Movie Review of Chloe Directed by Atom Egoyan

Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage

CHLOE

Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Running time: 99 minutes
Release date: March 26, 2010 (Limited)
Genre: Drama, Romance and Thriller
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
MPAA Rating: R

In the genre of films such as Basic Instinct (1992) and Basic Instinct 2 (2006) comes Chloe, an erotic thriller/neo-noir film. The screenplay written by Erin Cressida Wilson is based on the 2006 French film called Nathalie that delves into the lives of insecure people.

Chloe is a story of a family consisting Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore), David Stewart (Liam Neeson) and their 17 year old son Michael (Max Thierot) who reside in Ontario, Canada. Catherine suspects her University professor husband David of having an affair with female students. She is so busy with her suspicions and her own life, she shows little attention to Michael and his own teenage sexually awaking. In a deliberate encounter while visiting a hotel restaurant's women's restroom, Catherine employs a young attractive call-girl named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to investigate and to sexually entice her husband David. During the course of investigation and stalking, paths confusingly cross. David surprisingly rejects Chloe. Meanwhile, without knowing about one another, Catherine and Michael both accept Chloe sexually.

Liam Neeson delivers a strong performance as the middle-age husband who has been having a "banal" affair with his female students. The beautiful and alluring Julianne Moore hands the audience a solid portrayal of an insecure wife and mother who finds out that she can be seduced by another woman. Max Thierot shows his brilliance as a young actor portraying a confused teenager easily swayed by a sexually experienced young woman like Chloe who is not too much older than him. They share the spotlight with the young upcoming actress Amanda Seyfried who holds her own with seasoned actors Neeson and Moore. She gives a standout performance in her depiction of a beautiful and seductive escort. There is great dialogue between Moore and Seyfried while the flow of the movie depicts their intense sexual scenes in a sensual mood. Julianne Moore shines in her performance at this point, and it is complimented by Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of a young woman's sense of erotica. Liam Neeson is always masterful on screen and completes this cast.

Director Atom Egoyan's use of Hitchcockian intrigue doesn't reach the height I'd hope for. Yet, the inconsistent results are viscerally effective even when they don't make sense. Chloe is often characterized by fast pacing, villain driven psychological scenes to make up the difference. I found the film to be like a puzzle that keeps you interested until you solve it. As a dramatic thriller, the plot drives on a steady pace. The intense character development compelled me to stay intrigued.

FILM RATING (B)