Catherine (Moore) and David (Neeson), she a doctor, he a professor,
are at first glance the perfect couple. Happily married with a
talented teenaged son, they appear to have an idyllic life. But
when David misses a flight and his surprise birthday party,
Catherine's long-simmering suspicions rise to the surface.
Suspecting infidelity, she decides to hire an escort (Seyfried) to
seduce her husband and test his loyalty. Catherine finds herself
“directing” Chloe's encounters with David, and Chloe's end of the
bargain is to report back, the descriptions becoming increasingly
graphic as the meetings multiply. Egoyan gradually turns up the
heat, and the relationship between the two women intensifies;
ultimately, no one will remain immune to the forces put into
play.
Shot in a cool, crystalline style, Chloe is a subtle and
supercharged examination of desire and suspicion between a husband
and wife. Beneath the surface beauties of what should be a perfect
life, a host of emotions are waiting to explode. Egoyan brilliantly
places the cast's superbly judged performances against a sharply
etched modernist world of glass and mirrors that ensnares and
disorients the protagonists. But the film is also an unabashed
celebration of Toronto's landmarks – its streets, hotels,
restaurants and public spaces. One of our master filmmakers takes
our familiar world and turns it upside down. This is a startling,
touching piece of moviemaking (TIFF).
The film stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, and
Max Thieriot. It was directed by Atom Egoyan (Adoration) and
written by Erin Cressida Wilson. The film hits theaters on March
26.