This film has several species that are common—even weedy—inhabitants of movies, particularly the overgrown lowlands of hack B-movies. We have a strip club; we have a stripper who seems be threatened with violence at one point; we have an intimidating jealous boyfriend who works at the club. We have a guy who is part of an international smuggling ring; we have cop types in the customs agents. And we have a relationship between a middle age man and a teenage girl that is clearly odd. But none of these play out according to the script that we might expect from past movies.
And of course, we have a handgun found in a drawer during a scene made dramatic by both the surrounding visuals and the music. So who will get shot? Does Egoyan also transgress on the most basic Chekhovian expectation?
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There were a couple of disparities that interested me ... among them how this reasonably respectable strip club (looked like a hotel lobby, and patrons were well-dressed) still had graffiti scrawled inside the bathroom stalls.
Even the main area of the bathroom was pretty fancy and clean. It did have one of those vending machines with typically smutty ads on it. But other than that it could have been the bathroom right off of your hotel lobby.
The main area of the bathroom had baroque gold wallpaper and the stall was green, wasn’t it? I think the contrast was intended.
What is a Chekhovian expectation?
(I thought he was going to kill Eric. There was no mystery for me in that.)
Kc, you made a good point about guns in America. When Francis was shocked about the gun, I scoffed for a moment before remembering that this was Canada.
I was also interested by the contradictions in the strip club. From the outside, it seems like a typical seedy joint. Then the inside has the gilded furnishings and fancy costumes.
This movie didn't follow my expectations, although I didn't expect a hack. With these screwed-up characters and uncomfortable environments, I mostly expected something cold and tragic. I loved that he surprised me with the profound empathy in the ending.
Profound empathy is a good phrase, Erin. When Francis, bent on killing Eric, discovers that Eric found his daughter, that Eric has lived through his own hell, and all their mutual hostility melts away in their embrace, it's very moving. And the empathy that Thomas develops for Francis and Christina is extremely poignant. And the audience, I think, develops an empathy for the characters in a similar way. I found every single person more likeable in the end than I did in the beginning, especially Thomas and Eric.
Yes, exactly!
Remember the scene in the car where Francis is talking to Tracey and Tracey is wondering if Francis and his brother are still friends? So Francis tries to explain about the “baggage” people accumulate just by living. You are left with the choice of giving up on living or finding some way of living on through it. Finding empathy can be the key.
Well said, darlin'.
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