Chloe with Amanda Seyfried

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Chloe is an intensely emotional film. It is a work of cinematic art that proposes more themes than it explains but the mystery and the reality of the characters’ feelings address polemical issues that are quintessential. Julianne Moore is an avowed lesbian. Even better she is incredibly sexy and has the red head drop dead looks that add intrigue and layer upon layer of sexual appeal to Chloe. More than anything (no pun intended) I am mesmerized by the beauty of the actors’ feelings and I feel pangs of sadness and exasperation now that the credits are rolling and this cinematic experience is over.

     Chloe is a prostitute played by Amanda Seyfried. I have never considered her to be talented or appealing but when surrounded by the extraordinary Liam Neeson and the charismatic Julian Moore her skills take on a life of their own. Together they perform a dance as exact as a Russian ballet, as sexy as a meal on top of the Eiffel tower, and as meaningful as true love. Moore is an obstetrician/gynecologist living a life of instability and crisis. She is suspicious that her husband (Neeson) is having an affair, possibly with several women. He seems addicted to flirting with waitresses, his 18 year old sexually ripe students and practically any female he comes in contact with. He goes so far as to instant message students and to spend time with them after school hours. As a former professor I can tell you with a degree of certitude that instant messaging students is expressly forbidden and going for drinks with them can lead to an undesirable outcome. There is no such thing as a professor drinking with gorgeous young students and not feeling tempted. That is the not problem however. Anyone older and wiser can take an interest in their students’ lives and maintain professionalism. It is the signals and vibes one gives off that cause messy situations. 18 year old women can become obsessed with their teachers in unnatural ways. A professor can become seen as a potential lover and as a guardian. Young women are vulnerable and are unaware of the consequences involved. For this reason and for the security of one’s career it is ill-advised to flirt with students or to socialize with them outside of school grounds. Neeson’s behavior can be viewed as emotional cheating and certainly to the naked eye looks like infidelity. Feeling suspicious, Moore decides to verify if her husband is indeed sleeping with other women.

     When the cameras begin rolling we are privy to two important incidents. At first we notice Moore looking out of her office window toward the street where Chloe is working her magic on male customers. This seems innocent enough, like simple curiosity. In retrospect it turned out to be much more significant. When at dinner with another couple, Moore notices Chloe with a client and suspecting her husband of being a cheater, she distraughtly excuses herself to the bathroom to cry. Carpe diem Chloe places herself in an adjacent stall and then deliberating drops a hair pin hoping to give something intimate to Moore seemingly happenstantially. They share a small spark in the ladies room and this escalates soon thereafter. Knowing where to find Chloe and feeling very much scorned, Moore decides to hire the luscious prostitute to seduce her husband to verify her suspicions. The best laid plans of mice and women go awry when Chloe punctiliously shares details of her steamy rendezvous with the coquettish professor. The stories seem to vivid and sensuous that they torment Moore. It is her husband after all who is being jerked-off, given blow jobs and genitally satisfied.

     All the while Moore confides in Chloe in a way that she has never come close to with anyone else. Furthermore, she becomes concerned not for her husband’s sexually contracted diseases but for Chloe’s safety instead. This is puzzling indeed. Her concern seems motherly but there is some deep emotion behind these acts of kindness. One develops the feeling that Moore is looking for excuses to spend time with Chloe and often in intimate ways.

     Eventually Chloe reveals to Moore that her husband has finally cheated after serious prodding. Her story seems so genuine that Moore falls for it hook-line-and-sinker. At first Moore seems jarred by the development. After a short time she decides to act on what seems like impulse and she sleeps with Chloe. I hate to sound like a graphic pervert but Amanda Seyfried is the milkmaid. She has at least D-cups, possibly even F-cups and they are spectacular. Julianne Moore’s breasts are also shown and despite her age her boobs are perky and her nipples compliment her strawberry blond hair and complexion. Forgive my pornographic memory. It is after their love-making that bloom comes off the roses.

     We quickly find out that Chloe never met Neeson and that she concocted a web of lies to lure Moore into her sinister lesbian dream world. She is obsessed with the doctor in an unhealthy and deeply-disturbed way. Meanwhile despite her protestations to the contrary how can we the viewers believe that Moore is innocent? She clearly chose to have an orgasmic homosexual experience with a beautiful woman and she confided in her throughout her ordeal. We also discover that the professor is a flirt but that is it. He has never cheated and is amazed by her cavalier willingness to have a sleazy affair without first talking to him about her fear. The ending has certain parallels to the film Obsessed with Idris Alba and Beyonce Knowles.

     Beyond a shadow of a doubt Chloe is an intense film that receives high marks for its artistry and the best grade possible for the supreme acting of the three stars: Seyfried, Neeson and Moore. The musical score brilliantly compliments the heightened tension of the moments reveled in by the director. The actors seem committed to their roles and there is not even a hint of amateurish unprofessionalism. Everything is just right. I stand correct about Amanda Seyfried. Much like a dancer or a wrestler or even a boxer she can be amazing when paired with other great talents. A word of advice however Ms. Seyfried; star in movies with veteran actors, not with bamboozling dumbasses like Tatum Channing. There is so much ambiguity here and we are made to sympathize with Chloe in unpredictable ways.