not as good as all the hype

A Brilliant Conflict

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I like Exotica for its relaxed atmosphere and pacing. It isn't jumping around trying to be about something or knock you out with unexpected twists. The characters and style draw you in. The strip club Exotica is special. It seems vaguely artistic rather than sordid. It has palm trees and plants, smoke that suggests water vapour - it's a bit like a tropical rainforest. And then a young woman dressed as a schoolgirl comes out, starts dancing, miming actions to the words of a Leonard Cohen song (which also adds a lot to the mood), taking her clothes off absent-mindedly. She seems to be in her own world, not specifically dancing for an audience. It's entrancing especially because of the way it's filmed. And as the DJ Eric (Elias Koteas) says, there's something mysteriously appealing about the innocence of a schoolgirl combined with an erotic dance (by an adult woman).Her main client is Francis (Bruce Greenwood) who seems solely interested in her and perhaps for something more or other than just sexual entertainment. She fulfills a psychological niche for him. Maybe it's her eyes, her personality, her patience to listen to him. Well, we find out much more as the movie progresses. All of the characters are somewhat intertwined. It's pretty creative when you think back afterwards. It isn't simply cute, it's not a gimmick or a device to make you think the film is clever. The film could reveal everything from the start and still work similarly. But it's a nice touch to slowly let us find out about the connections.The characters are flawed but in ways that make them endearing rather than annoying. Francis has a calm demeanour which seems to hide inner feelings of regret or sadness. We learn he has been affected by a loss. When police investigate a crime, secrets come out. We see this happen in countless movies and TV shows. But there rarely seems to be any concern for the ways in which these secrets may hurt people. It's funny that major things may be revealed but nobody blinks an eye or apologises because it's all towards the greater cause of solving the crime (usually a murder). In any case, Francis had to endure several unpleasant things. He actually seems to have coped with the ordeal well - he doesn't appear overly bitter. But it's the ever-present reality of his permanent loss that he can't overcome.There is a side-plot which seems less necessary and interesting but I guess its oddness still makes it interesting to watch. And in the end, it still connects back to the main story and maintains the overall mood of the movie. It involves Thomas who smuggles eggs and goes to the ballet with strangers who know something about him.I like the way we learn more and more about the characters and they all seem so human. Confused at times, uncomfortable with each-other, saying things half-way between wise and meaningless, spying on each-other, needing things from each-other. There's a nice motif of people watching others through half mirrors (or listening on a recording device). We believe other people have what we need, they have the secrets to fix our life, to satisfy us.This is a movie I need to see again at some stage to properly appreciate. It is satisfying that the plot doesn't really leave holes. Well, there might be motivational gaps in between what we know but we can ponder how and why things happened by ourselves. I guess it's all about understanding and appreciating the characters and this is the kind of movie that rewards your trust and investing your time.

This cryptic, psychological drama is centred on a strip club called Exotica. A troubled man visits the club in order to re-enact a psychologically complex relationship he has with one of the young strippers who dances for him every night. The story progresses in a low-key manner until the stories of several disparate characters, including an exotic pet shop owner and the unhappy club DJ, intertwine.This unusual drama is about obsessive behaviour and people who are unable to move on or escape from their past. By the end, with the use of some key flash-backs, it has offered several clues without explaining very much explicitly. But from these we are able to better understand why certain characters act the way they do and are in the position in life they are. It's certainly a fairly intriguing film overall that will reward those who can take the distancing effect of its overly stylised form of acting. It's labelled in some places as an erotic drama but it has to be said that for a film centred on a strip club it's really a very unerotic film. It uses this place as a springboard to explore more psychological issues than physical ones.Certainly not for all tastes but it will stick in the mind of some long after viewing.

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.

"Exotica" deals totally with obsession. Writer/director Atom Egoyan does well to get us hooked on his central characters, without knowing why they are behaving as they do. The plot centres around strip club "Exotica" as Egoyan teases out his tale like a striptease, little by little showing us more of who these people are and why.The resolution is perhaps disappointing (like a striptease when all has been revealed), failing to fulfill our high hopes. Best character is Francis, who appears to change before our eyes as the film progresses. It is not really he who changes however, but our perception of him. Likewise we view all the players differently in the end, though some of their motivations are hastily explained, if at all.Fantastic performances wrap up this oft times mesmerising film, with Bruce Greenwood a particular standout as Francis. Mia Kirshner (Christina) and Don McKellar (Thomas) are strong too. Also stars Elias Koteas as Eric and Arsinee Khanjian as Zoe.The exotic score is from Mychael Danna, and Paul Sarossy's camera captures Linda del Rosario and Richard Paris' production design (eye catching at times) well.Monday, November 3, 1997 - Hoyts Croydon Cinema