DVD Review: Ararat (D)

Ararat (2002)
Directed by Atom Egoyan
Starring David Alpay, Arsinée Khanjian, Christopher Plummer, Elia Koteas and Eric Bogosian
MPAA: R
Grade: D

Review by Scott Standish

The story of the Armenian holocaust is deserving of better treatment than this slow, self indulgent disaster of a film. Atom Egoyan is one of the most brilliant filmmakers today so I'll forgive him for wasting my two hours but I can't in good faith recommend Ararat to you.

Ararat tells the story of Raffi, a young man that has been dating his step sister, following the death of her father. Raffi's mom disapproves of the relationship and does what she can to break the couple apart. Raffi's mother is an art historian that takes a job as a consultant on a movie about the Armenian holocaust between 1915 and 1918. The "film within a film" structure is interesting but a bit cliché and when a border guard (Christopher Plummer) stops Raffi and has him relate his past, my eyes started rolling.

If you are looking for a great Atom Egoyan film (and there are plenty of them), I would recommend The Adjuster, Exotica or even Sweet Hereafter over the boring, predictable Ararat.

Buy Ararat on DVD