On E List of Movie Reviews
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Exotica (1994)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
9/23
9/23:
Falsely marketed as an erotic thriller, Exotica is an empty arthouse picture by Atom Egoyan.
The hypnotic ambience is familiar as felt before in The Adjuster and then later
The Sweet Hereafter and Felicia's Journey. When there's clarity, the formula works, but this time, it's too
little, too late after the pieces somewhat fall in place.
There are no issues with the performances. It's just that I wish Atom Egoyan was a bit more open here and there. Otherwise,
he's a wannabe abstract artist in the mold of David Lynch. The standouts are Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas, and Don McKellar.
They're the reasons why I wasn't bored. During the filming, Arsinée Khanjian, Atom's wife, was actually pregnant.
All in all, hypnotic or not, Exotica is a silly film about superficial people who pretend to have deep problems.