Seven Veils (film)
| Seven Veils | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Atom Egoyan |
| Written by | Atom Egoyan |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
| Edited by | David Wharnsby |
| Music by | Mychael Danna |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Elevation Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Seven Veils is a 2023 Canadian drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan. The film stars Amanda Seyfried as Jeanine, a theatre director who is dealing with repressed trauma as she prepares to mount a production of the opera Salome.[2] Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O'Brien and Vinessa Antoine also star.
Cast
[edit]- Amanda Seyfried as Jeanine
- Rebecca Liddiard as Clea
- Douglas Smith as Luke
- Mark O'Brien as Paul
- Vinessa Antoine as Rachel
- Michael Kupfer-Radecky as Johann / John the Baptist
- Ambur Braid as Ambur / Salome
Production
[edit]In February 2023, it was announced Amanda Seyfried had joined the cast of the film, with Atom Egoyan directing from a screenplay he wrote. Rhombus Media, Ego Film Arts, Cinetic Media, IPR.VC and Crave produced and financed.[3] In March 2023, Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O'Brien and Vinessa Antoine joined the cast, with principal photography concluding in Toronto.[4]
Release
[edit]Seven Veils had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023.[5] It was also selected for the lineup of the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival,[6] the 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival, the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival, the 2023 Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal, and the 2024 Victoria Film Festival.[7] [8]
The film's American premiere took place during the 2024 Armenian Film Festival in Glendale, California.[9] The film was given a United States release in theaters on March 7, 2025 by XYZ Films and Variance Films.[10]
Reception
[edit]The film received generally positive reviews.
Martin Tsai wrote on TheWrap: "Seven Veils feels like a true return to form for Egoyan, almost as if Salome has inspired Egoyan’s entire filmography. To be sure, his work is often challenging, but the themes are fully connected and realized here. The screenplay is intricate and thoughtful. It’s just such a thrill to witness artistry and craftsmanship in every facet."[11]
In Deadline Hollywood, Stephanie Bunbury wrote: "Seyfried’s Jeanine never cracks under these pressures; Egoyan habitually gives explosive emotions a wide berth, refusing to allow characters or audience any kind of catharsis. It is an unforgiving kind of stringency; his frigidity leaves many viewers cold. But it works well here and, for those of us with a taste for it, that coldness is satisfyingly bracing."[12]
In a negative review for The Telegraph, film critic Tim Robey wrote: "Seven Veils is content to waft ideas in our general direction, a common fault of all Egoyan’s weaker films, rather than defining their interplay with anything like Tár’s crispness. It mistakenly calls John’s beheading “the first sex crime in the Bible” – even Genesis has the rape of Dinah. And it makes us strain to grasp how the story of Salome and all this backstage malarkey meaningfully inform one another. It’s an egghead exercise, both scrambled and undercooked."[13]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10.[14]
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Seven Veils". TIFF. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ Jeremy Kay, "Atom Egoyan's Seven Veils to world premiere at TIFF". Screen Daily, July 19, 2023.
- ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 7, 2023). "Amanda Seyfried Reunites With 'Chloe' Director Atom Egoyan to Play Tortured Opera Director in 'Seven Veils'". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 14, 2023). "Douglas Smith, Mark O'Brien, Rebecca Liddiard & Vinessa Antoine Join Amanda Seyfried In Atom Egoyan's 'Seven Veils'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (July 19, 2023). "Atom Egoyan's Opera-Inspired 'Seven Veils' Starring Amanda Seyfried Sets TIFF Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Sudbury-shot 'traumedy' to be a Cinefest special presentation". Sudbury Star, July 27, 2023.
- ^ Aleesha Harris, "'Star-studded' films among highlights of upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival". Vancouver Sun, August 10, 2023.
- ^ Victoria Film Festival 2024, Seven Veils | Opening Gala
- ^ "Armenian Film Festival". Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2025). "Amanda Seyfried Drama 'Seven Veils' From Atom Egoyan Sets Early 2025 Theatrical Release, Unveils Trailer". Deadline. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Tsai, Martin (September 14, 2023). "'Seven Veils' Review: Atom Egoyan Tells a Complex Story of Authorship". TheWrap. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (February 22, 2024). "'Seven Veils' Review: Atom Egoyan's Cold But Bracing Take on 'Salome' – Berlin Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Robey, Tim (February 22, 2024). "Seven Veils: Amanda Seyfried is the only good thing about this maddeningly obscure drama". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Seven Veils". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Pat Mullen, "TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
