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Ararat (2002)
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Reviews Counted:74
Fresh:42
Rotten:32
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Though Ararat radiates intelligence, its impact is diminished by an overly intricate plot and cerebral style.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: ARARAT, Atom Egoyan's mysterious drama about the horrors of the largely unknown Armenian genocide in Turkey, unrolls through a film within the film (also titled ARARAT). Jumping back and forth in... ARARAT, Atom Egoyan's mysterious drama about the horrors of the largely unknown Armenian genocide in Turkey, unrolls through a film within the film (also titled ARARAT). Jumping back and forth in time, Egoyan weaves together the lives of several people. Ari (Arsinee Khanjian), an art historian, is an advisor on the film. Her son Raffi (David Alplay) is part of the film crew. When Raffi travels to Armenia to gather some additional footage, he is detained by a customs agent (Christopher Plummer) and remains in custody for most of the film. Meanwhile, Raffi's stepsister and girlfriend Celia (Marie-Josee Croze) is haunted by her father's suicide. These and other stories within ARARAT are ostensibly linked through the film within a film. Yet, it is each character's quest for truth which binds them thematically and drives the plot. The film is populated with thematic twins, as each character's individual struggle is mirrored in the plight of the other characters. Egoyan works from his own script relying heavily on references to Arshile Gorky's painting "The Artist and his Mother" and Clarence Ussher's historical document, AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN IN TURKEY. [More]
Starring: David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian, Brent Carver
Starring: David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian, Brent Carver, Marie-Josee Croze, Bruce Greenwood, Arsinee Khanjian, Christopher Plummer
Director: Atom Egoyan
Director: Atom Egoyan
Screenwriter: Atom Egoyan
Producer: Robert Lantos, Atom Egoyan
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Ararat
The movie's flaws ring of underconfidence, as if Egoyan intellectualised its parts until he ended up draining them of power.
There's no doubting that this is a highly ambitious and personal project for Egoyan, but it's also one that, next to his best work, feels clumsy and convoluted.
This movie's heart is in the right place. Too bad the rest of it is all over the place.
Although not an easy film to follow, I found 'Ararat' worthy of close attention.
Too timid to bring a sense of closure to an ugly chapter of the twentieth century.
Even as a flawed and self-indulgent film, it’s thought-provoking, intelligent and well worth seeing.
Egoyan boldly inspires viewers to deal with issues of cultural memory and responsibility, especially in moments of confusion when family issues intersect with monumental historical facts.
Latest News for Ararat
September 07, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Where the Truth Lies
From Atom Egoyan, director of "Exotica," "The Sweet Hereafter," and "Ararat," comes Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, and Alison Lohman in the already... More...
August 22, 2005:
Egoyan's "Truth" May Lie with an NC-17
ThinkFilm, distributor of the new Atom Egoyan film "Where the Truth Lies," plans to appeal what they believe will be an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, says The Hollywood... More...
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