Chloe (2010)

Rating: 5/10

Staring: Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Max Thieriot

Director: Atom Egoyan

Chloe, the newest entry from writer/director Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, Adoration), follows in the dramatic footsteps of his past films, bringing to the screen deeply developed and observed characters like few others can. While not on the same level as The Sweet Hereafter, Egoyan's strongest film, Chloe presents a fairly common premise packed full of character nuance, which sustains the film. For instance, the character of Chloe (played brilliantly by Amanda Seyfried, who gets better and more attractive with each film she is in) is on the surface a professional escort hired by Julianne Moore to determine if Moore's husband (Liam Neeson) is cheating on her. However, through Chloe's minute mannerisms such as tiny smiles here and there, it is apparent that much more is going on below the surface. Her character eschews predictability (at least until towards the end), instead leaving the audience always a bit off kilter, wondering what will happen next.

Seyfried's performance is at the same time sexy, but also childlike, which keeps the audience a bit uncomfortable, but in a good way (somewhat in the same way as the young girl Eli in Let The Right One In). Julianne Moore again is fantastic, being both relatable to the audience while still being a cold fish to almost every character in the film. Her struggle to find herself and to regain her standing within her own family feels real and cleverly leaves her character more vulnerable to manipulations of Chloe. Liam Neeson's performance is also strong, but it is Moore and Seyfried's performances here that will be remembered (along with their sex scene together).

Chloe is definitely a bit more accessible and mainstream than The Sweet Hereafter and Adoration, the other film of his I've seen, but sadly it just falls short of becoming a great film or one that I probably will remember come the end of this year. It is still definitely worth the watch as it trumps performance and character-wise many of the dramas that you will see (at least in the first half of the year).

Robin Hood (2010)

Rating: 6/10

Staring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt,

Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston,

Eileen Atkins, Max von Sydow

Director: Ridley Scott

Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as “Robin Hood,” whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Oscar® winner Cate Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.