chloe

Looking downfrom heroffice window,she sees a young womanwhohas the manner and routine of a high-priced call girl. Thisshe stores in her memory. When her husband says he missedhisflight back to Toronto andshefinds a disturbing photo onhisiPhone,she goes to the hotelwhereshesaw the girl,makes eye contact with her in abar, contrives a conversation in thepowder room. Withperfectcalm, the girl explains that single women are not usually herclients. Couples, maybe.

Director Atom Egoyanfinds intrigue at theedges of conventionalsex. "Chloe," likehisgreat film "Exotica" (1994), is aboutsexualattraction confused byfinancial arrangements. "Chloe" centers on apowerfully erotic young woman withpersonalmotives that arehidden. It is not blatant butseductive,depending on the ways that our minds,more than our bodies, can be involved in asexual relationship. It's not somuchwhat we're doing aswhat I'm thinking about it -- andwhat you're thinking,which may bemorecomplex than Irealize.

Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore) is a gynecologist, a successful one, judging by thehouseshe inhabitsfreshfrom thecover of Architectural Digest. Her husband, David (Liam Neeson), is an expert onopera. The call girlshesawfrom her window is Chloe (Amanda Seyfried), young, red-lipped,intelligent. Catherine explains to Chloe thatshe suspects her husband of adultery and wants totest if he would try topick up another woman. She tells Chloewhere her husband alwayshaslunch.

Early inthe film, talking with a patient uncertain about hersexlife, Catherine explains that an orgasm is asimple muscular contraction, quitenatural,nothingto befrightened of ormademysterious. Orgasms for Catherine, however, involve agreat dealmore than muscles, and agreat dealdepends onwho they are experienced with andwhy. Chloe tells her about entering acafe, boldly asking David ifshe cantake thesugarfromhis table and returning to her own. David understands that Chloe is notinterested insugar.

Chloe meets with Catherine to relate this encounter. Chloe is good at this. She informs usearly inthe film thatshe isskilled atwhatshedoes. It's not a matter ofrenting her body. She uses herintelligence to intuitwhat aclientdesires -- reallydesires, no matterwhat theclient might claim. Andshe knows how toprovide this in a way that willprovokecuriosity,evenfascination. Nowshe describes details to Catherine that do agreat dealmore thanprovoke a wife'sjealousy about her husband. Theyprovoke an eroticcuriosity abouthim.

Chloe isperhaps 25 years younger than Catherine, but in many ways wiser andmore experienced. She is certainlymore clear aboutwhat it isshe really wants. She enjoys thepsychological control of herclients, and her ownskill inachieving that. Shelooks so young andinnocent, but herlifehastaught her many lessons. Seyfried plays Chloe as a woman incommand of herinstrument -- her body,which is for sale, and her mind,which works foritself. Moore, that consummateactress, undergoes achangeshe onlybelieves is under her control. Neeson is anenigma tohis wife and in adifferent way to us.

Egoyan followshismaterial to anultimate conclusion. Some willfind itdifficult toaccept. Is itarbitrary? Most oflife's conclusions arearbitrary. I am not sure thisparticular story should, or can, be wound up in a conventional manner. It's not the kind of movie thatdepends on the certainty of an ending. It'smore about how thingscontinue. Ihavedeliberately withheldmuch of the story,which Egoyan leaves for you to understand. His centralfascination is with Chloe'smotives. Doessheact only for money? Doesshe do onlywhat is requested? Doesshe remainemotionally detached? Doesshe getanything for herself besides money?

At onepointshe's asked howshe can relate to some of herclients,who might seem unattractive,even repugnant. A call girlhas noideawho willopen