Adoration (movie review)

Adoration (drama) (2008) (1 hr 36 mins)

You know that a film is special when it stays with you for months and even years after you see it. This enthralling drama from Atom Egoyan touched me on many levels and remains one of the best films I have ever seen. However, it is not a film will not appeal to everyone. It is complex in structure and storyline but rewards the patient viewer.

Sabine is a high school teacher who gives her language class an exercise based on a news story about an act of terrorism.  The terrorist planted a bomb on the aeroplane on which his pregnant girlfriend was travelling. If it had detonated, both she and the unborn child would have been killed. In the event, the bomb was discovered in time.

The story resonates with one of the students, Simon, whose own parents were killed in an accident. Simon re-imagines the story as if he himself and his parents were involved. When he puts the story on the Internet as though it is from his own experience, the story stimulates controversy and debate, spiralling out of his control. This is just the starting point for a multi-layered exploration of family loyalties, identity and attachment.

The class exercise evokes in Simon a desire to find out the truth about his own parents. As he sets out on this mission, we discover not only his own story but those of other people he encounters. The two most intriguing characters are his teacher Sabine (played by Arsinee Khanjian) and his uncle Tom (Scott Speedman), a tow-truck driver who reluctantly took on the task of raising his sister’s son after her death. Both Sabine and Tom are guided by a strong sense of what is right which often leads them into conflict. A haunting musical score from Mychael Danna adds to an intriguing story.

The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won a Special Jury Citation at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. If you like films that make you think, you will enjoy this film. Be warned: the opening few scenes are a little slow but the story soon gets into full swing.

 Rating: 10/10