Rating: 
Summary: Slow peeling of layers leads to a stunning conclusion
Review: Even before you start really analyzing the movie for symbolism and metaphor, the first and most salient thing that you are left with is the relationship between the characters. At the beginning, you start with an assumption that the four main characters have little or no relationship between them. Then, with each passing minute, the film reveals the faint-but-increasing signs of connection between the dancer, the tax man, the dj, and the pet store owner. And just when you think you've got everything figured out, the film throws you several curves that shake you up and tear the veils from your eyes. The last few scenes are tremendously shaking and affecting and enlightening. It's a brilliant movie that must be seen!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film of the 90's
Review: There just isn't enough one can say about Exotica. Everything-directing, acting, music, cinematography, art direction, writing-is perfect. The final scene is one of the most heartbreaking in modern cinema. To bad Miramax marketed it as a soft-core porn thriller. Definetly not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Technique and content don't match
Review: The reviewer who put "Exotica" in the same category as "House of Games" and "Usual Suspects" was on to something. The same flashy, self-conscious editing/direction and messing with timelines characterize all three movies. Unfortunately, the emotional throughlines of the character's stories in "Exotica" aren't served well by this technique. For flashbacks, enigmatic characters, surprising revelations, etc. to thrill rather than frustrate the viewer, the characters themselves should be distanced from the viewers by a cynical point of view, as was the case in "Suspects" and "Games".
In "Exotica", Egoyan attempts to draw us into the inner lives and histories of characters who have suffered enormous loss and interact with each other complexly. But beyond that, he really wants us to connect emotionally with these characters (and the fine acting throughout encourages this). A more conventional storytelling approach would have better served his ends, I believe. This may be a case of a very talented moviemaker who can't adapt to the changing needs of his storyline.
Great score, though -- Prokofiev and Leonard Cohen in the same movie. Wow!
Rating: 
Summary: Not worthy to burn in my woodstove
Review: This movie was atrocious. The gay sex made me grossed out. The film's only saving feature was Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows".
Rating:
Summary: For the Right Person, a Movie That Can Be Watched Many Times
Review: Reading the opinions here, it is obvious that "Exotica" will strongly appeal to a certain type of person, and not to another. I've seen the movie several times, over the years, on cable television, and it draws me in every time. . .the music, the photography, the acting, the layering of the plot. . .I don't find that the ending really explains everything. There is still a kind of intellectual mystery left. Some things can never be solved. But there is an emotional understanding. This a movie that creates an atmosphere, weaves a spell, like the fragile fantasies of the club patrons. As the DJ says, eventually you have to go out into the cold lonely night, though.
Rating:
Summary: Do it for me, baby!
Review: I must admit, this is my first adventure into the dark and disturbing mind of director Atom Egoyan. While I was hoping to be dumbfounded by the end of this film by amazing cinematography and story, I actually lost focus on this film. For some strange reason, this film just didn't speak to me. Perhaps it is because there are handfuls of films with similar themes that have been done so much better. I was expecting a deeply depressing drama by the likes of which I have never seen, instead what I was handed was a cornucopia of bland overdramatic cinema. It just felt like Egoyan was trying too hard. I think he knew what he wanted to accomplish, and the idea sounded great in his head, but sadly when he transferred it to the silver screen, it just didn't seem to match. This was a tough story to watch, and I could tell that Egoyan was having trouble behind the camera. The feeling of continuity, solidarity, and character structure was definitely missing from this film.
To begin, I didn't hate this film. I thought that some of the actors did a decent job in front of the camera giving performances that I had not seen from them before. I am a fan of Bruce Greenwood's work (the little that he does), so it was impressive to see him branch out and explore his acting possibilities. Coupled with the overall depth of the film it did raise the bar a bit, but not far enough for my enjoyment. When Egoyan should have been showing us more of the meat of the story, he instead was overloading us with elongated images of actors crying, wandering, or just muttering off into the distance. I couldn't tell where Egoyan wanted to go with this film. Was it to be something that intellects would grab a hold of because of the conversations, or the drama saps because of the structure of the film? This should have been better defined by Egoyan, but instead we are left with too many clues without enough story.
This is best shown by the ending. When Egoyan was trying to surprise us, it was instead a huge lackluster that forced us to wonder why we waded through an hour and a half of dribble just to seemed shocked by the ending. I agree, I never saw it coming, but that was because no clues were given to me to help me see the ending. I felt that Egoyan was grabbing at nothing, pushing characters together that did not really have to go together. I needed to see more interaction with the characters instead of just what happened with Greenwood's character. When you are looking to make film of this structure, it is always good to not focus on just one character. While one will stand out, it should be left up to the audience to make their decision on whom they like the most, unfortunately, Egoyan tagged early on that Greenwood would be the center of this story. This then caused the other characters to fall into second place and not get the screen attention or development that they deserved. We can see this with the confusing story that takes place. I mentioned this before, but I think Egoyan had a great idea, but could not translate it to the screen. What was the reasoning behind Eric and Exotica's owner's pregnancy? Why did Christina and the owner kiss? What ever happened to Christina and Eric's love? What truly happened between Francis and his brother? These were all questions that were never answered at all during this film. It was as if there was another story before this on and we were not given any of it to see. We needed to see more of the pre-story instead of what was given to us in the end. This would have helped build a stronger ending.
Overall, I wasn't impressed. I didn't think it was bad, yet I wasn't blown away by it. I think that Greenwood is a great actor and did wonderful in this role, but sadly I couldn't attach myself to him because I was too confused with the story. Maybe I am wrong, buit it seemed like there were unanswered questions just left on the table throughout the film. These questions needed answers, but nobody was brave enough to answer them.
Grade: *** out of *****
Rating:
Summary: Next level film making
Review: This is not a film for everyone, as the odd negative review here seems to suggest. But if you enjoy slightly darker, more intelligent movies, then this is a must - think Cube, Brazil, Happiness, or Celebration (aka Festen). Showgirls, this ain't.
You might need to watch this one a couple of times - like Brazil, or 12 Monkeys, there are many things that are not obvious on first viewing. The soundtrack is excellent - hypnotic, otherwordly and breathtaking. The story itself is somewhat labyrinthine, but it will stay with you long afterward, and you will definitely want to watch it again, once the credits roll. Not something that you could say about a lot of films out there.
Rating:
Summary: A GOOD SLEEP AID
Review: Yes I got it, and yes it is a somewhat interesting and somewhat a complex story. The main problem I had with it was how damn slow the whole story was. Even though I mainly purchased it because I was interested in seeing Mia Kirshner in her early work I just couldn't stay too enthused about this slow going movie. I found myself having to go back to find the last chapter I was in before I fell asleep.....twice. I guess if you're the type of viewer who really enjoys looking for the deeper meaning in movies, then you'll most likely enjoy this movie. On the other hand if you're a male, and you have a preconcieved ideal that a movie titled "Exotica" should actually be somewhat exoctic, then you'll probably be disappointed. I mean if you have someone like Mia playing the part of a stripper/lap dancer, and you still get seem like it's moving way too slow, then it really doesn't seem to hold much of an exotic appeal
Rating:
Summary: Shallow to deep.
Review: One has to wonder if those who rated this movie poorly 'got it'. I gave this to a co-worker and he was highly confused at the end because he missed a critical link. For myself, I'm not sure what I expected. I knew I liked Mia Kirshner, and the pick-up of the DVD in a bargain bin was a "what the heck" purchase though I'd read reviews that seemed to promise a dark, disturbing, thought provoking movie.Well, the packaging, as alluded to in the description, makes this seem like a standard erotic thriller. The addition of much of the action taking place in a strip club only seems to reinforce this as being standard, even shallow, fare. It's anything but. It might not be believable as a story, but the characters themselves are. Not only that, but fittingly enough, the shallowest seeming character through much of the film turns out to be potentially the most complex. It wasn't until after the end credits had rolled, and while still wrapping my mind around the whole canvas of the movie, it clicked as to why the character may have acted in a certain way. I'll add a disclaimer here for anyone interested in the movie. If you are at all squeamish about the concepts of pedophelia, homosexuality, strip clubs, etc... well, just be aware that you might feel highly uncomfortable. I only plead discomfort to the first and parts were painful to watch even though nothing explicitly happens (and as is the case of the whole movie, nothing is anywhere near as simple or obvious as it first appears). Highly recommended if you want a thought provoking, dark movie that at times makes you do a mental doubletake.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time with this trash
Review: I was browsing movies on Amazon looking for something new and different to watch, using customer reviews to decide if it might be worth my time or not. When the movie started, I already knew this one was a mistake. I sat through the whole thing (another mistake) and in the end I felt very cheated out of a buck and a couple hours of my life I could of spent doing something else. The acting, characters, script, and plot were pathetic. The climatic ending that people keep mentioning wasn't a big deal at all. This movie was not artistic as some claim. It wasn't thrilling or suspenseful. It was just a bad attempt at a bad story with bad actors. Move right along to the next movie.
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