Exotica (Atom Egoyan)

Rating: 4.0

As of this writing, this is the film to beat for my favorite of 1995.  I
enjoyed immensely the way Egoyan deliberately withholds information from
the audience, stranding the viewer in the middle of a complex narrative
with only the vaguest of directions.  Unlike many others, I also found
the film deeply moving; a second viewing had me in tears (no joke).
Performances, music, cinematography, and art direction are all
first-rate.  A shoo-in for my year-end top ten list.  [Note: if all
you've heard about the film is that it's set in a strip club, and that's
deterred you from seeing it, trust me when I tell you that that's not
what EXOTICA is about.  Give it a chance.]