Chloe - Falling For Her  
| After a few years of making messy films, Egoyan is back with a strongly structured, perfectly executed, tight and satisfying film. He marks his return with a thriller that stays completely within the realm of the genre without succumbing to its cliches.
What I loved about Chloe, besides getting to stare at the suddenly dangerous Amanda Seyfried for 90 minutes, was how the film built a level of paranoia and danger without ever falling into the trap of trying to create physical violence. The level of "danger" was always so much higher. The stakes so much more complicated than the standard sexual thriller.
Egoyan gets there by filming his tale with claustrophobic and intimate shots. His score is maddeningly urgent and disheartening. And his leading ladies have faces that are able to say a million things at once. Watch Moore and Seyfried look at each other. There is so much going on there. Egoyan captures it all and it's frightening.
Seyfried gives a layered performance that is shockingly both cruel and sympathetic. She feels like victim and perpetrator at once. Is the film saying she is or is she just that good? That's part of the brilliance of the film. No clear right/wrong, good guy/bad guy. It's the anti-Fatal Attraction. This isn't a cautionary tale to cheaters, it's a cautionary tale to those who seek out too much.
And Moore is a master. Once again she shows us just how much she can accomplish. Her character is one of the most completely portrayed subjects I've seen in a while. Watching her is hypnotic. She has this amazing face that is so beautiful and so complicated. I was reacting to her pain and struggle in so many different ways. It is truly one of the most satisfying performances I have seen in a while.
Chloe raises the spectre of many interesting questions about fidelity, truth, honesty, family. It will make you uneasy. There is no tight ending to reassure and fall back on.
I loved that he climax didn't descend into some silly revenge fantasy. Instead, Chloe strikes much closer to the heart. She also makes choices that are both insane and relateable. Moore's striking last scene is just enough to set things off kilter again. Can this story truly have a neat ending wrapped up in a bow.
It is so good to see Egoyan back making such a complete film. Only a film maker of his quality could tackle this so effectively, and only with leads as strong as Moore and Seyfried. Welcome back Egoyan.
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