• From the opening titles, this, his fourth feature, is clearly a  step-up for Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan when it comes to budget and production value (for the first time no 16mm or video here)
  • Egoyan is working again with his wife, actress Arsinée Khanjian, and again with the music of Mychael Danna—but this time Egoyan is working with Elias Koteas—a great actor, and an up and coming actor in 1991 – the most talented Egoyan has worked with
  • It is challenging—not an easy film to wrestle with—the Koteas character takes his job seriously- philosophizing about grief and extending “help” to his victims – and then we have the man in the mask with gasoline (and red and green matches), with children, his wife, and twister game on the ground—Bunuelian moment

man in the mask with gasoline (and red and green matches), with children, his wife, and twister game on the ground—Bunuelian moment

  • Egoyan is dedicated to a specific color palette for the first time in his career- the reds and greens pervade many frames—the establishing shot of Koteas’ character’s hotel (a kind of purgatory for his victims) at 19 minutes is a stunner- red and green cars, red and green hotel production design

Egoyan is dedicated to a specific color palette for the first time in his career- the reds and greens pervade many frames—the establishing shot of Koteas’ character’s hotel (a kind of purgatory for his victims) at 19 minutes is a stunner- red and green cars, red and green hotel production design

  • One of the victims that he’s “adjusting” is an elderly man lost in a sea of his own stuff (left over from the fire)—lamps galore- a great frame
  • Like Egoyan’s past work- there are characters who are transfixed and hypnotized by video/television (ok so he uses video a little- haha)
  • David Hemblen (Egoyan’s go-to evil corporate guy) is the head of the censors- haha- clearly a statement from Egoyan
  • A fantastic frame at 37 minutes- Egoyan is shooting two characters through holes in burn damaged walls – a shot that could be pulled from Visconti’s Le Notti Bianche
  • Koteas’ character is an archer —- and his arrows are red and green

Koteas’ character is an archer —- and his arrows are red and green

  • The red and green blinds behind Koteas in the lobby of the hotel at 76 mins

The red and green blinds behind Koteas in the lobby of the hotel at 76 mins

It is challenging—not an easy film to wrestle with—the Koteas character takes his job seriously- philosophizing about grief and extending “help” to his victims– and of course the window drapes and paint color is designed

  • Recommend / Highly Recommend border