Chloe (2009)

The 2009 film Chloe was directed by acclaimed Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan. Uncharacteristically, this film isn't based on one of the director's own screenplays. Instead Egoyan has gone out of his comfort zone & challenged himself by choosing to make an adaptation of a French film.

Chloe, which was filmed in Toronto, features a strong cast. Julianne Moore & Liam Neeson star as a professional couple who, from all outward appearances, seem to have a perfect life. Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) delivers a moody & mysterious performance as the title character, a high class prostitute based out of a hotel near Moore's downtown office. When Chloe is recruited to test the strength of Moore & Neeson's relationship the young woman proves to be a disruptive & potentially dangerous force in both their lives & marriage.

The plotline of Chloe is reminiscent of 1987's big hit Fatal Attraction. Both films deal with the subject of infidelity & the dire consequences involved in having an affair. Chloe's narrative is set in motion when Moore's character hires a call girl in order to confirm her suspicion that her husband is cheating. What follows is a twisted tale of sex, deception, & obsession. 

Although the film is a disappointment in many ways Chloe does have a number of positive elements. One of its strengths is the portrayal of Julianne Moore's isolation & unhappiness. Despite having a successful career, wealthy lifestyle, accomplished husband, & talented son Moore's character Catherine Stewart is a lonely person. Egoyan gives viewers insight into her wounded emotional state & feelings of emptiness during scenes in which she's depicted wandering around alone throughout the family's cavernous home. Her strained relationship with her son Michael also plays an important role in her sense of loneliness & detachment. Much of the interaction between mother & son involves the young man slamming his bedroom door in her face every time she tries to engage & talk to him. 

Moore's husband David is likewise distant & spends most of his time absorbed in his work. Even at home his job as a university professor takes precedence over spending quality time with his wife & teenage son. When he's at home David is routinely depicted in his home office busily instant messaging with his students & grading papers.

One of the main problems with Chloe involves the title character. Throughout the film we fail to get any real insight into her personality or motivations. Why did she become a prostitute? Does she have any ambitions or dreams about doing something else for a living? Furthermore, why is she so strongly attracted to Catherine? Does she see the older woman as a lover, kindred spirit, mother figure, or savior?

Another problem with the film is that some scenes seem so over the top & heavy handed that they come off as laughable or downright silly. A good example of this is the scene in a hotel room in which Chloe relates intimate details of a sexual encounter to Catherine. Instead of being erotic the dialogue between the 2 women is unintentionally humorous & melodramatic thus throwing the entire mood of the film off course. 

Chloe proves one thing for certain & that's the fact that actress Amanda Seyfried has a promising career in front of her. She's sexy, vulnerable, & captivating. Her choice to star in films as diverse as the musical Mamma Mia!, the horror flick Jennifer's Body, & a serious noir art film like Chloe proves that she's up for a challenge & it's obvious that the actress is more than capable of holding her own onscreen alongside far more accomplished co-stars.

Unfortunately Chloe doesn't measure up to Atom Egoyan's best films such as The Sweet Hereafter & Exotica. It won't appeal to mass audiences but die hard Egoyan fans should check it out. It's also interesting to point out that as in many of the director's past movies the final shot in Chloe is particularly thought provoking & serves to pose a number of questions. It's too bad the rest of the film isn't as engaging.

Originally published on Helium.