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But as Chloe delivers increasingly intimate and passionate details about her dalliances with David, the two women become increasingly close and then strangely attracted to each other. But is there more to Chloe than meets the eye? Julianne Moore is fantastic and delivers a heartfelt and genuine performance as Catherine, worried about getting older and appearing less attractive to her husband while at the same time losing the ability to communicate with her maturing son (Max Thieriot). However it’s Seyfried who steals the show as the title character - you’re never quite sure if her wide blue eyes and seductive demeanour are all an act; a genuine cry for help or a predatory ruse. There’s a lot of flesh on display here but it doesn’t ever feel tacky. It serves to emphasise the vulnerability and passion of Catherine, adrift in a confusing sea of insecurity and emotional instability but also the candid attitude that Chloe has to her own body. It’s also beautifully shot by Paul Sarossy; Toronto’s streets feel icy and sharp whereas the interiors - busy cafes and shady hotel bars - are warm and inviting. It all starts to go a bit wobbly in the final act though, when carefully constructed character development and intrigue are squandered for a cheap schlock-thriller ending which is over and done with in ten minutes. It’s such a shame because up till that point the film is riveting and the characters are believable and three dimensional and the finale feels tacked on and unnecessary. It’s certainly a film worth seeing for the strong performances from the leading actresses but it lacks the satisfaction that you would expect to see in a film with so much promise. Rating: *** Gala screenings Friday 23rd 15.45, Saturday 24 13.00 Vue, Leicester Square.
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Based on Anne Fontaine’s (the director of the recent biopic Coco Before Chanel) 2004 film Nathalie, Chloe features extremely strong performances from its two female leads Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried. However, while its strengths lie in the abilities of its cast members and its ambiguous framing of the title character, the last act’s abrupt change in tone makes the film feel stilted, unconvincing and ultimately unsatisfying.
