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Since first writing this, I’ve thought about both films some more and really, what I’ve written here is quite pathetic, and both films deserve a much deeper discussion.

Both films deserve more dialogue than I have time or energy for right now. Both films are well worth the time spent viewing them, and if you have a friend to go with you, the time spent chatting about them afterwards over tea in one of Budapest’s thriving tea houses.

When I have a cold I don’t want to hang out in a smoky bar listening to music so I went to the movies instead. Here is about as superficial a film review as you’ll ever get:

Wim Wenders/Sam Shepherd ‘Don’t Come Knocking’ is packed with powerful female characters. Oh what joy to see older women on the screen in knock out character roles - for so long the domain of men men men! Great sound track too, produced by T-Bone Burnett. oh my! And the filming. Putting aside the opening image that looks like two eye sockets, there is some great filming in a casino. Most notable is a shot of Sam Shepherd holding a drink up to the light, the camera looking not through the bottom of, but from below the glass - the angle creating all the distored perspective that comes with having one too many, while also communicating the power this character gives the drink. What a great film. It gives me hope!

By contrast Atom Egoyan’s ‘Where Truth Lies’ left me feeling disgusted. All the female characters were pathetically young, played by even younger women (or am I just getting old?). Produced by Robert Lantos the film’s overall style annoyed me. It’s was too shiny. Especially the make up. What a thing to pick on ‘eh? The make up. This was something I used to notice watching Lantos productions on TV in Canada, too much make up. Like they can scrape off about two thirds of it and there will still be more than enough.

Putting aside the overly made-up, overly young women, what else disgusted me? The subject matter. Two show biz guys popping too many pills and screwing too many women - at the same time. Too much pill popping, too much illicit sex, too young characters, too much make up, too much too much too much.

I suppose I can analyse the positive aspects of the story: like the fact that the young journalist through whose voice we hear the story is such a good girl and she basically stays that way through out - even when she gets drugged and taken advantage of.

The set is also very good - set in the 50’s and 70’s - it was very authentic - and good to see Egoyan working with such a huge budget. But for me, it seemed that the production of “Where Truth Lies” was more important to Egoyan than the story he was telling. Or maybe the story got lost in the production? Or maybe he just wanted to make me feel sick?