"Chloe"

Title: "Chloe"

Director: Atom Eyogan
Producers: J. Reitman, I. Reitman, and T. Pollock
Editing: Susan Shipton
Composer: Mychael Danna
Starring:
- Amanda Seyfried as Chloe Sweeney
- Marianne Moore as Dr. Catherine Stewart
- Liam Neeson as David Stewart

Plot and Critical Review: Catherine Stewart, a gynecologist, is working in her office. She glances out of her window at different times to see Chloe (a prostitute) entering hotels with her clients. Catherine's husband David, a college professor, lectures to a class in another city. Catherine hosts a surprise birthday party for David, who has yet to arrive. She gets a call from him saying that he missed his flight and will not make it home in time for his birthday. The next morning, after he arrives home, Catherine suspects David of having an affair when she sees a picture on his phone of him and a female student hugging.

That evening David and Catherine go to dinner with two friends. David flirts with the waitress, upsetting Catherine. Catherine goes to the restroom and enters a stall. Overhearing a woman crying in the next stall, she asks her if everything is okay. Catherine hands her some toilet paper under the partition and exits her stall, where their hands briefly touch. The woman (Chloe) follows. As they are washing their hands, Chloe offers Catherine her hairpin. Catherine refuses and returns to David. During dinner, Catherine notices Chloe with another client.

After work, Catherine stops by the hotel bar where Chloe spends the majority of her time waiting for potential clients. Chloe, looking at Catherine passionately, tells her that she "[doesn't] usually meet with women." Catherine explains that she suspects her husband of infidelity and wants Chloe to go to test David's loyalty. The next evening Catherine and Chloe meet at a bar. Chloe tells Catherine that she asked David to kiss her, and he did. Angered, Catherine tells Chloe that wasn't what she wanted her to do. However, she insists that Chloe meet with David again.

The next evening, Chloe tells Catherine that she went with David to a garden, where she seduced him. Catherine is heartbroken. Once more, she insists that Chloe meet with David again. The next day Catherine receives a text message from Chloe at work, asking her to meet her at a hotel. When Catherine arrives, Chloe tells her that she had sex with David. She describes the encounter in explicit detail, but rather than causing Catherine more heartbreak, it arouses her. Upon leaving the hotel room, Chloe, feeling remorse, kisses Catherine, who abruptly leaves.

During her son's (Michael) piano recital, she replays her meeting with Chloe, clearly in distress. She spots David, but does not sit next to him. Leaving the recital, Catherine meets Chloe at a hotel and has sex with her. Afterwards, Catherine and Chloe share a taxi and Chloe offers her the hairpin again. She says it was her mother's, and that she wants Catherine to have it. Catherine doesn't reply to Chloe but takes the hairpin. Catherine enters her home to find David waiting for her. He asks her if she's been unfaithful. Catherine becomes infuriated and tells him she's been meaning to ask him the same question. David declines to respond.

The next afternoon, Catherine arrives at her office after lunch to find several missed calls from Chloe and an email with a picture of them in bed together. Chloe enters Catherine's office with flowers and asks her if she enjoyed the sex the night before. Catherine admits that she did, but explains that their "business transaction" is finished and pays her for the work she has done. Chloe leaves Catherine's office crying. Seeking revenge, she goes to Michael’s hockey practice and they flirt.

That night Catherine and David go to a coffee house where Catherine demands that David admit that he is having an affair. David admits that he lied to her for avoiding the birthday party (because he didn't want to celebrate his birthday), but he denies that he is having an affair. Chloe suddenly walks in and David genuinely does not appear to know who Chloe is. Chloe realizes that it is a trap and leaves quickly. Catherine realizes that Chloe made up her encounters with David. Catherine apologizes to David for not having trusted him, and admits that she worried about him because she was getting older and more insecure about her appearance. Then she confesses her sexual encounters with Chloe. David, shocked but understanding, embraces and kisses her.

Chloe goes to Catherine's home and has sex with Michael. Catherine arrives home and finds them together. Chloe tells Catherine that "money isn't enough to make her go away". Catherine apologizes and Catherine asks Chloe what she wants. Chloe asks for one last kiss and Catherine complies. Michael sees what is going on, startling Catherine and causing her to accidentally push Chloe into the bedroom window. The glass breaks and Chloe falls through, but she manages to grab hold of the frame. Then, with a smile, she lets herself fall and dies.

(I think that to be a very long plot synopsis. If you read all of it, well done. The movie really does twist and turn, so it's no waste of time to make sure you're caught up. Here's a medal (*) for your efforts.)

There isn't too much to say about "Chloe" as a film. Some critics (I'm thinking of Ebert) praised it for being so bold in it's presentation of distrust within marriage, but others criticized it for having too linear a plot and making use of overly predictable plot devices. "Chloe" made back it's budget, but not much more. If it did receive any award nominations, I don't know about them. While it served as a stepping stone for Amanda Seyfried's film career, some consider it a step backwards for Neeson and Moore. It's quite alright that not every movie we see has a thousand points worthy of praise.

I'd like to highlight an event that happened outside of the film, but deeply affected one of its starring actors. During shooting, Liam Neeson's wife of 14 years, Natasha Richardson, died in a skiing accident. Liam left the set to care for his wife, and after she passed away the writer's scrambled to rework the script to accommodate Liam's expected absence. No doubt they were surprised when Neeson returned to the set and finished shooting the remainder of his scenes in two days. I believe that to be a sterling and rather stunning display of what we've seen Liam consistently present; a true dedication to his craft and a true love of the artistic medium into which he has invested so much of his life and talent.

My Rating: 4.5/10

Content to Caution:
V-1 - No comment.
L-2 - Some anger-fueled cursing.
DU-1 - Some drinking in club/bar settings.
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-1 - No comment.
CH-2 - No comment.
S/N-4 - Two sex scenes and other scenes which include nudity.

The "Reel Revelation": "Testing The Waters"

"Chloe" is a difficult to movie to watch and a difficult one to review because the core of the film rests on an immortal act born out of immoral motivation. Catherine employs Chloe because she doesn't trust her husband. Distrust and prostitution probably don't well with Our Lord. We know they don't. Because there is such rampant immorality in this film, it's one I recommend Christians avoid. This is not a view I've always held, but I find that I am turning more and more in that direction.

But this is the film before us, and if we dig deeper, we discover that we are not altogether unlike Catherine; curious, even suspicious of relationships. We might openly admit our suspicion, but there's no denying that we all carry questions and ponderings deep within. Like her, we want to "test the waters" and see what's really within the friendships and relationships we hold. How greatly this sentiment is amplified when it comes to our relationship with God. We can remind ourselves of His unwavering and endless love, but there will always be a hint of curiosity; "Does God really love me? How can I be sure?" To try and find an answer, we put God to the test. To allow us the opportunity to show our love and devotion to Himself, God does the very same. Few are the examples as striking as the story of Job:

"Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you." Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." (Job 1:13-22)

God, have mercy and take it a little easier on us! To say that this was a "test" is an understatement. Foreigners attacking, fire from Heaven, and a mighty wind that killed his children...this is only the beginning of the story! Yet, Job proved himself an "blameless and upright man" (Job 1:8), and worshipped God even in the midst of utter tragedy. Is our faith so refined as to do the same? For that is precisely what God intends to do when he tests and challenges us; refine our faith.

"For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath;
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely.
See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another." (Isaiah 48:9-11)

We test human relationships with fickle challenges and questions. We poke, prod, and dissect each other until there's nothing left to test. We search and explore and bulldoze through the hearts and minds of those we love to find what will satisfy us. God's approach can be just as vigorous (don't forget Job so quickly!), but He does not do it for vanity or plain curiosity. No, He does it for His own glory, for the glory that He is due. Our human response is to rail against God for bringing adversity against us, but it is not within God's heart to harm us. Even in the midst of God's testing, His hand is evident, and His presence abundant. He is near, for He is with us in every storm; in the midst of our testing just as He stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fire of the furnace (Daniel 3:19-30).

At the very end of the chronicle of Job, after all of his trials had ended, this is what he had to say.

Then Job answered the LORD and said,
"I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'
"Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
'Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.'
"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,

And I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6)

He barely even mentions himself, nor give himself praise, but ascribes all honor to the LORD in whom he trusted. May we be as gracious and loving when God tests our faith.

See you Monday - E.T.