[FilmReview]FamilyViewing(1987)7.2/10

AjuveniliafromCanadianmaverickAtomEgoyan,FAMILYVIEWINGishissophomorefeaturefilmedwhenhewas27yearold.18-year-oldVan(Tierney)spendsalotoftimevisitinghismaternalgrandmotherArmen(Keklikian),whoisanArmenianimmigrantnowbedriddenandvegetatinginanursinghome,watchingtelevisionwithfellowinvalidsinacatatonicstate,includingthemotherofAline(Khanjian).Van’smotherhasbeenlongoutofthepicture,helivesinacondominiumapartmentwithhisfatherStan(Hemblen)andhisloverSandra(Rose),buthisintentionofmovingArmenintotheapartmentisfoiledbyboth,thenoneday,inthewakeofanaccident,withtheconsentofAline,hefindsaningeniouswayifitbeggarsbelief,todeceiveStanandisabletotakingArmenoutofthecrummynursinghome.Inthemodeofashoestringproduction,FAMILYVIEWINGmakesagoodfistofprobingthefundamentalsofwatchingandbeingwatched,allthescenesinStan’scondominiumapartmentaregrainy,low-resolutionhomevideofootagethatslowlyunravelstheinsalubrioussidesbehindacloseddoor:Van’stransgressiveattachmentwithSandraissemi-incestuous(Roseischarismaticallyaffectionatetocountervailtherelationship’suncomfortableintimacy);Stan’ssexualproclivityinvolvesmakinghomevideosofhissexactandenactingphonesexwithRosethroughathirdparty(whichisalsoAline’savocationtoearnextramoney),thepeculiarattentiontounorthodoxsexualityandsocialmalaisehasbeenoneoftheleitmotifsamonghiscorpus,andhere,Egoyanshowshisacuteacumenandfelicitythatleavensthenarrativewithstrangelyinvokedaplombandaknowingnessthatisdevoidofneithermean-spiritedjudgements,norsimplesensationalization.Totoday’seyes,FAMILYVIEWINGisfirstandforemost,anoddconversationpieceoftheanalogerathatfacilitatesourobsessionwiththenakedtruth,accompaniedbyMichaelDanna’sequallyunorthodoxsoundtrackthatshredsanysemblanceofnormalcyinEgoyan’sclinicaldissectionofasocietybothailedandstrengthenedbyalienationandpeculiarity.referentialentries:StevenSoderbergh’sSEX,LIESANDVIDEOTAPE(1989,7.3/10);Egoyan’sCHLOE(2009,6.9/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。