Adoration
(2008/Sony Blu-ray)
Picture:
B- Sound: B Extras: C+ Film: B-
I have
not been as enthusiastic about Writer/Director Atom Egoyan as many, but I give
him credit for at least trying to make mature films about something
important. While films like The Adjuster and Sweet Hereafter have been celebrated, Adoration (2008) is comparatively better as he tries to examine how
people interact when the subject of terrorism (post-9/11 in this case) surfaces
and how some things never change.
Devon
Bostick plays Simon, a high school student who writes a paper that takes a
French class assignment and in a tale of terrorism, makes himself the unborn
son of a suicide bomber at an airport.
Encouraged by his teacher to rework it for the class, the Internet and
everyone at the school sets the work off as a launching pad for debate. When his uncle and guardian (Scott Speedman
of the Underworld franchise) may
have more to do with such events in his past, things become dicey.
I liked
the performances and for the first time in a while, it is a film I would like
to look at again, because Egoyan has made an artistic breakthrough here of
sorts. His previous films have seemed
too laidback to be as effective as they could have been and though this is not
a work of boundless energy, it is more fully realized than his previous
works. Unlike most films on the subject
of terrorism, it takes an approach that would have happened a long time ago had
the event happened in the early 1970s.
See it when you can and judge for yourself.
The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is a combination of a 35mm shoot and
some Mini-DV work, but Director of Photography Paul Sarossy does deliver a
consistent look even though this is softer throughout than I would have
liked. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
lossless 5.1 mix is better, but this is dialogue-based and still sonically
limited. Mychael Danna (8MM, Antoine Fisher, Capote)
delivers one of his best scores and that is one of the best-sounding things in
the mix.
Extras include
BD Live interactive functions, a 12-minutes-long making of featurette, deleted
scenes, Egoyan on-camera interview, two debate pieces (Take Three, Passengers), The Violin Shop focuses on a scene,
trailers for other interesting Sony Blu-rays and a Blu-ray exclusive Q&A: The Fabulous Picture Show.
- Nicholas Sheffo
