"Exotica" (1995)
A Film Review by Jason Wallis
"Exotica" * * * * (out of four) Starring Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Don McKellar, Arsinee Khanjian, Elias Koteas, Sarah Polley, Victor Garber and David Hemblen Directed by Atom Egoyan I first saw this independently made Canadian import a few months ago after reading by several critics that it was one of the very finest films to come out of it's year. I had also read in Roger Ebert's review that it featured a great surprise ending. So I went to the video store, checked out a copy and then went home to watch it, all ready to watch an unpredicable mystery/thriller with a huge twist ending in the vein of "The Usual Suspects" or "No Way Out". An hour and forty-five minutes later, I was sitting there watching the credits of "Exotica" roll across the screen, thinking "What the hell was that?!". I gave it about two stars. I didn't really care about any of the characters and was really let-down by the ending. A few nights ago I was wandering the ailes of my local friendly Hollywood Video and came across the movie box. I picked it up, read it and then decided to give it another chance. Man, am I glad I did. I guess I was just so wrapped up in trying to find the clues to this so-called "surprise ending" that I paid very little attention to the narritive. Viewing it again (this time actually paying attention to the story), I found "Exotica" to be not only one of the most intriguing, stimulating (no, not like that), provocative and just plain brilliant films of it's year, but also one of the most fantastic flicks of all time. And as for the "surprise ending", I guess you could call it a twist, but, as I said, it's not at all a "Usual Suspects" kind of thing; it's just a revalation that is made about the past relationships of three key characters. Nothing more, so don't make the mistake that I made and ruin the film trying to guess it. It's no biggie. One of the great qualities of Atom Egoyan's masterpiece "Exotica" (which, in case you were wandering, is not a porn flick) is the utter simplicity of it's storyline. You have five major characters. Francis (excellent performance by Bruce Greenwood of UPN's short-lived, underrated "Nowhere Man") is a very troubled IRS agent with a tragic past. He goes to the strip club Exotica (hence the title) every other night to watch one of the dancers put on a private show for him ("Five dollars is all it takes, genlemen, for them to show you the mysteries of their world" barks the DJ). His particular choice every night is a "young piece of jailbait" (again, the DJ) named Christina. But Francis does not watch her for mere sexual arousal. They have a much deeper relationship; she is his angel. He is constantly asking her how anyone could hurt her, how anyone could take her away from him. It's very touching, actually, once Egoyan shows his full hand and everything that has come before snaps into focus. However, "Exotica" is about much more than a relationship between a stripper and an IRS agent. On the contrary, it (along with a small handful of other films like Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" or Scorsese's "Raging Bull") manages to key into some very sensitive and profound human emotions like our wants, out needs, our desires and, ultimently, our fears. I guess what I'm trying to say is that "Exotica" effected me like no other film has in a long, long time. It sweeps you up and takes you on a dark, depressing, distrubing, but always rewarding ride and never lets up until the last final scene when everything is finally explained and you feel as though you know a little more the human soul than you did starting the movie. Unlike many movies lately, Egoyan has made a film with a great deal to say. Important things. And I'm glad I finally listened.
Visit Jason Wallis' "Filmaholics Anonymous" web page at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7475
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