MovieChat Forums > Adoration (2009) Discussion > Question about Sami (spoiler)

Question about Sami (spoiler)

posted 15 years ago by WarpedRecord
6 replies | jump to latest

I though I understood this film, but in speaking with my friend who saw it, I realize we have different interpretations of the character of Sami, Simon's father.

Obviously the car crash was an accident when Sami was distracted, but did he or did he not plant a bomb in his wife's carry-on luggage earlier? I thought he did because of Simon's description, but my friend says Simon's description was an embellishment for the class project.

If the story was an embellishment, why does Maury Chaykin appear in the chat room as a passenger on the plane saying how he was traumatized by the incident? If the story was real, why did Simon's parents remain free in the States?

It seems more likely that the story was an embellishment, but why would Simon do that – except perhaps because of his grandfather's hatred of the man his daughter married? So what are we to make of Maury Chaykin's role?

Any explanations or interpretations would be appreciated.

[–] info-5430 15 years ago

To answer some of your questions:

According to Tom and Sabine the car crash didn't happen because Sami was distracted. They said Sami had a problem with his eyes (he couldn't see everything in the dark or something like that) and that caused the accident. In my opinion the scene in which Sami is distracted by the golden piece of jewelry is just Simons imagination of the events which led to his parent's death.

The whole story with the bomb really happened, but Simon's parents were not involved in this.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Thanks for your response.

I remember them saying Sami had trouble driving in the dark, but he had to that night because Sabine drank too much and was too upset. But that issue to me isn't as big as the allegations of terrorism.

If some else really planted a bomb on the plane, did the airport interrogation of Sabine really happen, or was that just Simon's imagination or interpretation from his grandfather? It's confusing because we have flashbacks showing scenes that may exist only in Simon's imagination, so it's hard to separate fiction from reality (well, as far as a fictional film has a reality).

I'd appreciate any more insight you could provide.

[–] info-5430 15 years ago

The interrogation didn't happen, at least not with Simons mother as the potential terrorist. Basically the events unfold like this:

- Several years ago someone triee to blow up a plane to Tel Avimv. This happens about the same time Sabine comes to the US.
- Years later Sabine uses a text about the incident in her class.
- Simon imagines what it would feel like if his mother was the bomb-carrying pregnant woman. All the scenes at the airport are made up by Simon. He knows that the story about his father being a terrorist is pure fantasy. In my opinion it's his way of coping with the accusations of his grandfather about Sami. His grandfather said that Sami deliberately caused the accident, commiting suicide and taking his wife with him.

I hope that helps. Like I said it's just my interpretation, maybe someone else has got a different view on everything.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Thanks very much for your elaboration. I will buy the film when it comes out on DVD and watch it again (and again), but after seeing it in the theater, I was a bit confused about my initial assumptions about Sami. I suspect I was led astray by the bias of Simon's grandfather, who appears to be quite credible until toward the end of the film, where his true self comes out during the dinner conversation.

I guess it helps if we just view all "flashbacks" as products of Simon's imagination as he tries to sort out the truth of his parents – though the flashbacks where Simon is with them as a child are probably accurate.

Of course, as with all of Egoyan's films, this one is open to several interpretations, but yours seems particularly well thought out. Thanks again for taking the time to respond to my post.

[–] info-5430 15 years ago

No problem. :) Another hint: Egoyan used a soft focus (sorry, I'm not sure about the word cause I'm not a native speaker - but I'm sure you know what I mean) in some scenes to give them a dream-like appearence. It's especially obvious in the airport scene and when Sami and Simons mother meet each other for the first time. I would guess that all scenes with soft focus are supposed to be the depictions of Simons made-up stories.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

I didn't notice that the first time, but I will be on the lookout for the soft focus (maybe it's called "lap dissolve" or "cross fade" in the jargon of filmmaking). I think I got off track because I assumed at first that everything that was visually depicted actually happened, and by the time I realized it was Simon's imagination I had trouble undoing it.

And your English is much better than most (presumably) native speakers on these board. Thanks again for your help!