Film Review – Seven Veils

March 6th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

“Art imitates Life,” as the saying goes. In the worst case scenario, the line between artistic expression and daily life gets blurred, where one affects the other and vice versa. That seems to be what writer/director Atom Egoyan is aiming for with his latest release, Seven Veils (2023). Here, we see a character trying to find their creative voice, but the troubles of the past and present causes them to lose control. They spiral into a void of love, betrayal, frustration, and self-doubt, where we begin to wonder if the art they are making reflects their mindset, or is a symptom of it. Although the result is a little uneven, it is a fascinating journey into one’s artistic process – one I’m sure Egoyan has grappled with himself.

Reuniting with Chloe (2009) star Amanda Seyfried, Egoyan brings us into the world of opera. We’re introduced to a young director named Jeanine (Seyfried) who has been tasked to head a remounting of her former mentor’s interpretation of Salome. Press notes tell me that Egoyan employed the very same performers from his real-life production of the opera in the same roles here, and utilizing the same theater. Within the film, troubles begin to pile up as Jeanine’s personal life makes its presence felt in her directing notes. Affairs, childhood trauma, having to live up to the standard of her predecessor, and the various side stories amongst the cast and crew turn the production into a pressure cooker, leaving Jeanine barely holding onto her mental state.

Like the story of Salome, in which a female character feels the weight of influence from all the males in her life, so too does Jeanine in every facet of hers. Being forced to stay true to the original vision of her mentor, she feels that her creative aspirations are being silenced. Egoyan’s writing adds narration where Jeanine addresses her mentor directly, providing her innermost feelings as though she were trying to gain some form of validation. To add on top of that is the stress caused by an unfaithful husband (Mark O’Brien), her own moments of weakness with other men, as well as a childhood memory with her father that has remained stuck in her consciousness. Although the trauma with her father is not spelled out explicitly on screen, flashbacks return to it so often that it is one of the defining aspects of her psyche. The effect of these forces comes spilling out through Jeanine’s terse and pointed notes toward her performers. Amanda Seyfried manages these contrasting shades with believability. She amplifies Jeanine’s inexperience in directing opera but also translates her determination to put her personal stamp all over it, even if it means putting herself in vulnerable positions.

The editing (David Wharnsby) reflects Jeanine’s fractured mindset by jumping between places and time in a near scattershot construction. We go from her increasingly drastic handling of the production, to FaceTime conversations with her family, to home video recordings of Jeanine with her father, to her blending fantasy and reality. Sometimes we’ll see her butte heads with an actor over a specific detail, to her acting out the part as though she were cast in the role herself, and back again. At one point, we see her in the middle of an interview with a podcaster, and a moment later we flash back to the time prior to her taking on the production. While this approach translates Jeanine’s thoughts and feelings, the constant jumping around makes the narrative feel loose. The focus meanders in circles without a clear distinction of where things are going. Perhaps that is the point – that Jeanine’s inability to check her emotions causes the film itself to feel disjointed. But I felt the intrigue dissipate every time we cut to a different scene. This also doesn’t take into account the other stories taking place simultaneously with other characters.

Egoyan imbues his story with themes of gender dynamics, sexual harassment, and the societal expectations of being a woman living in a male dominated world. And while those elements are explored in a fascinating way with Jeanine, it is less effective with the supporting characters. Clea (Rebecca Liddiard) works in the prop and make up department. She records her work with her cell phone to post on social media. Clea’s story takes a turn when one of the cast members makes unwanted sexual advances towards her. Understandably, this disturbs Clea immensely. The lack of support she receives from persons of authority is representative of what I am sure are the experiences of countless others. But Clea’s actions in the second half paints her in a strange light. She turns less into a person fighting for dignity and justice, and more as an opportunist and schemer. What Egoyan is trying to point out with Clea gets lost in translation, as she starts behaving in a way that appears contrary to how we first perceived her. I came away befuddled over her choices.

When it comes to the opera itself, the production design and art direction render the stage as a mix of minimalism and expressionism. Utilizing light, shadow, and projection, the visuals are striking without being overly elaborate. Of course, the musical performances are all impressive. But what makes the opera interesting is how Egoyan incorporates elements of Jeanine onto the stage. A crucial moment in her life takes place in the middle of the woods, and that is transferred onto the stage by way of shadows projected onto a large cloth screen. During a walkthrough where Jeanine sees a video clip of a young girl casted upon a wall, she likens the imagery to herself at that age. The balance between Jeanine’s personal touches and keeping with the blueprint of her mentor creates a push/pull situation that plays out in the opera.

Seven Veils won’t be for everyone. It’s gradual pacing and refusal to provide easy answers may prove frustrating for some viewers. Despite all the good qualities going for it, the ending proves to be its weakest point. I don’t mind movies that end ambiguously, but there needs to be a sense of closure – that nothing else needs to be said. Unfortunately, that was not the case here. Even with those gripes, I still found Seven Veils to be a fascinating viewing experience – filled with good sequences and even better acting. I may not love it, but I sure admire it.  

Amanda Seyfried, Atom Egoyan, Chloe, David Wharnsby, Mark O'Brien, Rebecca Liddiard, Salome, Seven Veils