Chloe (2009)

After she suspects her professor husband (Liam Neeson) of cheating, doctor Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore) hires call girl Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to test his faithfulness. Increasingly colorful details begin to intensify all of Catherine’s relationships and ultimately put her family in unexpected danger.

Chloe is an unsuspecting psychological drama that works only because director Atom Egoyan is behind it. In the hands of anyone else, I doubt its success. The casting is top-notch. Amanda Seyfried is surprisingly adept as the title character. She is remarkably authentic despite her unusual beauty. Seyfried parlays Chloe into sexy, ruthless young woman. Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore are fantastical as a six-figure power couple. You want them to succeed, but are secretly jealous of their success.

The film is a sleek and sensual mirage. Egoyan plays the elements creating a world that seduces the viewer, too. From the super modern lines of the residence to the warm glow of the park greenhouse, each element creates an atmosphere reflective of the character onscreen.

As I see it, the startling finish elevates Chloe from average to memorable. But if the film has one flaw, it’s also the ending. The climax, though rushed, is still brilliantly executed. It’s a shame that the ending is so abrupt.