Where the Truth Lies

Yet another example this year of a good director making a mediocre film with a lot of promise. This time the director is Atom Egoyan and his pseudo film noir expose' of showbiz reality circa 1957 and 1972, centers around a comedy team not unlike Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. It has that trashy-elegant joy of revealing the seedy underbelly of Hollywood ala L.A. Confidential or Mulholland Drive, though is vastly inferior to either film. Egoyan's distinctive traits in this film are his distinct period recreations which reminded me of some scenes in his Felicia's Journey, also in his depiction of sexual interplay that's only slightly erotic and mostly a window into the characters. The plot centers around a murder mystery surrounding the duo and a young reporter searching for the truth and the tell-all sensationalism of anyone who will talk. The performances by the leads, Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, and Alison Lohman are all strong, and each seems to fit the character. However, I was never compelled by the complex murder mystery on which the film hinges. It never managed to draw me in. I was never bored, but never involved. What keeps it going are the performances and Egoyan's atmospheric period recreations.