Speaking Parts Reviews

Directed by one of Canada's hottest young filmmakers, Atom Egoyan, SPEAKING PARTS concerns Lisa (Arsinee Khanjian), a maid in a Toronto hotel, and her fruitless pursuit of fellow employee Lance (Michael McManus), an aspiring actor who has sex with hotel guests at the manager's behest in addition to his other duties. Since Lance literally refuses to speak to Lisa, she contents herself with renting videotapes of films in which he's appeared as an extra. When Lance engineers a meeting with screenwriter Clara (Gabrielle Rose), wins the lead in the autobiographical TV movie she's written, and later inspires the suicide of one of the hotel guests, the resulting crisis seems to shake the passive actor. Though Egoyan clearly means to provide some insight into the nature of image, (mis)communication, and ego in today's video culture, SPEAKING PARTS is mainly an alienating, sometimes confusing exercise in hyperstyle, with Khanjian giving an annoyingly mannered performance as its apparent heroine.