Arsinée Khanjian Movies
Muse and wife of director Atom Egoyan, Arsinee Khanjian has managed to appear in all of the filmmaker's projects without being typecast into narrow, predictable roles. Bearing the kind of strong, dark features that lend themselves to her portrayals of enigmatic women of character, Khanjian has proven herself to be one of the screen's more compelling actresses, enlivening the films of both her husband and those of such directors as Olivier Assayas.Born in 1958 to Armenian parents living in Lebanon, Khanjian was raised in Beirut. Due to the country's dangerous political situation, her family moved to Montreal when she was 17. Strongly encouraged by her family to get a good education, she studied theatre in French at the Conservatoire Lasalle and received an undergraduate degree in Spanish and French at Concordia University. It was while she was pursuing her master's degree in political science that Khanjian met future husband and creative partner Egoyan at an audition for his feature debut, Next of Kin (1984). Cast in a starring role in the drama -- which centered on a young man's search for his heritage and identity -- Khanjian moved to Toronto and finished her M.A. at the University of Toronto. She worked as an administrator for the Ontario Arts Council until the mid-'80s before quitting to pursue acting full-time; throughout the rest of the decade, Khanjian continued to appear in lead and supporting roles in Egoyan's films, doing particularly memorable work as a near-catatonic hotel maid in Speaking Parts (1989).
The next decade brought with it increasing recognition and acclaim for Khanjian, who, in addition to starring in Egoyan's films, was also making a name for herself on television and the stage. She benefited from the increasing amount of international attention being paid to her husband's work, turning in well-received performances in both The Adjuster (1991) -- which cast her as a film censor with some kinky pastimes -- and Calendar (1993), an uncharacteristic comedy in which Khanjian played a translator opposite Egoyan. In 1994, the prize-winning success of Egoyan's Exotica at Cannes helped to introduce the actress to a wider audience; her portrayal of a pregnant strip club owner in the dark, labyrinthine film was strong enough to allow her to stand out from a talented cast that also included Elias Koteas, Don McKellar, and Mia Kirshner.
After a turn as a distressed and very naked hotel room occupant in Olivier Assayas' widely acclaimed Irma Vep (1996), Khanjian played the grieving mother of a young boy killed in a bus crash in Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter (1997). In the wake of the film's great international triumph, the actress -- who was by now being referred to as one half of the royal couple of Canadian cinema -- again worked with Assayas, this time as a woman forced to deal with the impending death of her ex-lover (François Cluzet) in Fin août, début septembre (1998). Khanjian's subsequent collaboration with Egoyan was probably her most recognized to date: cast as the domineering cooking show-celebrity mother of a future serial killer (Bob Hoskins) in 1999's Felicia's Journey, the actress impressed a number of international critics with her humorous, slightly demented performance.
In addition to her work in film, Khanjian has remained active on the Canadian stage and television, garnering a 1999 Genie Award for her performance in the TV series Foolish Heart. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Director Atom Egoyan explores the concept of cyberspace as a place for redemption in this drama about an adolescent boy named Simon (Devon Bostick) who reinvents his life on the Internet. Before long, Simon's deeply personal journey provokes strong reactions from around the globe. Rachel Blanchard and Scott Speedman co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arsinée Khanjian, Scott Speedman, (more)
As adapted from the roman by Antonia Arslan and co-directed by legendary Italian brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, The Lark Farm marks one of the few international features to tackle the Armenian genocide head-on. The story (with its thematic parallels, in the early scenes, to De Sica's 1970 Garden of the Finzi-Continis) concerns the Avakian clan. An Armenian family living an affluent lifestyle and periodically shuttling back and forth between their two comfortable homes, the Avakians feel convinced that the rising tide of Turkish hostility on the horizon means little to them and will scarcely affect their day to day. Indeed, The Avakians ignore the warning signs, and set about preparing for a family reunion with the impending visit of two well-to-do sons - landowner Aram, who resides in Turkey, and Assadour, a physician living in Venice. Lo and behold, these illusions come crashing down when a Turkish military regiment crops up at the house, annihilates every male member of the family and forces the ladies to trek off into the Syrian desert, where they will be left to rot. Meanwhile, a handsome Turkish officer (Alessandro Preziosi) falls for Aram's daughter and makes an aggressive attempt to deliver her and her family from certain death, even as the circumstances surrounding him attest to the astounding difficulty of this goal. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paz Vega, Arsinée Khanjian, (more)
When a devout, forty year old Muslim woman from a traditional family falls in love with a handsome Canadian man, the stress of balancing her secret romance with her highly demanding family life gradually begins to take a heavy emotional toll. As a young girl, Sabah (Arsinée Khanjan) was always passionate an independent. When her family moved to Toronto and her father died shortly thereafter though, the once spirited young girl gradually found her independence stifled by two decades of duty to her loving yet high-maintenance family. It was around that time that Sabah's family became much more conservative, but a gift from Sabah's brother is about to change everything. Upon being bestowed with a picture of herself and her late father frolicking together in the ocean, Sabah longs for the days when familial obligations didn't weight on every aspect of her life. For as long as she can remember Sabah has had to answer to her tyrannical brother Majid - who controls not only the family finances but the actions of each member as well. But it was Majid who gave Sabah that powerful photograph, and who, despite his objection to westernization, inadvertently acted as the catalyst for his sister's life-altering journey. Longing to reconnect with the carefree memories of her childhood, Sabah stealthily sneaks off to celebrate her fortieth birthday with a secret swim. While the feel of the water and the thrill of rebellion immediately reinvigorate Sabah, it is a chance meeting with a man named Stephen that will truly change her life forever. Later, when Sabah's clandestine trips to the pool become a regular occurrence and Stephen invites her out to lunch, the differences between the unlikely couple seem to draw them together rather than pushing them apart. Before long Sabah has fallen in love with Stephen. In breaking the news to her disapproving family, however, Sabah attempts to explain how they must reconsider the rules of their culture if they are ever to find happiness in a foreign land. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arsinée Khanjian, Shawn Doyle, (more)
Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan explores his Armenian heritage, and how the country's tragic history has touched several generations of the nation's expatriates, in this ambitious drama. Edward Saroyan (Charles Aznavour), a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent, is in Toronto shooting a film about the Siege of Van, in which invading Ottoman armies forced the evacuation of Armenian communities in 1915, leading to the genocide of over a million Armenian people at the hands of Turkish troops. Twenty-one-year-old Raffi (David Alpay) has been sent to Turkey to shoot background footage for the film; Raffi's mother Ani (Arsinee Khanjian), an author and historian, is also involved in the project as a consultant. Lately Raffi and Ani have been at odds; Raffi has been dating Celia (Marie-Josee Croze), Ani's stepdaughter, who is convinced that Ani is somehow responsible for the death of her father. Ani's first husband, who was Raffi's father, is also dead, after taking part in an assassination attempt on a Turkish political leader. As Raffi attempts to re-enter Canada with cans of exposed film, he's detained by David (Christopher Plummer), a suspicious customs official who has his own tenuous link to Saroyan's film -- David is struggling to come to terms with the gay lifestyle of his son Philip (Brent Carver), whose lover Ali (Elias Koteas) is playing the villain in the picture. Ararat also features Eric Bogosian and Bruce Greenwood. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, (more)
- 2001
This six-part Canadian TV anthology (actually telecast in three parts) was founded on the theme of human frailty. The stories, largely based on famous literary works, were linked together by the activities of documentary filmmaker George (Ken Finkelman, who also wrote and directed the series). Individual episode included "The Body", a saga of public embarrassment based on a story by Italo Calvino; "Disasters", based on an Orhan Pamuk story about the public's fascination with spectacular tragedies; "Evil", inspired by Maggie O'Kane's article on the war in Kosovo; "Celebrity", a fable wherein Jesus returned in the 21st century; and "Chaos and Order", in which a modern-day film crew found itself in the middle of an ancient Japanese legend. The series concluded with "The Award", a self-revelatory piece about hero George's own neuroses. Foreign Objects was originally seen from September 24 to 26, 2001. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Ken Finkleman, Colm Feore, (more)
Director Catherine Breillat, who courted international controversy with her film Romance, once again pushed the envelope with this disturbing (if somewhat less explicit) look at adolescent sexuality. Anaïs (Anaïs Reboux) is a 12-year-old girl with a weight problem and a downbeat disposition growing up in a family which offers her little in the way of understanding and affection. Anaïs has a typically adolescent love/hate relationship with her slimmer and prettier 15-year-old sister, Elena (Roxane Mesquida); she's at once fascinated by her sister (and the boys who follow her around), and hates her for the love and attention she receives from others. While the family spends the summer at the beach, Elena attracts the attentions of Fernando (Libero de Rienzo), a college student from Italy who makes no secret of his attraction to Elena's budding sexuality. Anaïs, on the other hand, is forced to make do with a sad game in which she pretends that a ladder and a diving board at a neighborhood swimming pool are two suitors vying for her affections. Anaïs shares a room with Elena, and finds herself a fascinated, if troubled, witness as Fernando uses both charm and deceit to rob her sister of her virginity, while Elena is too naïve to see through the lies Fernando is spinning -- and enjoys having Anaïs as an audience for her steadily advancing sex play with Fernando. Anaïs is more aware than her older sister of Fernando's insincerity, but she finds Elena isn't eager to believe her. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anaïs Reboux, Roxane Mesquida, (more)
Directed by Atom Egoyan, Felicia's Journey is a low-key psychological thriller about the relationship between a lovesick young woman and an older man with an ugly secret. Felicia (Elaine Cassidy) has lived all of her life in a small village in rural Ireland. She has fallen in love with a boy named Johnny (Peter McDonald), so when Johnny unexpectedly travels to England in search of a job, Felicia wants to follow him -- especially since she's pregnant, a fact that she's keeping secret from her family, as well as Johnny. However, Johnny's family refuses to give her his address, so she leaves for Birmingham with only a sketchy idea of his whereabouts. Shortly after arriving, Felicia encounters Joseph Ambrose Hilditch (Bob Hoskins), the meticulous manager of a catering concern. She needs a place to stay and he recommends a good bed-and-breakfast. They soon become friendly, but Hilditch is more than just a mildly eccentric middle-aged man with a taste for French cuisine: he's had a long history of using and abusing homeless women, and Felicia looks like she's doomed to be the next victim. Based on a novel by William Trevor, Felicia's Journey was shown in competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy, (more)
Olivier Assayas directed this French drama, examining several relationships over a year's span, capturing varying textures and shades of feeling between people from late August of one year until early September of the next. Gabriel (Mathieu Amalric) and Jenny (Jeanne Balibar) separate, despite the affection that still binds them. A new love develops between Gabriel and young designer Anne (Virginie Ledoyen) as they overcome their fears and uncertainties. At his publishing job, much of Gabriel's emotional energy is spent on his close friend Adrien (Francois Cluzet), a once-promising novelist whose recent writing failed to repeat the critical and commercial success of his early novels. Jenny, who remains friends with Adrien, embarks on a new relationship with Jeremie (Alex Descas). When an old illness reappears, Adrien must come to terms with an early death; he begins an affair with 15-year-old schoolgirl Vera (Mia Hansen-Love). The personal tragedy of Adrien's death impacts on the fabric of friendships, as the individuals in the group reflect on death, life, and the future. Jeanne Balibar's performance won her the "Best Actress" award at the 1998 San Sebastian Film Festival. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival and the 1998 New York Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Ledoyen, (more)
Atom Egoyan's haunting adaptation of the Russell Banks novel The Sweet Hereafter was the Canadian filmmaker's most successful film to date, taking home a Special Grand Jury Prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and scoring a pair of Academy Award nominations, including Best Director. Restructured to fit Egoyan's signature mosaic narrative style, the story concerns the cultural aftershocks which tear apart a small British Columbia town in the wake of a school-bus accident which leaves a number of local children dead. Ian Holm stars as Mitchell Stephens, a big-city lawyer who arrives in the interest of uniting the survivors to initiate a lawsuit; his maneuvering only drives the community further apart, reopening old wounds and jeopardizing any hopes of emotional recovery. Like so many of Egoyan's features, The Sweet Hereafter is a serious and painfully honest exploration of family grief; no character is immune from the sense of utter devastation which grips the film, not even the attorney, whose interests are in part motivated by his own remorse over the fate of his daughter, an HIV-positive drug addict. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, (more)
- 1997
Quirky Canadian director Atom Egoyan helmed this, the only fictional entry in a series of six films, titled "Yo-Yo Ma Inspired Bach." The story centers on the world-renowned cellist and is a free-form series of unrelated connections between people. As the story begins, Ma is flying to Toronto via Canadian Airlines. Meanwhile, his limo driver Sammy Angelopoulos patiently waits for him at the Air Canada terminal. Their connection, needless to say, is going to be delayed. Real estate agent Sarah is trying to find someone to buy the home of the aged Dr. Kassovitz. The trouble is, the good doctor refuses to sell unless the buyer promises to keep the furniture and his art collection intact. Sarah has a bad cough and goes to see the attractive Dr. Angela France, an amateur cellist who is attending one of Ma's master classes. Dr. Kassovitz later gives Sarah tickets to Ma's concert while her sweetie Max pays Dr. France a visit himself. Max hates classical music, but Sammy, another of Dr. France's patrons adores it and hails Ma "an ambassador of God." In the midst of all the connection making, Ma can be heard playing Bach's Suite No. 4 for cello. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yo-Yo Ma, Lori Singer, (more)
- 1997
In 1974, Cicely Tyson and director John Korty (The Ewok Adventure) worked together on the acclaimed The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (winner of nine Emmys), and they reteamed for this updating of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic, A Christmas Carol. When miserly banker Ebenita Scrooge (Tyson) is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (Michael J. Reynolds), visions prompt her to reflect on her life. An earlier female Scrooge was played by Susan Lucci in 1995, and a Mrs. Scrooge with Sally Kellerman is also in development. The TV movie Ms. Scrooge premiered December 10, 1997 on the USA Network. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cicely Tyson, Katherine Helmond, (more)
Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, Irma Vep tells the story of has-been French filmmaker René Vidal (Jean-Pierre Léaud). In an attempt to reinvigorate his career, Vidal decides to remake Les Vampires, the classic silent serial featuring the adventures of jewel thief Irma Vep. Playing herself, actress Maggie Cheung is cast as the lead, joining Vidal on a chaotic set where he gets little respect from the rest of the cast and crew. Speaking no French, Cheung finds herself fending off the advances of lesbian costumer Zoé (Nathalie Richard), sticking up for Vidal, and becoming so immersed in her role that she burgles the guests of her hotel while in costume. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Léaud, (more)
The action in Canadian provocateur Atom Egoyan's cryptic Exotica revolves largely around the strip club, which lends the film its name, a faux-tropical hothouse where young female dancers cater to their customers' sexual and psychological needs. Among the regulars is Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a troubled taxman haunted by Christina, a young stripper played by Mia Kirshner. As the film hypnotically unfolds, their relationship is slowly explored, the narrative dovetailing with the stories of a gay pet shop owner (Don McKellar), the Exotica's pregnant owner (Arsinee Khanjian), and its embittered DJ (Elias Koteas). Like all of Egoyan's films, Exotica is a riddle, its answers only fostering more questions. The director's recurring themes of family breakdowns, voyeurism and obsession are all in the mix here as well, but essayed with a new clarity of vision and intensity. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, (more)
Atom Egoyan casts himself as the lead character in Calendar. He portrays a shutterbug who brings an array of different women to his apartment. Every time one of the women makes a phone call, the character notices a calendar consisting of photographs he took while in Armenia. The film flashes back to the time he took each of the photos. Traveling through Armenia with his wife, he does not share his wife's interest in the history behind the locations he is photographing. The wife eventually leaves him, and the film ends with him attempting to end their estrangement. This project began after Egoyan, whose ancestors were Armenian, was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for his 1991 film The Adjuster. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arsinée Khanjian, Atom Egoyan, (more)
- 1992
The three lads and their girlfriends in this film are members of Los Angeles' Armenian community. They came to the U.S. by way of Lebanon, as did many others. Like other immigrant children, they face difficulties in reconciling their older relatives' old-country ways with the need to adapt to and fit into the America they find themselves in. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arsinée Khanjian
- 1991
- R
Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, The Adjuster is an examination of the sexual quirks of a married couple. Starring such Egoyan regulars as Elias Koteas, Arsinée Khanjian, Maury Chaykin, and Don McKellar, the film focuses on Noah Render (Koteas), an insurance adjuster who enjoys sleeping with his clients, and his wife, Hera (Khanjian), a film censor who finds excitement in making copies of the most explicit parts of the movies she's assigned to review. When they invite Bubba (Chaykin) into their house to make a movie, the Renders find their lives becoming even more complex. McKellar plays a young film censor who works with Hera. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elias Koteas, Arsinée Khanjian, (more)
"In my films, you're always encouraged to remember that you're watching a collection of designed images." Thus spake Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan in describing his calculatedly non-realistic style. In keeping with his earlier works, Egoyan's Speaking Parts, though grounded in reality, could never be confused with the facts of life. Arsinee Khanjian plays a near-somnambulistic maid who carries a torch for aspiring actor Michael McManus. She obsesses on McManus by renting tapes of the films in which he's appeared as a non-speaking extra. As McManus ignores Khanjian while wooing would-be filmmaker Gabrielle Rose (he wants to star in a film based on Rose's life-saving organ donation), Khanjian develops a sort of rapport with video store manager Tony Nardi, who also harbors dreams of becoming a filmmaker. The most curious (and, to some, maddening) aspect of Speaking Parts is that all the characters physically resemble one another. What this has to do with Egoyan's "message"--if any--is unclear, but it sure works towards the director's goal of assuring that the viewers are constantly aware that they're watching a movie and not Real Life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael McManus, Arsinée Khanjian, (more)
- 1988
Jean-Pierre Lefebvre's direction is apparent in this symbolic, avant garde film. An elderly man sits in a chair in a snow-covered woods. Children cut out colorful pictures from magazines that later become animated. A woman in a black veil wheels a baby carriage to the sea. The old man gives a lonely blonde woman and the children black boxes as everyone waits for the sun to shine on them and relieve the gloom of winter. Lovers of avant garde cinema will find merit in the feature while others will question its meaning and obscurity. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joseph Champagne, Arsinée Khanjian, (more)
- 1987
- NR
Ignore the title: Family Viewing makes for fascinating viewing, though it is not designed as entertainment for the whole family. This Canadian film stars David Hemblen as Stan, a profoundly disturbed young man. Upon the disappearance of his mother, Stan feverishly tries to piece together existing clues. He's not sure he likes the outcome, but given the extent to which his family has disintegrated, he's not surprised, either. Family Viewing was expertly filmed on a wafer-thin budget by independent Canadian director Atom Egoyan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Hemblen, Aidan Tierney, (more)
- 1984
Atom Egoyan's first feature finds him using the formal and thematic elements he has combined throughout his career: allegory, family bonds, the corruption of desire, and a perverse view of technology. In the midst of a familial trauma, a young man discovers a videotape of a family who gave up a child for adoption. Fleeing his past, he attempts to become that lost son. Next of Kin is a hint of disturbing films to come. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Tierney, Sirvant Fazlian, (more)
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