ATOM EGOYAN’S ‘ADORATION’ – OVERAMBITIOUS?
By Arnab Banerjee
France24
0523-atom-egoyan-adoration-cannes-film-review
May 23 2008
France
With a complicated chronology and provocative ideas, "Adoration"
by Canada’s Atom Egoyan is an intriguing film. But does it work?
Canadian director Atom Egoyan presented his latest film, "Adoration,"
at the Cannes Film Festival Thursday night. This is Egoyan’s fifth go
at the Cannes competition, and his latest offering left the audience
divided.
"Adoration" is the story of an orphaned adolescent who is encouraged
by his teacher to invent a convoluted story about his parents. He
concocts a fictional account of his father planting a bomb in his
mother’s suitcase to perpertrate a terrorist attack, then takes the
story onto the internet – and fiction turns into reality.
Egoyan’s film moves in two narrative streams – the first being the
real story of the adolescent, whose parents were killed in a car
accident. The second is the invented story about the planted bomb.
Complicated? Yes – probably the only element on which the audience
agreed upon. Although "Adoration" is a compelling document on modern
society – technology breaking up traditional human ties, solitude in
a world where religious intolerance is increasing – the film fails
to flow smoothly.
Nevertheless, the script is well constructed, and may even get the
Best Screenplay prize for Egoyan.
Unless, of course, a dark horse comes along.