| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:42 am |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Entertainment 
|
||||||||||||||||
'Adoration' tries, but story is just too static Canadian director Atom Egoyan is fond of pondering situations from multiple perspectives, and when he's in the groove ("The Sweet Hereafter," for instance), this method can be a way of opening up the world in a bigger way.With his new film "Adoration," Egoyan's approach misfires, I think. An interesting central situation dissipates in the fragmented storytelling. That central situation involves a Toronto high-school kid named Simon (Devon Bostick), who reads a speech to his classroom one day. A narrative of Simon's (now dead) parents, the tale involves terrorism. When the story gets out on the Internet, both Simon and his teacher (Arsinee Khanjian), who strongly encouraged him to share the story, come under scrutiny. There are some (rather mild) surprises in the aftermath of this, but the most important thing is that Simon's tale raises the hackles of friends and strangers alike. It also upsets Simon's uncle Tom (Scott Speedman), who's been raising Simon since the death of the parents. Most of this information comes to us in bits and pieces, and we can't be quite sure who's telling the truth. The film keeps returning, for instance, to Simon interviewing his hospital-bound grandfather. The elder man bears a grudge against Simon's father, who was Lebanese, blaming him for a family catastrophe. Egoyan sets up a series of issues that need to be addressed, and a set of prejudices that need to be dealt with. Unfortunately, these mostly resolve just about exactly the way you'd expect them to, based on the first 20 minutes of the film. Since the beginning of his career, Egoyan has taken an interest in the way the new media fractures reality and sometimes muddies the truth. In this film, those devices include cell phones, cameras and Internet chat rooms abuzz with opinions. None of this is quite enough to energize the static atmosphere "Adoration" creates. At times it's as though this movie is suffering from depression. The film's best performance comes from Scott Speedman ("Underworld"), who always seems like a determined actor trapped in a leading man's body. He breathes physical life into the somewhat airless spaces of Egoyan's world. |
- A revolutionary 747
- Fire breaks out at Everett car dealer
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last
- Boeing's 747-8 takes off after weather delay
- Plan for I-5 closures this week
- A new bowling alley for Monroe?
- Lake Stevens man homeless after fire
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged
- Vote on school levies by Tuesday
(9) - A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood (7)
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries (6)
- Toyota has powerful D.C. friends (5)
- Everett police officers cleared in 2008 shooting death (5)
- 1949 travel aid shows how few places blacks were welcome in Washington (4)
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged (3)
- Cigarette causes life-threatening burns (2)
- ORCA a whale of an improvement for Community Transit (2)
- Large part from 747 falls outside Miami mall; no one hurt (2)
- Edmonds educator, famous announcer dies
- Mill Creek to appeal ruling on annexation
- Through the air, with the greatest of ease
- E-W thriving under new coach
- The path to citizenship
- EUUC puts on ‘Pants & Shoes’
- Wolfpack wins the ‘Battle'
- Lynnwood’s annexation plans OK’d
- Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital celebrates expansion, national award and 100 years of service
- Business Licences Feb. 2010
- Technology tips for launching your own business
- Business Events Feb. 2010
- Tech Talk: No excuse today for going without a Web site
- State already raising fees and rates that restrict business growth
- Some legislators again targeting people’s initiative petition rights
|
 
|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S TOP JOBS |
| View All Top Jobs |
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|
COMMENTS | Be the first to comment
Log in or register to post a new comment.
To read other terms and conditions, click here