman; Alice: Kristin Adams; Bonnie:
Sonja Bennett; Mrs. O’Flaherty: Deborah Grover; Jack Scaglia: Beau
Starr.
Director-screenwriter: Atom Egoyan; Producer: Robert Lantos;
Co-producers: Sandra Cunningham, Chris Chrisafis; Based on the novel
by: Rupert Holmes; Cinematographer: Paul Sarossy; Editor: Susan
Shipton; Production designer: Phillip Barker; Music: Mychael Danna;
Costume designer: Beth Pasternak.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
05/15/05 22:31 ET
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress