Review of Where the Truth Lies (2005) by Chads. — 05 Apr 2007

In the publishing industry, there are two types of autobiography: the memoir and the unauthorized tell-all. Karen(Alison Lohman) is an aspiring investigative journalist(imagine Kitty Kelley with a moral compass) writing a competing book about the life of Vince(Colin Firth), who comprised one-half of a comedy team that she admired as a polio-stricken lass.

"Where the Truth Lies", Atom Egoyan's least painstakingly esoteric film since "Speaking Parts", is quite the departure for the celebrated Canadian filmmaker of Armenian descent; this time out, he's extending an olive branch out to the hoi polloi instead of catering strictly to a film festival jury(the only people alive who screened "Calendar") and movie buffs(I watched "Ararat" three times, sad, I know).

On the surface, "Where the Truth Lies" thrills and titilates, but the central idea that Egoyan really wants to get across, echoes the same sentiment in Todd Solondz's "Storytelling", which is that all non-fiction is basically fiction.

Each voice-over narrative, Vince's and Karen's, miss the truth by inches(white lies), or by miles(lies; a conspiracy to cover up the real story). "Where the Truth Lies" is Egoyan's first attempt at genre filmmaking and it's mostly successful, in spite of Lohman's inability(like Scarlett Johanson in "The Black Dahlia") to evoke the Hollywood sirens of yesteryear.

Rachel Blanchard(who plays Maureen) is more successful, and should've had more screen time.