Rating: 

The Info

Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Written by: Atom Egoyan (from the novel by William Trevor)
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy, Arsinee Khanjian, Gerard McSorley
Produced by: Bruce Davey

The Nutshell

A lonely caterer helps out a young woman searching for her lover, but there is more going on than meets the eye.

The Review

    Felicia's Journey is a film that takes awhile to sink into your brain. Leaving the theatre, I felt let down. Directed by Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter), the film seemed to be a major step down for the esteemed filmmaker. Lacking in emotion and straightforward story-telling, Felicia's Journey did not impress me at all. However, several hours later, the beauty of the film emerged unbidden into my head, and has not left since. The film at first seems boring because Egoyan does not follow the normal Hollywood patterns of filmmaking. Relying heavily on the interplay between his characters, he lets the story reveal itself subtly. The pieces of the obscure plot fall together, but the viewer has to think about things to come to their own conclusions. There are causes behind every action in Felicia's Journey, but to realize those causes demands a level of attention far above that needed to enjoy more traditional, popular films.

    The film centres around Joseph Hilditch (Hoskins), a lonely bachelor who heads the catering unit of a factory and lives alone in a mansion in England. He is demanding when it comes to the quality of food his company makes, not allowing them to serve anything until it is perfect. This manic need for culinary perfection comes from growing up as the son of "Gala", an eccentric and long-gone television chef. Joseph encounters Felicia (Cassidy), a young Irish girl one day as she searches for her lover who works at a "lawnmower factory" somewhere nearby. Joseph begins to help Felicia search over several different days and encounters. But what begins as innocent, chivalrous help is soon revealed to have a sinister, bleak ulterior purpose. Using fuzzy hidden-camera flashbacks, Egoyan shows us that Joseph has taken many distressed young women into his car, hinting at something unbearably evil about him. The only question, as these flashbacks slowly show us more of Joseph's recent past, is what is in store for Felicia?

    Egoyan does not use a single "explanation scene" in Felicia's Journey. While it becomes clear that Joseph is unstable, how is not obvious even after the film is over. He takes Felicia into his home, but seems more interested in helping her get her life back on track than harming her. Even the flashbacks to the previous women are not clear; did Joseph kill them? Rape them? Footage shows several of them getting out of his car, so does he merely enjoy taping them in his car without them knowing it? Is he simply a voyeur? At one point he tells Felicia that she is the only one who had made it into his home; another statement with many possible meanings. This is the beauty of the film; all of this can be inferred from the theatrical trailer for the film, yet does not reveal what actually happens.

    Together with cinematographer Paul Sarossy, Egoyan has created a wonderfully claustrophobic setting for the film. Joseph's mansion is crammed with memorabilia from his mother's show, helping to highlight his obsession with his perceived failings as a child (his mother constantly but lovingly berated him on the air for being clumsy, etc.). Joseph's catering office is stuck in the middle of a factory containing giant machinery that dwarfs the workers around it. And his car, the setting for several scenes, is a tainted vessel for his voyeuristic tendencies.

    Bob Hoskins is superbly subtle as Joseph. Ignoring typical "psycho" mannerisms, Hoskins' Joseph is always concerned about perfection. He even pushes the option of abortion to a young girl, because he would hate the child to have an imperfect family. He is an interesting character expertly acted out by Hoskins, who has consistently shown a fascinating diversity in his choice of roles (remember his gruff private detective in Roger Rabbit?). Worthy of mention is Elaine Cassidy as Felicia; Felicia appears fragile, both emotionally and physically, and driven by a growing desperation to find her lover. Cassidy's strong acting, combined with Hoskins, allow Egoyan to keep his plot shrouded in innuendo and hints. The story of Felicia's recent past gives the film some much needed emotional weight as well. Egoyan's wife and regular actress Arsinee Khanjian is humourous and brings a light touch as "Gala", the slightly loopy chef who unknowingly damaged the self-esteem of her son.

    With Felicia's Journey, Atom Egoyan returns to his usual filmmaking style, keeping the audience away from the actions on the screen. The Sweet Hereafter, the director's critically acclaimed previous film, was his first to let the audience get emotionally involved, and it earned him the praise due to his work. But with Felicia, he pushes us back again, not allowing us to become concerned for the well-being of the title character. Also, the film contains very little in the way of happiness; apart from the footage of Gala's tv show, the film is stuffy, cold and aloof, a combination that can leave any audience sorry they came (Even the horrific Schindler's List had hope and salvation in it). However, with the strength of character interplay and the powerful themes hidden in the story (Irish/British relations, abortion, the repercussions of raising children poorly), Felicia's Journey is a powerful film, worth seeing by anyone looking for a challenge. While you may not appreciate it right away, like a fine wine, the film will age well in your brain, and you will be glad you saw it.

Copyright - Tim Chandler

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