Simons Geheimnis (2008)

Simons Geheimnis: Directed by Atom Egoyan. With Devon Bostick, Rachel Blanchard, Louca Tassone, Kenneth Welsh. For his French-class assignment, a high school student weaves his family history in a news story involving terrorism, and goes on to invite an Internet audience in on the resulting controversy.

“u0026quot;Adorationu0026quot; is, at its heart, a coming-of-age story. Itu0026#39;s about that time of self-discovery when the question u0026quot;who am I?u0026quot; becomes an obsession. But what makes this film so startlingly refreshing is that it also has a classic structure rarely seen in contemporary cinema. The viewer is never quite sure whether or not the images on screen are real or imagined. Think of a chess game where each move prompts you to replay the entire game in your head. Such is the experience of watching u0026quot;Adoration,u0026quot; brilliantly conceived and executed by writer/director/co-producer Atom Egoyan.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEgoyan is a legend in his adopted country of Canada with dozens of awards and nominations to his credit (1997u0026#39;s u0026quot;The Sweet Hereafteru0026quot; earned him Oscar noms for writing and directing). The mere mention of his name widens the eyes of citizens north of the border, as I learned here at the Toronto International Film Festival, where I attended the filmu0026#39;s North American Premiere (it debuted at Cannes, where it was nominated for the prestigious Palm Du0026#39;Or). Locals hold him to a very high standard. For me, I prefer going in cold, knowing as little as possible about a film. Similarly, I wonu0026#39;t reveal much about the story here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAfter losing his parents under questionable circumstances, Simon (Devon Bostick) is reluctantly being raised by his Uncle Tom (Scott Speedman). Simonu0026#39;s memories of his mother Rachel (Rachel Blanchard), an accomplished violinist, and father Sami (Noam Jenkins) are shrouded in mystery. Enter Simonu0026#39;s teacher Sabine (Arsinée Khanjian), who might be able to help Simon unlock the secrets that are the key to his youthful confusion. What follows is a brain teaser which takes great concentration. The wheels are always turning, and the viewer is constantly challenged to figure out exactly what is real or perceived, and by whom.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe look of the film enhances the mystery inherent in the story. The use of single-point lighting allows shadows to fall upon already-obscure settings. Music is essential to the plot and, as such, Rachelu0026#39;s violin virtuosity is extended to a string soundtrack that is as haunting as the film itself. Paul Sarossyu0026#39;s cinematography is cleverly integrated with composer Mychael Dannau0026#39;s soundtrack, with tracking shots set to music as a visual ballet. Editor Susan Shipton had a tall order working with Egoyan to craft a virtual puzzle in which nothing is at it seems.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSpeedman ably plays the father figure who isnu0026#39;t quite ready to take on the task of raising a teen but does so out of loyalty to his late sister. Khanjianu0026#39;s Sabine is simply chilling and central to the power of the film. Blanchard is a joy to watch — simply an angel on screen (and shot that way, to boot) — and Jenkins successfully remains an enigmatic personality throughout. But, most of all, this is Bosticku0026#39;s film to carry on his young shoulders. Appearing in almost every scene, itu0026#39;s his curiosity and angst which drive u0026quot;Adoration,u0026quot; and itu0026#39;s our empathy for him (werenu0026#39;t we all Simon once?) that gives the film its heart and soul. Bostick is one of Canadau0026#39;s most prolific young actors (he co-starred in Citizen Duane, one of my Top Picks from the 2006 festival) and will hopefully be introduced to a wider audience if this film gets the distribution it deserves.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe moment the credits began to roll I wanted to see u0026quot;Adorationu0026quot; again. If there were back-to-back screenings I would have remained in my seat. This is the first film in recent memory which has had that effect on me. Thereu0026#39;s nothing more exciting and intriguing than a film that plays with space and time, where perception matters more than anything else. What we see on screen vs. what is in our heads — the spaces we fill with our own thoughts — are artfully juggled by Egoyan and the result is simply a masterpiece.”