Love, deception and intolerance have been known to dramatically clash. And in “Adoration” — a film by Atom Egoyan (“The Sweet Hereafter”) — these three elements create the perfect story in this tale about one teenager’s misguided attempt at facing his past.
Simon, played by Devon Bostick (“Saw IV”), is an orphan whose parents died in a car accident allegedly caused by his late father. After hearing his French teacher read an article in class about an attempted bombing involving a man and his pregnant wife, Simon and his teacher hatch a plan. He tells his class it was his father who planted the bomb and planned to put his pregnant wife on the plane to die.
As interesting as the film’s premise is, the rest of the movie falls short of expectations. Scott Speedman (“The Strangers”) offers a well-intended portrayal as Simon’s uncle, Tom, who took him in after his parents’ accident, and Arsin?e Khanjian (“The Sweet Hereafter”) embodies the passion at the heart of the story as Simon’s teacher, Sabine.
Despite the wonderful acting from Bostick, Speedman and Khanjian, the film simply does not deliver a conclusion that matches their performances. All the suspense that builds through the body of the film is lost in the anti-climax of the film’s ending. The viewers are in the dark about the truth behind the deaths of Simon’s parents for most of the movie, and even after finding out the details, it is difficult to feel entirely satisfied because of its mediocrity.
While the film itself does not quite work as a whole, the method of filming is rather unique. Egoyan used single-point lighting, a method used to bring the viewers’ focus to the light and shadows of each shot. This method greatly enhances the drama of the film, especially during the scenes where Simon is presenting his story to the class. Shadows take over his face and seem to change him from the inside out. Indeed, throughout the rest of the film, Simon becomes increasingly angry and begins to engage in destructive behaviors, causing his uncle to finally stand up and take notice.
Not only does this film focus on Simon and his changes, it also tries to address the always-sensitive topic of intolerance, namely tolerance of other races and religions. Simon’s uncle is quite prejudiced when it comes to religion, and this point is illustrated by his conversation with a burqa-clad woman. Just like the ending, “Adoration” fails in this aspect of the story as well. The characterization of Simon’s bigoted grandfather is superficial at best. What is additionally disappointing is the story’s lapse in the exploration of his relationship with Simon, let alone with his own children. If we had learned more about Simon’s grandfather, we would have learned a lot more about Simon.
Another interesting aspect of Egoyan’s films is his use of non-linear sequencing. Many of his films reveal events early on that are later explained, but this method can be tricky for viewers to follow and occasionally detracts from the overall effect of the film itself. As a result, the central theme of the search for truth is lost in an ambiguous landscape.
In order to be its best, more details and elaboration were needed to make this plot work. Ironically, it is obvious that Egoyan has it in him to do just that. He had an innovative screenplay in “Adoration,” but instead of utilizing his well-developed skills, he let it remain in the dark. It must have been hard to follow the success of his past film, “The Sweet Hereafter,” but Egoyan has enough talent up his sleeve to make a better film than “Adoration.”
It is clear from his previous films Egoyan knows a lot about filmography. Unfortunately for “Adoration,” Egoyan hit his thumb instead of the proverbial nail. As deeply moving films about manipulation go, Egoyan’s “Adoration” fell flat.
2 stars out of 5.
