Chloe

Atom Egoyan's latest film is based on the 2003 Anne Fontaine film Nathalie, starring Emanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant and Gérard Depardieu. I remember not really loving the French version but I found myself quite entranced by its re-working here as a psycho-sexual thriller, mainly because of the excellent acting, Egoyan’s taut direction, strong production values and a plot that leaves one with questions long after the film ends.  Chloe seems to have divided critics smack down the middle but I see it as a smart and engaging, not to mention exciting (both sexually and plot-wise), story of eroticism, fidelity and the connect between reason and desire with a conclusion that leaves one wondering what is and is not true.

Much of this film’s appeal rest with three excellent performances, with the two women as stand-outs. Seyfried, so innocently cutesy-pie in Mamma Mia! sheds this image the minute the camera hones in on her dressing in sexy lingerie and heading out to her job of bringing delight to men, especially those bored with their marital ties. In a fascinating voice-over she gives us an insight into the skills of her profession – “I’m anything you want me to be . . . your living, breathing, unflinching dream . . . then I can disappear”.  She speaks frankly of the importance of knowing exactly what to do with her body and we understand that she really takes her profession seriously. Seyfried is utterly credible as this sex-kitten who is both alluring, super-erotic and conniving, and yet somehow vulnerable beneath it all. Moore is the antithesis of Chloe, a very pragmatic gynaecologist, who describes sexual climax as nothing mysterious – merely a series of muscular contractions. But underneath her exterior lurks something voyeuristic; a sleeping demon waiting to be woken. As Chloe brings back more and more explicit stories of her exploits with Catherine’s husband, so is Catherine drawn into her web. Neeson remains handsome and charismatic enough to carry his role, which again implies ambiguities, which we as an audience can choose to believe or not. David and Catherine’s son Michael (Max Thieriot) adds another level of interest, as his sexual activities incur his mother’s disapproval at at the same time she is increasingly running out of control.

The film touches on many issues of interest to long-term couples – the concept of drifting apart, the problem of how to keep things fresh, the need for trust and communication. It also gives a small window into life from the escort’s point of view – what it must be like to be seen only as a business transaction, a sexual object – not a fully-rounded human being. Adding to the strong erotic elements of the film are a good musical score and particularly fine art direction, giving a rich look and feel to all the settings, especially the Stewart’s lavish home. 

Plot-wise towards the end I was disappointed as melodrama takes over an otherwise elegant, tense and thrilling film which manages to bring out the voyeur in us all and leaves us asking, are things ever as they seem?

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