'Adoration' review

Arsinée Khanjian and Devon Bostick (Credit: Sophie Giraud/Sony Classics)

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A classroom assignment turns into local controversy when Simon (Devon Bostick) claims that his parents, who were actually killed in a car accident, were involved in a failed terrorist attack planned by Simon's father and unknowingly attempted by his mother. Simon's uncle (Scott Speedman), his teacher and a large network of Internet chatrooms have plenty to say about Simon's tale, which some believe and others know to be false.

The buzz: Writer-director Atom Egoyan ("Where the Truth Lies," "The Sweet Hereafter") certainly isn't one to shy away from sensitive topics and personal tragedies. Gotta hope "Adoration" turns into something more than a moral debate—and values its characters as much as the story they're swept up in.

The verdict: Simon seems too savvy to not consider the consequences of his deceit, and as a tale of a social experiment "Adoration" often feels like its own acting class/discussion piece (rather than a narrative with a point). The ideas Egoyan explores, though, test dangerous waters of cowardice and courage, prejudice and forgiveness, and unknowable truths that divide and devastate. This is a movie that will frustrate people, who may not be sure how they feel when it's over. That's a good thing, and enough to redeem an overly tricky story that's too interested in sparking conflict and revelation by pulling the rug out from under us.

Did you know? Simon engages in video chats about his story with more than nine people at once. That's not only impressive multi-tasking but reiterates that people speaking to each other in person is so 20th century.

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