CANNES -- Atom Egoyan has
delivered a big, slick and sexy mystery in "Where the Truth Lies,"
turning the Rupert Holmes novel into a sumptuous tale of show
business hype and duplicity.
Boasting a
handsome cast, top-flight design and evocative music, the film
should have no trouble attracting audiences seeking high-style,
grownup entertainment.
Rich in
backstage atmosphere and the glamour of big-time hotels and
nightclubs, the movie delves with considerable wit into the ugly
side of the entertainment industry.
In
the late '50s, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin
Firth) are the biggest comedy duo in America. The last thing they
need is the naked body of a beautiful blonde in the bathtub of their
New Jersey hotel room.
In fact, the
last thing the comedians do as partners is to deny they had anything
to do with the dead woman, and they promptly break up their
long-standing and hugely successful act.
Fifteen years later, a young writer named Karen O'Connor
(Alison Lohman) wins a fat contract from a publisher to write a book
about Vince Collins, and it is through her eyes that the secret
behind their split is slowly revealed.
Using flashbacks from different points of view, Egoyan
traces the lies and deception that have kept the sordid events that
followed a Miami telethon from a still-adoring public.
Larry and Vince had been forced by a
no-nonsense gangster named Sally Sanmarco (David Hayman) to fly
directly from the Miami gig to the opening of his New Jersey
nightclub, where the corpse was found.
As O'Connor discovers, many facts were quickly hidden and
the comics appear to have covered their tracks cleverly but with
their careers pretty much over by the '70s, their mutual desire for
public acclaim drives them to reveal a version of the truth.
But the young writer cannot resist being
drawn into the pair's intense world of fabrication and celebrity
worship. "Having to be a nice guy is the hardest job in the world
when you're not," Larry tells her.
Egoyan has enormous fun peeling the wrappers of showbiz
lore so that we see the hoodlums, the drug taking, kinky sex and
unstoppable violence. Soon O'Connor is wrapped up in it as much as
the superstars who might or might not have committed murder.
The film obeys the sometimes strained
logic of mystery novels so that there's more than the occasional
need to suspend disbelief, but Egoyan's script moves slickly along
to a satisfying conclusion.
Bacon is as
taut and effective as usual, and Firth might prove a revelation to
those who have seen him only in period pictures and English
comedies. Lohman carries the weight of lead investigator with
immense charm and no little grit.
Best
of all, the film looks wonderful, and full credit is due to
production designer Phillip Barker and costume designer Beth
Pasternak. Mychael Danna's music, too, is sly and seductive, adding
a touch of noir class to the proceedings.
WHERE THE TRUTH LIES Serendipity Point
Films, First Choice Films Credits: Director-screenwriter: Atom Egoyan Producer: Robert Lantos Co-producers:
Sandra Cunningham, Chris Chrisafis Based on the novel
by: Rupert Holmes Cinematographer: Paul Sarossy Editor: Susan Shipton Production designer:
Phillip Barker Music: Mychael Danna Costume designer: Beth Pasternak Cast: Lanny Morris: Kevin Bacon Vince Collins:
Colin Firth Karen O'Connor: Alison Lohman Maureen: Rachel Blanchard Reuben: David
Hayman Sally Sanmarco: Maury Chaykin Alice: Kristin Adams Bonnie: Sonja
Bennett Mrs. O'Flaherty: Deborah Grover Jack Scaglia: Beau Starr No MPAA rating Running time -- 107 minutes
