Don't be fooled by the soft-porn title or the "sexy thriller" style art on the VHS box and DVD cover. This, like Egoyan's follow-up masterpiece "The Sweet Hereafter" is an intricate, elliptical, and tragic look at grief and loss focusing on the people who work at and patronize a Toronto strip club. It's all very literary and symbolic (the exotic creatures of the pet shop being audited by Bruce Greenwood's tax man with a sad secret mirroring the exotic dancers of the club where he finds his solace after hours) and surprisingly emotional (especially at the end). Character development, secrets, and inner truths are revealed slowly and carefully and in non-linear fashion by Egoyan's delicate director's hand. The "exotic" flavored yet haunting musical score is an added bonus. Worth a look if you are in the right mood and know what to expect from Egoyan.
106 Reviews
Help For the Viewer?
aimless-4630 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
CAUTION-SPOILERS AHEAD-EXOTICA has been overwhelmingly praised by the critics. I think the Tomatometer is at 95% favorable. Here is my take on EXOTICA-maybe it will help some viewers to appreciate this fine film.
The film is very much a paradox, sensual but sterile, intense but distant, hollow but haunting. It is a complex story with a relatively simple theme. The characters include Francis (Bruce Greenwood) as a Canadian government revenue auditor who is auditing the financials of an exotic pet store (whose owner Thomas is played by Don McKeller) while trying to exorcise his demons at a strip club called EXOTICA. During his nocturnal visits to the club he pays his niece Tracey (played by Sarah Polley) to baby-sit his seemingly absent daughter. The viewer gets to know the strip club DJ, Eric (Elias Koteas); a stripper, Christina (Mia Kirshner) who dances for Francis and happens to be Eric's ex-girlfriend; and the very pregnant (by Eric) club owner Zoe (Arsinee Khanjian) who is having an affair with Christina.
The plot is an example of elliptical storytelling in that it moves in a purposeful ever-circling way to slowly reveal the connections between the worlds of each character. There is enough misdirection to keep the viewer wary of their perceptions. They must pay complete attention and remember what they see.
There are significant technical reasons to like this film. It is first and foremost a director's film and Adam Egoyan's directing is amazing. A director is responsible for both casting and for directing their cast. For Exotica Egoyan added to his cast of regulars two of the best young actresses (Kirshner and Polley) in Canada. Kirshner's performance provides an extremely unusual combination of sensuality and thinly masked pain. Polley is simply the most subtly expressive actress in film today. They are world class talents who seem to deliberately stay away from mainstream films but have little trouble getting lots of work. Greenwood, McKellar, Koteas, and Khanjian, are likewise excellent. Egoyan kept all six reined-in so that their performances are low-key and restrained. While there were many stylish and beautiful camera shots he mostly keeps the characters at a distance. Exotic décor, busy sets, atmosphere, restrained acting, minimal tight shots, and frequent plot misdirection keeps the viewer from bonding or strongly identifying with the characters. He did not want the viewer getting into the heads of the characters, he wanted us to internalize the theme and to take it into our heads. This way if we pay attention we will learn as much about ourselves as we will about the characters.
The theme is substitution, how the process of living is simply a process of substitution. We grow out of things and find substitutes for them. We lose something precious but we carry on by finding a substitute. We expand our horizons and find substitutes that we did not know about or that we thought unattainable. We need something we can't have so we find something that works as a substitute. Sometimes the substitutes are an improvement on the original, sometimes they are a better match with a new stage of life, sometimes they are an imperfect substitute but the best that we can manage, and sometimes (certainly in this film) they are an addictive trap that keep us from moving on or growing.
Most people's dreams don't come true and they settle for a substitute, often without really noticing. The most compelling scene in `Field of Dreams' is when Burt Lancaster is talking about what it was like to give up his dream of playing major league baseball. He says: `It was like coming this close to your dream and then watching it brush past you like a stranger in a crowd. At the time I didn't think much about it. We just don't recognize the most significant moments in our lives when they happen. Back then I thought: there will be other days, I didn't realize that was the only day'. While his character accepted the end of his dream and substituted a life as the town doctor, in Exotica the substitutes are dysfunctional because there is no acceptance. That is why so many of the substitutions involve payment, a transactional substitution is a temporary event and allows the illusion to stay alive.
Exotica focuses on the substitutes used by its central characters. Francis substitutes Christina for his daughter and Tracey for Christina (when she was his daughter's babysitter). Eric substitutes his club DJ job for the career he wanted in radio, he substitutes his voyeurism in the club for his inability to have a lasting relationship. Zoe substitutes for her dead mother and continues to run the club, instead of a husband she has Eric contractually substitute so that she can have a baby. Thomas substitutes his opera liaisons for a real relationship and substitutes an incubator for the eggs he has taken from a nest. Christina substitutes a protective Francis for her uncaring and probably abusive father. Voyeurism substitutes for interaction.
Eric's voyeurism eventually leads him to the conclusion that the Francis-Christina mutual dependency has gone from a temporary coping mechanism to an addictive trap. He elects to destroy that relationship by convincing Francis to touch Christina. Eric knows that the relationship must end once this occurs, no matter how Christina reacts. Either she will no longer be able to use Francis because he betrayed her trust or Francis will no longer be able to use her because he can no longer maintain his illusion of protecting her purity. Then they will both have to move on and seek new and hopefully more positive substitutes.
Contrary to some who have commented on this film I did not see any real `plot holes'. Almost every detail is eventually explained and if anything Egoyan made the plot a little too predictable. But at least this was balanced by some interesting misdirection-like having Tracey live above a shabby strip mall so you jump to the conclusion that she is a child prostitute and that Francis has a thing for young girls. Certainly on the second viewing it is clear that many clues are provided and that the outcome is being subtly telegraphed throughout the film in a kind of mental striptease.
As already mentioned, the really unique feature of this movie is that the viewer does not really connect with the characters but instead connects with the substitution theme. The audience is given a new perspective from which to think about their own substitutions. Perceptive members of the audience are forced to be more than observers. This is powerful stuff.
The film is very much a paradox, sensual but sterile, intense but distant, hollow but haunting. It is a complex story with a relatively simple theme. The characters include Francis (Bruce Greenwood) as a Canadian government revenue auditor who is auditing the financials of an exotic pet store (whose owner Thomas is played by Don McKeller) while trying to exorcise his demons at a strip club called EXOTICA. During his nocturnal visits to the club he pays his niece Tracey (played by Sarah Polley) to baby-sit his seemingly absent daughter. The viewer gets to know the strip club DJ, Eric (Elias Koteas); a stripper, Christina (Mia Kirshner) who dances for Francis and happens to be Eric's ex-girlfriend; and the very pregnant (by Eric) club owner Zoe (Arsinee Khanjian) who is having an affair with Christina.
The plot is an example of elliptical storytelling in that it moves in a purposeful ever-circling way to slowly reveal the connections between the worlds of each character. There is enough misdirection to keep the viewer wary of their perceptions. They must pay complete attention and remember what they see.
There are significant technical reasons to like this film. It is first and foremost a director's film and Adam Egoyan's directing is amazing. A director is responsible for both casting and for directing their cast. For Exotica Egoyan added to his cast of regulars two of the best young actresses (Kirshner and Polley) in Canada. Kirshner's performance provides an extremely unusual combination of sensuality and thinly masked pain. Polley is simply the most subtly expressive actress in film today. They are world class talents who seem to deliberately stay away from mainstream films but have little trouble getting lots of work. Greenwood, McKellar, Koteas, and Khanjian, are likewise excellent. Egoyan kept all six reined-in so that their performances are low-key and restrained. While there were many stylish and beautiful camera shots he mostly keeps the characters at a distance. Exotic décor, busy sets, atmosphere, restrained acting, minimal tight shots, and frequent plot misdirection keeps the viewer from bonding or strongly identifying with the characters. He did not want the viewer getting into the heads of the characters, he wanted us to internalize the theme and to take it into our heads. This way if we pay attention we will learn as much about ourselves as we will about the characters.
The theme is substitution, how the process of living is simply a process of substitution. We grow out of things and find substitutes for them. We lose something precious but we carry on by finding a substitute. We expand our horizons and find substitutes that we did not know about or that we thought unattainable. We need something we can't have so we find something that works as a substitute. Sometimes the substitutes are an improvement on the original, sometimes they are a better match with a new stage of life, sometimes they are an imperfect substitute but the best that we can manage, and sometimes (certainly in this film) they are an addictive trap that keep us from moving on or growing.
Most people's dreams don't come true and they settle for a substitute, often without really noticing. The most compelling scene in `Field of Dreams' is when Burt Lancaster is talking about what it was like to give up his dream of playing major league baseball. He says: `It was like coming this close to your dream and then watching it brush past you like a stranger in a crowd. At the time I didn't think much about it. We just don't recognize the most significant moments in our lives when they happen. Back then I thought: there will be other days, I didn't realize that was the only day'. While his character accepted the end of his dream and substituted a life as the town doctor, in Exotica the substitutes are dysfunctional because there is no acceptance. That is why so many of the substitutions involve payment, a transactional substitution is a temporary event and allows the illusion to stay alive.
Exotica focuses on the substitutes used by its central characters. Francis substitutes Christina for his daughter and Tracey for Christina (when she was his daughter's babysitter). Eric substitutes his club DJ job for the career he wanted in radio, he substitutes his voyeurism in the club for his inability to have a lasting relationship. Zoe substitutes for her dead mother and continues to run the club, instead of a husband she has Eric contractually substitute so that she can have a baby. Thomas substitutes his opera liaisons for a real relationship and substitutes an incubator for the eggs he has taken from a nest. Christina substitutes a protective Francis for her uncaring and probably abusive father. Voyeurism substitutes for interaction.
Eric's voyeurism eventually leads him to the conclusion that the Francis-Christina mutual dependency has gone from a temporary coping mechanism to an addictive trap. He elects to destroy that relationship by convincing Francis to touch Christina. Eric knows that the relationship must end once this occurs, no matter how Christina reacts. Either she will no longer be able to use Francis because he betrayed her trust or Francis will no longer be able to use her because he can no longer maintain his illusion of protecting her purity. Then they will both have to move on and seek new and hopefully more positive substitutes.
Contrary to some who have commented on this film I did not see any real `plot holes'. Almost every detail is eventually explained and if anything Egoyan made the plot a little too predictable. But at least this was balanced by some interesting misdirection-like having Tracey live above a shabby strip mall so you jump to the conclusion that she is a child prostitute and that Francis has a thing for young girls. Certainly on the second viewing it is clear that many clues are provided and that the outcome is being subtly telegraphed throughout the film in a kind of mental striptease.
As already mentioned, the really unique feature of this movie is that the viewer does not really connect with the characters but instead connects with the substitution theme. The audience is given a new perspective from which to think about their own substitutions. Perceptive members of the audience are forced to be more than observers. This is powerful stuff.
Beautiful, haunting, poetic and truthful.
Django-2128 July 2003
Just seen this for the second time. First time I saw it (about a year ago), I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but there were scenes from it (when Elias Koteas reveals why his connection to the disturbed and grieving father and the scene with the father and his daughter's babysitter at the end) that have always stuck in my mind.
A very haunting and beautiful movie (even though it gives a very unpleasant view of life), with a haunting snake charm style score and starring the brilliant Elias Koteas (from "Crash") and the lovely Mia Kirshner (from early first season "24" and "The Crow: City Of Angels"). Victor Garber (Sidney's dad in "Alias") also has a couple of scenes. Not to many tastes but very rewarding if you can appreciate it (although it's sense of detachment probably puts off a lot of people).
It seems to me to explore the theme of people trying to connect, in a very insular and ultimately unfulfilling way (the young gay man who goes to the ballet every night and gives away his "extra ticket" for companionship or the grieving father who pays a young girl to "babysit" his empty house so that he can have the illusion his daughter is still around for example), and also the theme of loss (variously of loved ones, innocence, youth, opportunity etc). The Exotica strip club seems such hollow place but at the same time it seems almost understandable that it would draw hapless souls night after night with nowhere else to go. Some of the dialogue seems poetic, cynical and truthful all at the same time. A film that you really need to watch to the end before you really feel you understand it's puzzle (and even then there seems to be something just out of grasp this viewing). A moving portrait of life that will linger in your mind afterwards.
A very haunting and beautiful movie (even though it gives a very unpleasant view of life), with a haunting snake charm style score and starring the brilliant Elias Koteas (from "Crash") and the lovely Mia Kirshner (from early first season "24" and "The Crow: City Of Angels"). Victor Garber (Sidney's dad in "Alias") also has a couple of scenes. Not to many tastes but very rewarding if you can appreciate it (although it's sense of detachment probably puts off a lot of people).
It seems to me to explore the theme of people trying to connect, in a very insular and ultimately unfulfilling way (the young gay man who goes to the ballet every night and gives away his "extra ticket" for companionship or the grieving father who pays a young girl to "babysit" his empty house so that he can have the illusion his daughter is still around for example), and also the theme of loss (variously of loved ones, innocence, youth, opportunity etc). The Exotica strip club seems such hollow place but at the same time it seems almost understandable that it would draw hapless souls night after night with nowhere else to go. Some of the dialogue seems poetic, cynical and truthful all at the same time. A film that you really need to watch to the end before you really feel you understand it's puzzle (and even then there seems to be something just out of grasp this viewing). A moving portrait of life that will linger in your mind afterwards.
Amazingly beautiful, haunting film
Gouda-329 April 1999
I can't remember seeing a film as intriguing, complex, and beautifully photographed as "Exotica." I nearly didn't watch it because the video cover advertized it as an "erotic thriller" and the image on the front is of Mia Kirchner doing her strip-tease bit. Granted, "Exotica" centers around a "gentleman's club" of the same name, but to call this film a simple erotic thriller is to miss out on a lot, on too much.
"Exotica" follows four seemingly unrelated storylines: a man sitting alone at a table in a strip club, another man smuggling exotic parrot eggs into the country ("Exotica" takes place in and around Toronto), two apparent strangers walking in a field of green, and a young girl who plays a flute in an empty house. Egoyan begins with these vastly different puzzle pieces then slowly, inexorably brings them together.
Atom Egoyan is one heck of a masterful director. He is the epicenter of this cinematic symphony that leads carefully from movement to movement until the finale bursts forth in equal measure of catharsis, discovery, and tragedy. Plot to him is like tapestry weaving. He threads narrative, characters, time, and setting in such complicated iterations that one is at once nearly overwhelmed by the intricacy and awed at his skill, a testament to his brilliance as well as his belief that a film-going audience is actually intelligent.
At it's heart, "Exotica" is a tragedy of circumstances. Or better yet, a collision of tragedies of circumstances. Indeed, the film isn't so much about tragedy as it is about those who survive tragedy and the toll a single event can exact for the rest of the lives of those who survive. Exotica, the gentleman's club, serves merely as a focal point where all these individual tragedies radiate to.
Equally haunting in all this is the music. Mychael Danna's score sets the film's tone: dark, "exotic," deceptively simple but savvier than it lets on. Also worthy of note is the music in the club itself, a blend of American house funk and Middle Eastern tones, warbled in Arabic.
I highly recommend this film. Ignore the naked women who sashay from time to time in front of the screen (difficult as that may be at times) in the scenes shot in the club. The really interesting stuff occurs at the margins of the film, as the gulf separating the storylines begin to vanish, and the final scene gives you the keystone to a horrifying clear vision of a sadness so overwhelming that no one in the film escapes unscathed.
"Exotica" follows four seemingly unrelated storylines: a man sitting alone at a table in a strip club, another man smuggling exotic parrot eggs into the country ("Exotica" takes place in and around Toronto), two apparent strangers walking in a field of green, and a young girl who plays a flute in an empty house. Egoyan begins with these vastly different puzzle pieces then slowly, inexorably brings them together.
Atom Egoyan is one heck of a masterful director. He is the epicenter of this cinematic symphony that leads carefully from movement to movement until the finale bursts forth in equal measure of catharsis, discovery, and tragedy. Plot to him is like tapestry weaving. He threads narrative, characters, time, and setting in such complicated iterations that one is at once nearly overwhelmed by the intricacy and awed at his skill, a testament to his brilliance as well as his belief that a film-going audience is actually intelligent.
At it's heart, "Exotica" is a tragedy of circumstances. Or better yet, a collision of tragedies of circumstances. Indeed, the film isn't so much about tragedy as it is about those who survive tragedy and the toll a single event can exact for the rest of the lives of those who survive. Exotica, the gentleman's club, serves merely as a focal point where all these individual tragedies radiate to.
Equally haunting in all this is the music. Mychael Danna's score sets the film's tone: dark, "exotic," deceptively simple but savvier than it lets on. Also worthy of note is the music in the club itself, a blend of American house funk and Middle Eastern tones, warbled in Arabic.
I highly recommend this film. Ignore the naked women who sashay from time to time in front of the screen (difficult as that may be at times) in the scenes shot in the club. The really interesting stuff occurs at the margins of the film, as the gulf separating the storylines begin to vanish, and the final scene gives you the keystone to a horrifying clear vision of a sadness so overwhelming that no one in the film escapes unscathed.
Performance (The Parrot Lost Interest)
tedg3 November 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.
Many of the most intelligent films begin with the notion that life is a performance, possibly an acting out of remembrances. Then, as the filmed performance of that life performance unfurls, we have amble opportunity for layer shifting and ambiguities... lots of things that amplify power like the notion of an actor who is acting that they are acting, or better: not acting, just "staying."
We have here one of the tightest films I've ever encountered. The stance of the acting, the braiding and mirroring in the story, the score and the camera eye are completely congruent. So completely congruent that I have placed it as a 4 of 4, which is more than just a good film. In my system, it denotes required viewing, sort of an equivalent of Bloom's list of great books without which one cannot invent intelligence.
The trip is rugged, demanding but rewarding.
We have a young woman acting as a schoolgirl and providing succor to a wounded gent. We have her former lover, damaged and bitter at his frustrations, `directing' her. Both work for someone who hides addiction under the blanket of tradition. The wounded gent is incapable of performance (even `touching') so acts as codependent, demanding recipient of performances.
This is the stuff of life that anyone experiences. Here, it is framed within a certain kind of stage.
Within this, we have watchers, auditors, voyeurs, monitors, toilet interlocutors, two-way mirrors. We also have pregnancy, eggs, children... and death. The bearer of eggs (soon to be lost to love) and the wounded gent are thrown together, and thus begins the braid.
The end of the braid puts us at the point where one performance cannot continue, but the other must go on. Is it "reality" that continues?
Ted's evaluation: 4 of 4 -- Every visually literate person should experience this.
Many of the most intelligent films begin with the notion that life is a performance, possibly an acting out of remembrances. Then, as the filmed performance of that life performance unfurls, we have amble opportunity for layer shifting and ambiguities... lots of things that amplify power like the notion of an actor who is acting that they are acting, or better: not acting, just "staying."
We have here one of the tightest films I've ever encountered. The stance of the acting, the braiding and mirroring in the story, the score and the camera eye are completely congruent. So completely congruent that I have placed it as a 4 of 4, which is more than just a good film. In my system, it denotes required viewing, sort of an equivalent of Bloom's list of great books without which one cannot invent intelligence.
The trip is rugged, demanding but rewarding.
We have a young woman acting as a schoolgirl and providing succor to a wounded gent. We have her former lover, damaged and bitter at his frustrations, `directing' her. Both work for someone who hides addiction under the blanket of tradition. The wounded gent is incapable of performance (even `touching') so acts as codependent, demanding recipient of performances.
This is the stuff of life that anyone experiences. Here, it is framed within a certain kind of stage.
Within this, we have watchers, auditors, voyeurs, monitors, toilet interlocutors, two-way mirrors. We also have pregnancy, eggs, children... and death. The bearer of eggs (soon to be lost to love) and the wounded gent are thrown together, and thus begins the braid.
The end of the braid puts us at the point where one performance cannot continue, but the other must go on. Is it "reality" that continues?
Ted's evaluation: 4 of 4 -- Every visually literate person should experience this.
The Taboo of Human Contact
carrpl2 April 2001
'Exotica' is clearly Egoyan's best film and his most successful presentation of the motifs that have characterized his films throughout his career; these include the presentation of the narrative out of chronological order, the interaction of characters by means of videotape and hidden surveillance, the relationship between parent and child, and the repetition of situation and dialogue. The film's theme involves the superficial barriers-both physical and psychological-that prevent people from making a genuine emotional connection with others; as we watch the film we witness how various people react to these barriers and struggle to break them down. The film's strong emphasis on structure and focus on Thomas' and Francis' parallel 'hunts' for human contact can't help but remind of that masterpiece of medieval literature 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' (this is a work that Egoyan was born to adapt to the screen). In my opinion each of the film's six major characters parallels another to compile three pairs. The first pair of characters is composed of Thomas and Zoe. The most obvious similarity between these two is that each owns one of the film's two principle locations. Thomas' pet store and Zoë's strip-club are comparable in that both are businesses whose principle merchandise is living creatures that are excessively displayed so as to persuade the customer to make a purchase. Moreover, while the pet store is lined with glass cages and fish-tanks, the walls of the strip-club are composed of two-way mirrors through which employees can secretly observe the customers. In addition to the life that each openly sells, both also possess hidden life. We see this in Zoë by the fact that she is very pregnant, but must disguise her appearance so as not to remind customers of the possible consequences of the lecherous behavior that her club encourages. Likewise, in the film's first scenes we see that Thomas is pregnant in a different way. Here, he is smuggling exotic bird eggs into the country by strapping the eggs to his stomach in order to hide them from Canadian customs officials. This hidden life also extends to their introverted personalities. To combat their inability to communicate verbally, both try to make interpersonal connections by means of physical contact. In a sense, then, Thomas and Zoë (as the Greek origin of her name might suggest) are givers of life both openly in their businesses and privately in their interaction with others. Next, Francis and Eric are parallel characters because of their mutual obsessions with Christina. Although Christina is intended to be seen as a sex object, neither Francis nor Eric has any interest in her in this regard. Instead, she symbolizes an emotional relationship that both once had, but now have lost. When they eventually discover their real relationship, Francis and Eric find that they do not need Christina and make an emotional bond with each other, which is symbolized by a physical embrace. Lastly, Christina and Tracey can be associated because Francis considers both as symbols of his dead daughter. However, Francis' relationships with Christina and Tracey both fail because he is unable to develop bonds that go beyond their assigned roles as a stripper and babysitter. Therefore, while Zoë and Thomas can be seen as givers of life, Christina and Tracey clearly receive life by taking on the roles that Francis and Eric impose on them. There are also many reoccuring images and symbols that reinforce the emotional isolation of the characters. The use of secret surveillance by two-way mirrors serves both as an invisible yet uncrossable boundary between people who would otherwise be very close to one another and as a way for the characters to make private judgments of those who are being unwittingly observed. In fact, while Eric secretly observes and judges Francis during his nights at Exotica, Francis, because of this job as an auditor, does the same to Thomas during the day. Egoyan reminds us that this relationship can ultimately be extended to include the audience members, who also make private judgments of the film's characters (we've this before in films like Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' and Powell's 'Peeping Tom'). As we watch the film, we too are in a sense reaching out to forge an emotional connection that transcends the barrier of the medium itself. The film's overriding presence of money suggests to the characters that the only legitimate grounds for a relationship is financial, and any time an emotional connection is made the characters feel guilty if they are not paying for it. Finally, the frequent appearance of parrots and their uncharacteristic silence reflects the characters' inability to communicate and overcome the losses of their past. I've really grown to admire this film and Egoyan's work in general. In 'Exotica' he creates a work of complex symmetry and interconnecting symbols while also conveying an atmosphere of lyrical intensity.
A fractured movie about a fractured life
jon-8821 December 1998
Perhaps Atom Egoyan's most successful film. Egoyan's technique is to fracture a story like a jigsaw puzzle, giving the viewer bits and pieces which only all connect in the final scene. That ripping apart of reality is especially appropriate here, since the movie is about people putting their lives together after terrible trauma. It's also about the danger in leaping to conclusions - the viewer is often tempted to make a judgement about what he or she sees, and that judgement is often both wrong and unfair. If this all sounds like homework, be assured that the movie is also a lot of fun: it's sexy and interesting and inspired.
GREAT MOVIE...MISLEADING ART WORK
RMurray84728 April 2002
When you first look at the VHS box for this movie, it looks like a slightly upscale version of Showgirl. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a sad, painful, mysterious movie that explores human relationships in a very unusual way. Yes, lots of it takes place at a strip club,but it's not very sexy or explicit.
You have to pay careful attention to this movie. It bounces around in time, and all the threads of the plot don't come totally together until the very last moment of the movie. But it has a devastating and gripping payoff. ONLY FOR INTELLIGENT MOVIE GOERS. It's a tough movie, kinda slow, but it is unusual, inventive and in my opinion, very satisfying.
Also recommend THE SWEET HEREAFTER, directed by Atom Egoyan as well. Same fractured structure and sense of sadness. But beautiful.
You have to pay careful attention to this movie. It bounces around in time, and all the threads of the plot don't come totally together until the very last moment of the movie. But it has a devastating and gripping payoff. ONLY FOR INTELLIGENT MOVIE GOERS. It's a tough movie, kinda slow, but it is unusual, inventive and in my opinion, very satisfying.
Also recommend THE SWEET HEREAFTER, directed by Atom Egoyan as well. Same fractured structure and sense of sadness. But beautiful.
Peculiar & Deceptive...
Xstal19 September 2020
If you played the events out as they actually happened, in sequence, the only surprise you'd experience would be how you'd made it to the end without declining to further engage in this nonsensical and unrealistic fraud about old men and their relationships with children and very young girls. If the art of good film making relies on the editing deceiving and withholding information form you that it later reveals, and that information is, for all intents and purposes, known to the characters as the story progresses - the whole piece wins its plaudits through misleading and not through a genuinely engaging story - which this is not either. Valueless nonsense all round.
Complex, painstaking - & tremendously well made & rewarding
I_Ailurophile18 February 2023
I thought I at least had a vague idea of what I was getting into when I sat to watch this, but filmmaker Atom Egoyan really threw audiences a curveball. We're given several significant characters, and a few of particular narrative importance, around whom are centered what seems to be three discrete stories unfolding concurrently with scant definition, and connecting only loosely for a substantial preponderance of the runtime. So it is, too, with the dialogue and scene writing, not to mention the characters. It's only as the length climbs to the halfway mark that the storytelling gradually begins to meaningfully solidify, but even still Egoyan guides his cast into performances that are peculiarly nervous, and amorphous, hovering around a central core for each role yet never zeroing in on it until a specific, psychological moment arrives.
In fact, intriguing as the tableau is as the puzzle pieces slowly swirl, the only concrete facets we have to hold onto for a long time are the contributions of those behind the scenes. Mychael Danna's original score is outstanding, especially as it takes some influence from Indian music, and other songs to appear in the soundtrack are just as enticing. The production design and art direction are equally superb; the nightclub looks phenomenal, and the work that went into making it a living, breathing, real place is deeply gratifying. The same could surely be said of the hair and makeup work, and the costume design, giving 'Exotica' a tremendously strong visual presentation. Factor in Paul Sarossy's rich, dynamic cinematography, capturing and enriching every detail before us, and we're given no shortage of value to keep us locked in as the plot unfolds piecemeal.
It's truly only within the last act, the last 30-40 minutes, that everything comes into focus, and still the picture's approach to its storytelling feels fuzzy and oblique, especially in comparison to the utmost clarity of the craftsmanship from behind the scenes. The feature is without question a dark, dreary, turbulent psychological drama - and one with sideways thriller airs - yet it's a psychological drama that emphatically bides its time, shaping the Big Picture layer by quizzical layer, revealing nothing until the exact right time. Once the opaque walls do eventually open up, the revelations and story beats to spill out thereafter strike with weight and impact all the greater and more terrible for the brilliant, meticulous way they have been withheld, and the patience with which we have been made to tease out what we could of the saga up to that point. With all this having been said, I can only deeply admire Egoyan for the movie he has put together. Its pacing, and the fundamental construction of the tale, is so achingly deliberate that the viewing experience is initially laborious, and more than a little flummoxing. One's endurance is tested, but at length stupendously rewarded, as we get a portrait of the intricate way these characters' lives are woven together, the unique and perhaps dangerous intimacy the nightclub fosters, and how both these aspects have served to inform the characters as we see them.
As both writer and director Egoyan demonstrates wonderful intelligence, laying out one complex building block at a time in every element of the screenplay and arranging them with painstaking fastidiousness and remarkable restraint. He orchestrates every shot and scene with supreme mindfulness to on the one hand keep viewers' brains buzzing to maintain active engagement in the face of such confounding plot and character development, and on the other hand prime us with delicious small crumbs and kernels of the whole that is being assembled bit by bit. It's a difficult task he set forth for himself, and for the audience - and frankly, for his cast. For the bulk of the runtime the performances feel like the equivalent of being on the periphery of a major conversation; we can see and hear people talking about something, but the object of discussion is never specifically identified. It seems to me that Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Elias Koteas, Don McKellar, Arsinée Khanjian, Sarah Polley, and their costars were presented with an unusual and fulfilling challenge, for just as the distinct plot is doled out so obscurely until the last stretch, it feels like the actors were faced with inhabiting and exploring their characters, and all their depths, complications, and emotions, without precisely accentuating such aspects until the last stretch. In every way it's a difficult balancing act, but when all is said and done, I think everyone absolutely nailed it.
There's a dazzling subtlety to 'Exotica,' stitched into every last component, that makes it all the more engrossing and highly satisfying. I completely understand how this won't appeal to all comers, for its storytelling and even its acting is so intensively measured in what is meted out to the audience that it's easy to feel like there's too little for us to grip onto. Yet even as the feature keeps its cards so impossibly close to its chest for a very long time, ultimately the strength herein is altogether undeniable. In its Egoyan, his cast, his crew, and all others involved put in fabulous work all around, with stellar results. For those viewers who are willing and able to sit with such a movie as it methodically stirs the pot, this is a fantastic, greatly pleasing saga, well worth the effort that we also have to put into it. Keeping in mind such limiting factors, 'Exotica' earns a hearty recommendation if you have the chance to watch.
In fact, intriguing as the tableau is as the puzzle pieces slowly swirl, the only concrete facets we have to hold onto for a long time are the contributions of those behind the scenes. Mychael Danna's original score is outstanding, especially as it takes some influence from Indian music, and other songs to appear in the soundtrack are just as enticing. The production design and art direction are equally superb; the nightclub looks phenomenal, and the work that went into making it a living, breathing, real place is deeply gratifying. The same could surely be said of the hair and makeup work, and the costume design, giving 'Exotica' a tremendously strong visual presentation. Factor in Paul Sarossy's rich, dynamic cinematography, capturing and enriching every detail before us, and we're given no shortage of value to keep us locked in as the plot unfolds piecemeal.
It's truly only within the last act, the last 30-40 minutes, that everything comes into focus, and still the picture's approach to its storytelling feels fuzzy and oblique, especially in comparison to the utmost clarity of the craftsmanship from behind the scenes. The feature is without question a dark, dreary, turbulent psychological drama - and one with sideways thriller airs - yet it's a psychological drama that emphatically bides its time, shaping the Big Picture layer by quizzical layer, revealing nothing until the exact right time. Once the opaque walls do eventually open up, the revelations and story beats to spill out thereafter strike with weight and impact all the greater and more terrible for the brilliant, meticulous way they have been withheld, and the patience with which we have been made to tease out what we could of the saga up to that point. With all this having been said, I can only deeply admire Egoyan for the movie he has put together. Its pacing, and the fundamental construction of the tale, is so achingly deliberate that the viewing experience is initially laborious, and more than a little flummoxing. One's endurance is tested, but at length stupendously rewarded, as we get a portrait of the intricate way these characters' lives are woven together, the unique and perhaps dangerous intimacy the nightclub fosters, and how both these aspects have served to inform the characters as we see them.
As both writer and director Egoyan demonstrates wonderful intelligence, laying out one complex building block at a time in every element of the screenplay and arranging them with painstaking fastidiousness and remarkable restraint. He orchestrates every shot and scene with supreme mindfulness to on the one hand keep viewers' brains buzzing to maintain active engagement in the face of such confounding plot and character development, and on the other hand prime us with delicious small crumbs and kernels of the whole that is being assembled bit by bit. It's a difficult task he set forth for himself, and for the audience - and frankly, for his cast. For the bulk of the runtime the performances feel like the equivalent of being on the periphery of a major conversation; we can see and hear people talking about something, but the object of discussion is never specifically identified. It seems to me that Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Elias Koteas, Don McKellar, Arsinée Khanjian, Sarah Polley, and their costars were presented with an unusual and fulfilling challenge, for just as the distinct plot is doled out so obscurely until the last stretch, it feels like the actors were faced with inhabiting and exploring their characters, and all their depths, complications, and emotions, without precisely accentuating such aspects until the last stretch. In every way it's a difficult balancing act, but when all is said and done, I think everyone absolutely nailed it.
There's a dazzling subtlety to 'Exotica,' stitched into every last component, that makes it all the more engrossing and highly satisfying. I completely understand how this won't appeal to all comers, for its storytelling and even its acting is so intensively measured in what is meted out to the audience that it's easy to feel like there's too little for us to grip onto. Yet even as the feature keeps its cards so impossibly close to its chest for a very long time, ultimately the strength herein is altogether undeniable. In its Egoyan, his cast, his crew, and all others involved put in fabulous work all around, with stellar results. For those viewers who are willing and able to sit with such a movie as it methodically stirs the pot, this is a fantastic, greatly pleasing saga, well worth the effort that we also have to put into it. Keeping in mind such limiting factors, 'Exotica' earns a hearty recommendation if you have the chance to watch.
Beautifully filmed, but it didn't do much for me
FilmOtaku4 January 2005
The title of the film "Exotica" comes from a strip club where much of the action either takes place or originates from, where dancer Christina (Mia Kirshner) captivates two men, club DJ Eric (Elias Koteas) and accountant Francis (Bruce Greenwood) for different reasons. Also added into the mix is Thomas, (Don McKellar) an exotic animal store owner who becomes involved when Francis is performing an audit on his books and discovers transgressions there, essentially blackmailing him into helping him get to Christina.
Even if I were to provide enough information about the film without concern about spoilers, it would be hard to describe the plot of the film. "Exotica", while centering on a strip club, is mostly about relationships, (all unhealthy to very great extents) and the evolution of one's character and personality. The film is told in a non-linear style, which is usually very refreshing, but I found that while I was willing to endure the very slow pacing for a great denouement, particularly because I felt like I was being set up for one, I didn't get one. These problems with the film are in direct contrast with the beautiful and stylish cinematography and the fairly rich character development. Things as subtle as Victor Garber's (who played Greenwood's brother in a small but important role) "Black Power" t-shirts were, upon reflection, a great touch. And the performances of the main players were decent, though I will admit that I got a little tired of Mia Kirshner after awhile.
Unfortunately, the negatives and positives of "Exotica" offset one another, and therefore left me pretty tepid. It can be recommended to anyone who likes independent cinema, but beyond that, I can't imagine it being tolerated by a mainstream audience. Perhaps it deserves a second viewing, to appreciate it further, but I give it a 5/10.
--Shelly
Even if I were to provide enough information about the film without concern about spoilers, it would be hard to describe the plot of the film. "Exotica", while centering on a strip club, is mostly about relationships, (all unhealthy to very great extents) and the evolution of one's character and personality. The film is told in a non-linear style, which is usually very refreshing, but I found that while I was willing to endure the very slow pacing for a great denouement, particularly because I felt like I was being set up for one, I didn't get one. These problems with the film are in direct contrast with the beautiful and stylish cinematography and the fairly rich character development. Things as subtle as Victor Garber's (who played Greenwood's brother in a small but important role) "Black Power" t-shirts were, upon reflection, a great touch. And the performances of the main players were decent, though I will admit that I got a little tired of Mia Kirshner after awhile.
Unfortunately, the negatives and positives of "Exotica" offset one another, and therefore left me pretty tepid. It can be recommended to anyone who likes independent cinema, but beyond that, I can't imagine it being tolerated by a mainstream audience. Perhaps it deserves a second viewing, to appreciate it further, but I give it a 5/10.
--Shelly
Interesting but too distant and cold to get into but worth `observing'
bob the moo17 October 2002
In Toronto is a strip club called the Exotica. Here MC Eric comperes for all the girls including his ex, Christina. One of Christina regular dances is Francis, a tax investigator who has losses and hurts that go back years. The two rely on each other, Francis especially trying to fill the void in his life, however Eric envies this relationship of need and sceptres it. Francis strikes a deal with one of his clients who is breaking the law to take revenge on Eric.
I'm not a huge fan of Egoyan and have often found some of his stuff to be a little inaccessible and occasionally bordering on the pretentious. This is one of my preferred works by him, but that's not to say that it's perfect. The plot here see numerous ill-defined strands that centres not around the club but more around the themes of loss and relationships based on need and baggage. These themes are well brought out even if the back story is pretty weak in most of them. When the strands all come together it isn't a surprise it has been hinted at all along but it is a nice low key finish to the tale.
It's hard to judge it as a film because it is too disjointed and abstract to really get into it. It sort of made me want to stand back from it and observe it, rather than get involved like a picture for example. This distant didn't help me get into the characters but made me watch it from the outside which wasn't as good. The plot is weak but the telling is everything. Egoyan delivers the telling well and weaves an interesting story told through the characters rather than events.
The characters are delivered well by the actors although some have little to do. Greenwood does very well as Eric and brings a lot out and for my money Koteas is always watchable in anything he does (yes even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!). Kirshner was too distant for me and I felt that she carried it too long and rarely let emotion touch her. I suppose her character would need to be like that but it stopped me again from accessing the film. McKellar is really a fringe player and the issues with his relationships and his smuggled eggs are basically lost in the mix in a quite frustrating manner. Happily I thought Greenwood and Koteas really held this together and kept my attention.
The film may be flawed and be too distant and cold to be satisfying but Egoyan's telling is good and avoids being arty for art's sake or being pretentious. It is not a fantastic film but it is different and deals with themes not seen often. I found that I appreciated it rather than enjoyed it that may be the only way in.
I'm not a huge fan of Egoyan and have often found some of his stuff to be a little inaccessible and occasionally bordering on the pretentious. This is one of my preferred works by him, but that's not to say that it's perfect. The plot here see numerous ill-defined strands that centres not around the club but more around the themes of loss and relationships based on need and baggage. These themes are well brought out even if the back story is pretty weak in most of them. When the strands all come together it isn't a surprise it has been hinted at all along but it is a nice low key finish to the tale.
It's hard to judge it as a film because it is too disjointed and abstract to really get into it. It sort of made me want to stand back from it and observe it, rather than get involved like a picture for example. This distant didn't help me get into the characters but made me watch it from the outside which wasn't as good. The plot is weak but the telling is everything. Egoyan delivers the telling well and weaves an interesting story told through the characters rather than events.
The characters are delivered well by the actors although some have little to do. Greenwood does very well as Eric and brings a lot out and for my money Koteas is always watchable in anything he does (yes even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!). Kirshner was too distant for me and I felt that she carried it too long and rarely let emotion touch her. I suppose her character would need to be like that but it stopped me again from accessing the film. McKellar is really a fringe player and the issues with his relationships and his smuggled eggs are basically lost in the mix in a quite frustrating manner. Happily I thought Greenwood and Koteas really held this together and kept my attention.
The film may be flawed and be too distant and cold to be satisfying but Egoyan's telling is good and avoids being arty for art's sake or being pretentious. It is not a fantastic film but it is different and deals with themes not seen often. I found that I appreciated it rather than enjoyed it that may be the only way in.
One of the great movies of the 1990s
beeryusa24 December 2005
One of the best movies I've ever seen. This film is what movies should always be about - making people think about how they think, their preconceptions and prejudices.
The film seems to have been marketed as a borderline porn film, and although it has a single scene of partial nudity, that is by no means what it's about. The actors give wonderful performances and the director does a great job of crafting a thoughtful and thought-provoking masterpiece.
I'm not going to say more about the storyline because if too much is given away you won't get those moments of revelation. Just go out and rent or buy this masterpiece of cinema.
The film seems to have been marketed as a borderline porn film, and although it has a single scene of partial nudity, that is by no means what it's about. The actors give wonderful performances and the director does a great job of crafting a thoughtful and thought-provoking masterpiece.
I'm not going to say more about the storyline because if too much is given away you won't get those moments of revelation. Just go out and rent or buy this masterpiece of cinema.
Utterly absorbing, intriguing, moving, and TRUE
poetellect29 July 2001
Atom Egoyan is a man who will soon win an Academy Award for Best Director in the next few years. After seeing The Sweet Hereafter, I rented Exotica, having heard that it's the best, if not his most signature piece of work- and WHAT a movie- this movie doesn't let you get away with falling asleep, loosing concentration, or anything like that. It makes you THINK, forces you to go scene by scene in a way that is utterly spellbinding. The nudity is a little shocking at first but dealing with its subject matter, for the 'art', so to speak, it's understandable. One of the best films of 1994, without a doubt.
The way that Egoyan intermingles different symbols, cuts back and forth through time, uses repeated imagery, and, at some points, holds back with severely limited dialogue, paints films that capture what it's like to live and remember and be alive. We watch the film, not knowing throughout the whole thing at least 80% of what the hell is going on during the scene, because we understand that the film is a kind of puzzle that'll be pieced together with time. That sense of unknowing- not knowing everything about the characters, not knowing everything, just yet, of what's happening- makes Egoyan's films, and certainly Exotica, some of the most mentally stimulately movies in cinematic history.
All in all Egoyan should of won Best Director in 1997, not Cameron, and this film definately deserved a best screenplay nod in 1994. I'll leave you with a potent piece of dialouge from the film, via Bruce Greedwood and Sarah Polley-
"Tracey- do you ever get the feeling that you didn't ask to be here on earth?"
"What?"
"I mean- no one ASKED that we be brought here. So the question is- who's asking us to stay?"
The way that Egoyan intermingles different symbols, cuts back and forth through time, uses repeated imagery, and, at some points, holds back with severely limited dialogue, paints films that capture what it's like to live and remember and be alive. We watch the film, not knowing throughout the whole thing at least 80% of what the hell is going on during the scene, because we understand that the film is a kind of puzzle that'll be pieced together with time. That sense of unknowing- not knowing everything about the characters, not knowing everything, just yet, of what's happening- makes Egoyan's films, and certainly Exotica, some of the most mentally stimulately movies in cinematic history.
All in all Egoyan should of won Best Director in 1997, not Cameron, and this film definately deserved a best screenplay nod in 1994. I'll leave you with a potent piece of dialouge from the film, via Bruce Greedwood and Sarah Polley-
"Tracey- do you ever get the feeling that you didn't ask to be here on earth?"
"What?"
"I mean- no one ASKED that we be brought here. So the question is- who's asking us to stay?"
Quietly disturbing
howie7316 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Atom Egoyan's haunting and moody Exotica is a quietly disturbing film that teases the viewers with fragments and half-explanations. Set in and around an exotic, otherworldly nightclub in Toronto aptly called Exotica, the film calmly unravels the loaded emotional baggage of each principal character. Although Egoyan likens the film's non-linear structure to that of a striptease, it is, in my humble view, much more of a puzzle, or perhaps a jigsaw with strategically placed missing pieces. The end might yield answers for some but the film still asks many questions that arise from the character's perverse dealings with various relationships and situations that many would consider 'strange' to say the least.
For most of its duration Exotica presents a primary mystery (a child's murder) as a puzzle to be solved, then has one of the main characters, Francis, explain the mystery towards the end; but the questions remain do we trust that explanation? Are things that simple? Did Egoyan really want the end to tie up the knots tightly and leave no ambiguity? I still find the film deeply ambiguous and disturbing.
I think as a viewer, Egoyan wants us to focus on two characters more than others Eric and Francis. Both are linked by a tragedy and a sense of redemption but Francis is a far more enigmatic character, someone who substitutes his daughter's murder for quasi erotic pleasure at Exotica. Egoyan only hints at why Francis continues to substitute his dead daughter with the erotic dancer Christina at Exotica. The supposedly sexual element of their relationship is not resolved at all. This clouds the murder mystery which the film supposedly resolves via Francis's disclosure.
Exotica, I feel, wants us to read deeper meanings in what is presented, but ultimately, the compulsion to read between the lines is what it invites the viewer to do, however, final or revealing, the end might be.
For most of its duration Exotica presents a primary mystery (a child's murder) as a puzzle to be solved, then has one of the main characters, Francis, explain the mystery towards the end; but the questions remain do we trust that explanation? Are things that simple? Did Egoyan really want the end to tie up the knots tightly and leave no ambiguity? I still find the film deeply ambiguous and disturbing.
I think as a viewer, Egoyan wants us to focus on two characters more than others Eric and Francis. Both are linked by a tragedy and a sense of redemption but Francis is a far more enigmatic character, someone who substitutes his daughter's murder for quasi erotic pleasure at Exotica. Egoyan only hints at why Francis continues to substitute his dead daughter with the erotic dancer Christina at Exotica. The supposedly sexual element of their relationship is not resolved at all. This clouds the murder mystery which the film supposedly resolves via Francis's disclosure.
Exotica, I feel, wants us to read deeper meanings in what is presented, but ultimately, the compulsion to read between the lines is what it invites the viewer to do, however, final or revealing, the end might be.
Exotica: 103 minutes of merciless boredom
Platypuschow20 July 2017
With a cast of familiar faces this thriller/drama goes nowhere fast in fact I'm not sure it goes anywhere at all. Lifeless, dull, ridiculously ungripping and considering half the film is set in a strip joint not even visually appealing! The last time I was this bored watching a film it was the critically acclaimed Inception (2010) the film that bred a new type of pseudo intellectual movie fan with the moniker of "If you don't like it you didn't understand it" Well I understood that over-convoluted mess and I still didn't like it.
Exotica brings nothing to the table, not even a young Mia Kirchner stripping in a school girl outfit could turn this embarrassment around.
Exotica brings nothing to the table, not even a young Mia Kirchner stripping in a school girl outfit could turn this embarrassment around.
Atom-ica
kenjha25 May 2006
Like other Egoyan films, this one starts like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle, with the missing pieces added as it progresses. However, it is not the plot that is the most important part of the film but the intriguing interactions between the characters. There's the auditor trying to overcome a painful past while reviewing the books of the gay pet shop owner. Then there's the lesbian strip club owner, the jailbird stripper, and the DJ who completes the volatile love triangle. There is fine acting by the entire cast, with Greenwood and Koteas specially good. The music by Danna perfectly underscores the sense of mystery. Egoyan masterfully balances the plot lines until the pieces come together to form a nearly complete picture - there are still unanswered questions for the viewer to ponder!
Where substance prevails...
elu5iv324 April 2001
I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. "Exotica" is a great example of a movie that works with a budget limit and comes off better than all of these multi-million dollar Hollywood FX-bonanza's. An intricate and refreshing story where you get to know the characters piece by piece. The movie requires patience in the early stages, but once it clicks, there's no looking back. A masterpiece of a movie.
"...we're ever only a deam away..."
classicsoncall30 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
One's patience will be rewarded if you make it to the end of the picture. I guess that's my way of saying that it won't appeal to everyone, especially if you quit half way in like another reviewer mentioned, stating that it didn't make any sense. I'd have to agree with that observation, at the half way point it doesn't make any sense. But disparate threads eventually come together, even if some of the elements introduced have no bearing on the story. The film has a creepy vibe going for it throughout and things are definitely not what they seem at first. As an example, I thought Francis Brown's (Bruce Greenwood) relationship with baby sitter Tracey (Sarah Polley) was headed into unspeakable territory, and then we come to find out that she's his niece. It's those kinds of twists and turns that keep one off balance, just like Eric's (Elias Koteas) set up to get Francis thrown out of the Club Exotica. You never really know which way the story is heading until the very last scene, and the payoff is distressingly sad and depressing for the film's principal character, who's unable to reconcile his conflicted emotions over the loss of a daughter and wife in unrelated circumstances. It's safe for me to say I haven't run across another picture like this, at least not that I can recall. Even the title "Exotica" has the effect of misdirecting one's expectations after the fact, as the strip club atmosphere at the center of the story only provides the venue for the story to unfold in a most unexpected way.
The essentials of a masterpiece
jexline14 October 2009
Atom Egoyan's "Exotica" is perhaps the most perfect and beautifully intricate film I have seen. Filmed on a $2 million Canadian budget with his mostly usual staple of actors it explores territory usually left unchartered in the film world.
Francis Brown (Bruce Greenwood) is a tax auditor for Revenue Canada who makes nightly visits to Exotica, a local gentleman's club, where he also asks for his favorite dancer, Christina (Mia Kirschner). The activity of the club is told to us by Eric, the D.J. (Elias Koteas)who makes suggestive comments about the dancers. The club is owned by the pregnant Zoe (Arsinee Khanjian; Egoyan's wife). The other main character of the story is Thomas Pinto (Don McKellar), a latently gay pet shop owner being audited by Francis.
The film is largely about replacements and rituals. Eric used to be Christina's lover and relives the relationship through MCing suggestive fantasies of her. The club used to be owned by Zoe's mother and she is taking her mother's place since it's easier than creating her own options. Francis has his niece (Sarah Polley) babysit while he's gone, even though there's no baby to sit and pays her $20 a night and pays Christina $5 a dance. Thomas goes to the opera on a regular basis and scalps tickets in order to meet up with other men. The film doesn't truly come together until the conclusion where everything makes sense.
This film features some great performances, especially Bruce Greenwood as the troubled and intense Francis. Elias Koteas is equally good as the jealous DJ. This is a sorely underrated film with the essentials of a masterpiece. The score is also excellent and I highly recommend the soundtrack as well.
Overall, one of my all-time favorite films. A must-see.
Francis Brown (Bruce Greenwood) is a tax auditor for Revenue Canada who makes nightly visits to Exotica, a local gentleman's club, where he also asks for his favorite dancer, Christina (Mia Kirschner). The activity of the club is told to us by Eric, the D.J. (Elias Koteas)who makes suggestive comments about the dancers. The club is owned by the pregnant Zoe (Arsinee Khanjian; Egoyan's wife). The other main character of the story is Thomas Pinto (Don McKellar), a latently gay pet shop owner being audited by Francis.
The film is largely about replacements and rituals. Eric used to be Christina's lover and relives the relationship through MCing suggestive fantasies of her. The club used to be owned by Zoe's mother and she is taking her mother's place since it's easier than creating her own options. Francis has his niece (Sarah Polley) babysit while he's gone, even though there's no baby to sit and pays her $20 a night and pays Christina $5 a dance. Thomas goes to the opera on a regular basis and scalps tickets in order to meet up with other men. The film doesn't truly come together until the conclusion where everything makes sense.
This film features some great performances, especially Bruce Greenwood as the troubled and intense Francis. Elias Koteas is equally good as the jealous DJ. This is a sorely underrated film with the essentials of a masterpiece. The score is also excellent and I highly recommend the soundtrack as well.
Overall, one of my all-time favorite films. A must-see.
Another masterclass from Egoyan
wulfit20001 September 2005
I first became aware of Atom Egoyans work after watching "Felicias Journey" on television. This was an unusual film in that I was not sure whether I was enjoying it or not, but equally could not have switched it off. It was only when I found myself thinking about the film some days later that I realised what an excellent piece of cinema I had witnessed. Through IMDb I checked for other work by this director & came across "The Sweet Hereafter". I quickly obtained a copy, and whilst watching it became spellbound by its slow burning intensity and the excellent performances of Bruce Greenwood, Ian Holm & the wonderful Sarah Polley.
I needed to see more, and bought a copy of "Exotica". This film is an absolute masterpiece. Again, like "Sweet Hereafter" it has a slow burning quality,accentuated by the repetitive nature of the lives of the main characters. Excellent performances from Bruce Greenwood, probably one of the most underrated & understated actors of his generation, Sarah Polley, Elias Koteas and the beautiful Mia Kirshner. As you watch this film, you wonder how the lives of these characters will eventually impact on each other, and your mind searches for possible explanations. When this explanation arrives, it hits you like a tidal wave, washing away any doubts that you may have had about the quality of Egoyans storytelling.
After gorging myself on a surfeit of summer blockbusters, which although enjoyable at the time, like a Chinese meal, leave you empty again some few hours later, I needed nourishment for my mind as well as my eyes. The discovery of the genius of Atom Egoyan has provided this spiritual feeding.
I needed to see more, and bought a copy of "Exotica". This film is an absolute masterpiece. Again, like "Sweet Hereafter" it has a slow burning quality,accentuated by the repetitive nature of the lives of the main characters. Excellent performances from Bruce Greenwood, probably one of the most underrated & understated actors of his generation, Sarah Polley, Elias Koteas and the beautiful Mia Kirshner. As you watch this film, you wonder how the lives of these characters will eventually impact on each other, and your mind searches for possible explanations. When this explanation arrives, it hits you like a tidal wave, washing away any doubts that you may have had about the quality of Egoyans storytelling.
After gorging myself on a surfeit of summer blockbusters, which although enjoyable at the time, like a Chinese meal, leave you empty again some few hours later, I needed nourishment for my mind as well as my eyes. The discovery of the genius of Atom Egoyan has provided this spiritual feeding.
Much style, little substance
grantss29 May 2020
Francis spends his evenings at Exotica, an up-market strip club. He is particularly fond of Christina, of the strippers. However, Eric the DJ / MC of the club has strong feelings for Christina and is extremely jealous of the attention Francis is giving her. A clash between Francis and Eric is inevitable.
Arty but empty. Plot is pretty basic and around this writer-director spins several drawn out semi-erotic scenes that are devoid of any substance. The whole film just seems massively padded with nothingness and is quite dull. Even if you're just there for the erotic aspect of the film, it's pretty tame.
The ending ties up a few of the plot strands in the movie and makes some sense of things but even then its not very profound nor powerful.
Arty but empty. Plot is pretty basic and around this writer-director spins several drawn out semi-erotic scenes that are devoid of any substance. The whole film just seems massively padded with nothingness and is quite dull. Even if you're just there for the erotic aspect of the film, it's pretty tame.
The ending ties up a few of the plot strands in the movie and makes some sense of things but even then its not very profound nor powerful.
Unique and hypnotic strip tease
SnoopyStyle7 June 2014
Thomas (Don McKellar) smuggles rare bird eggs for his pet store and he starts going to the ballet after given a ticket. Exotica is a strip club in Toronto with a lush tropical theme. Christina (Mia Kirshner) is a stripper there, Eric (Elias Koteas) is the DJ, and a pregnant Zoe (Arsinée Khanjian) is the owner. Francis (Bruce Greenwood) is a customer and a tax auditor. Eric and Christina used to be sweethearts. Harold (Victor Garber) is Francis' friend and Tracey (Sarah Polley) is his daughter. The stories interconnect as the movie weave them back and forth in time.
Writer/director Atom Egoyan has definitely made something unique. The strip club is oddly unlike any others. It sets the tone for the movie. Nothing is so simple. The movie holds its secrets as it peels the story of these characters slowly. The characters are fascinating. Each one is emotionally detached and damaged. The movie is hypnotic as the audience work out the connections between the stories. It's a real slow strip tease.
Writer/director Atom Egoyan has definitely made something unique. The strip club is oddly unlike any others. It sets the tone for the movie. Nothing is so simple. The movie holds its secrets as it peels the story of these characters slowly. The characters are fascinating. Each one is emotionally detached and damaged. The movie is hypnotic as the audience work out the connections between the stories. It's a real slow strip tease.
Overrated, I'm afraid.
bernie-1226 November 2007
Comparing this to Uwe Boll's stuff is a bit unfair, but I see where that reviewer is coming from. But, LOL, calling Leonard Cohen a Tom Waits wannabe, that's the funniest thing I've heard all year.
The photography in this film almost redeems its many failings, but not quite. I get a lot of chuckles from the gushing reviews from art-house hangers-on; there is a kind of "Art-house cliché" which arises from the deliberate avoidance of Hollywood cliché. This film is full of it. You might call it "anti-cliché". But it amounts to the same thing. I see none of the freshness and vigour I look for in a good indy film.
It mightn't be so bad if the plot didn't require so much suspension of disbelief. There couldn't exist a strip club such as this one, it would be just ludicrous.
And why doesn't Mr. Egoyan find something else for his wife to do besides "acting" in all his movies? Anyhow, watch this if you've got nothing better on, but expect to be bored rigid waiting for the good bits.
The photography in this film almost redeems its many failings, but not quite. I get a lot of chuckles from the gushing reviews from art-house hangers-on; there is a kind of "Art-house cliché" which arises from the deliberate avoidance of Hollywood cliché. This film is full of it. You might call it "anti-cliché". But it amounts to the same thing. I see none of the freshness and vigour I look for in a good indy film.
It mightn't be so bad if the plot didn't require so much suspension of disbelief. There couldn't exist a strip club such as this one, it would be just ludicrous.
And why doesn't Mr. Egoyan find something else for his wife to do besides "acting" in all his movies? Anyhow, watch this if you've got nothing better on, but expect to be bored rigid waiting for the good bits.
all pretense and no substance
igor-2923 July 1999
After watching the movie, my feeling was of a porno flick with all explicit scenes cut out by the editor. The atmosphere of a porno movie is maintained by a fragmented plot with sketchy characters whose only reason for existence seems to be their gravitation towards a certain night club. The feeling of suspense is supposed to be conveyed through a total lack of expression on actors' faces and dimmed lighting in the club. This is the first Atom Egoyan's movie I've seen and I am deeply disappointed.
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