The story of “the tortured artist” is a tried-and-true trope. Those who immerse themselves in the arts (whether it be film, TV, writing, or putting on a play) sometimes can push themselves to the brink for the sake of their art. Director Atom Egoyan’s latest film Seven Veils explores a playwright as she attempts to adapt Richard Strauss’ opera Salome while dealing with her own personal issues.
In the aftermath of her former mentor/lover’s passing, Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried) I asked to take the reins of the production of “Salome,” which in real life was revived in Canada in 2023 after previous runs in 1996 and 2002. Because the opera deals with sexual abuse and exploitation, this hits a little bit too close to home for Jeanine as she has a bunch of unresolved traumas from her past that she needs to confront. There’s an obvious age gap between Jeanine and her former mentor, so the idea of gender and power is at play in Seven Veils. In addition to putting on a massive play, she also has some current at-home issues related to her ailing mother, her mother’s caretaker, and her husband who is raising her suspicions of infidelity. Seven Veils not only deals with Jeanine’s past trauma, but power dynamics at play while the play is in production. Prop artist Clea (Rebecca Liddiard) is dealing with an assault by opera singer Johan (Michael Kupfer-Radecky) as it explores the sexual politics that happen backstage at some theater productions.
Seven Veils tries to explore how personal choices and past experiences inform our present, but at the same time juggles with too much and doesn’t maintain its focus. One interesting choice it makes is showcasing Jeanine’s past by shifting the filmmaking style to seem like the old-school camcorder style of filmmaking which helps inform the viewer of her perspective. Speaking of Jeanine, Amanda Seyfried once again delivers a great performance as the tortured artist and pretty much carries Seven Veils as the standout of the film. However, outside of her performance, the film feels incomplete and hollow as it attempts to deal with an important issue while not telling a complete and compelling narrative.
Seven Veils is now playing in theaters nationwide.
