By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Atom Egoyan
Starring: Amanda Seyfried | Douglas Smith | Maia Jae Bastidas | Mark O'Brien | Rebecca Liddiard
Year: 2024
Running time: 107
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26671415/reference/
Michael says: “Atom Egoyan’s first dozen or so films were all fascinating, compelling works that solidified him as one of those filmmakers whose work I will always see. His last four or five have been more erratic, or worse, sometimes a bit forgettable, so while I was excited to see a new film by one of my favorites, I was also feeling a bit of trepidation. SEVEN VEILS sees Egoyan reunite with his CHLOE star, Amanda Seyfried, but while their first film together (also starring Julianne Moore) was a melodramatic thriller, SEVEN VEILS ramped up the drama by combining Egoyan’s soapy script with his work as an opera director.
“After the death of a legendary opera director, a reading of his will calls for remounting of his work telling the story of Scherezade, to be directed by the then young ingenue who starred in that production. The opera star turned director also had an affair with the master during the initial production. Egoyan explores customary themes of childhood abuse, truth vs. fiction, and layers on a Me Too storyline all within the structure of rehearsals for the new production. Tensions are high, and past injustices are explored, and while I feel this could have made for a compelling story if told in a more subdued, indie fashion, marrying these themes with the over-the-top operatic drama didn’t work. What this film did do for me is make me interested in seeing one of Egoyan’s operas. Sadly the film missed the mark. 2 cats
“Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, 9/10/2023”