Where the Truth Lies, adapted and directed by Atom Egoyan

Where the Truth Lies, adapted and directed by Atom Egoyan

A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E  and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

It seems that critics have not been thrilled by this drama, crime story.

But I liked it.

And yesterday, it kept me interested for the second time.

The director is very good and I thought the cast excellent.

In fact, I was wondering why is it that I did not see the actress in the lead role of the journalist  Karen O'Connor in other movies.

Her name is Alison Lohman and she did an exceptional job in Where the Truth Lies.

The other quandary regards Kevin Bacon, who plays a celebrity, showman called Lanny.

He has acted brilliantly in so many films and yet almost all have been just supportive roles.

He was so popular and connected, that a Bacon factor was invented.

In order to understand how interlinked the people are, researchers have looked at the  actors who have played in the same film with Kevin Bacon.

Indeed, it was discovered that many did and had what was called Bacon 1.

Notwithstanding the fact that Kevin Bacon has been in so many movies, there was another big player who had more direct interaction in movies:

-          Rod Steiger

In Where the Truth Lies, Lanny is part of duo, where the other entertainer is Vince Collins.

The latter is interpreted by the fabulous Colin Firth, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in The King's Speech.

Lanny and Vince are extremely popular.

Actually too much liked for their own good.

Like Frank Sinatra in his day, this couple of showmen has to deal with the Mafia.

I thought this a funny, if dark scene...

A man connected with the Mob says something like:

-          We want you to open this place for us

-          Oh, you know we have everything already planned...the duo says knowing this is a sort of mobster.

-          There will be all the girls you want, everything

-          We can't...

But when they see the glacial, threatening look on the Goodfella's face they change the tune...

-          Oh yes, we will do it, definitely!

Another humorous moment involved the heroine, Lanny and his entourage.

They are all at first class, where the stewardess shows Karen the mise en place...

You see, people don't eat from a tray here, there is a real table.

And there are four at this one, with Karen and Lanny sit the butler Reuben and the manager, agent that takes care of business for the entertainer.

Lanny introduces himself and his friends.

When asked what he does, he makes a reference to a stockbroker and painter in the Pacific...

I don't get it, says the bewildered manager

It is about Paul Gaugain, says Karen, showing here that both Lanny and the beautiful girl had some education

You don't expect your average person to know that, adds the manager

This is not about average, concludes Lanny

The following scene is again jocular, with Karen pretending she lives in this apartment, where Lanny is polite and helps her with the luggage.

But she does not know exactly where...she lives.

Because it is actually a friend's place and she makes mistake after mistake, saying the elevator is not working when it becomes apparent that it is d finally bumping her head into furniture she does not know it's there at the entrance...

Apart from light, funny moments and romantic ones, there is a dark underside, even core of the film.

The celebrities engage n wild sex, drugs, drinking...what else is new?

Vince even beats a man from the audience really bad.

And finally, even if we know this early on and this is no spoiler for you, there is a mysterious death that needs to be investigated.

Because the police looked into it, but appear to have covered it up.

Vince even has ossuta with bis sexual identity, further complicating matters.

I consider this a worthwhile film.