Academy Award nominee May December and, now, Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils are cut from the same cloth. Yet, I don’t know how to classify these types of heightened melodramas. These movies are not outright funny, but they have strange moments that are so deliberately jarring, the audience can’t help but giggle out of confusion. While this is a unique concoction, and can help the filmmaker achieve a specific brand of campiness, juxtaposing heavy themes within this uneven tone doesn’t seem right. In the case of Seven Veils, childhood trauma and psychological abuse from a mentor are the conflicts at hand – not exactly punchline material.

In Seven Veils, theatre director Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried, reuniting with Egoyan following 2009’s terrific erotic thriller Chloe) has been chosen to remount a production of Richard Strauss’ opera Salome. Apart from having previous history with the opera at time of her academic career, the opera poses parallels to Jeanine’s life; notably her upbringing under the guidance of her father. The theatre company trusts Jeanine, though management is occasionally concerned by how distant she is. When more missteps reveal how over her head she may be, along with miscellaneous drama that happens behind the scenes between her cast and crew, Jeanine only forges forward.

Seyfried does a good job conveying her character’s persistently distraught state, as Jeanine’s past wrestles with her integrity and passion for theatre. The diversions, ranging from petty competitions between actors and their understudies to a late sexual assault scandal, help build a convincing, bubbled world that could only exist within the walls of a prestigious opera house. As Jeanine becomes more unhinged, Egoyan struggles to solidify how the audience should perceive her feelings. Blunt reactions from outsiders calling out Jeanine discourage the viewer, and we’re unsure if we should be chuckling during such intense exchanges. The film gives movie goers more whiplash when Jeanine is asked to contribute to a podcast, where the snarky host seems to only be focused on blindsiding his guest. Again, are we supposed to be amused by Jeanine’s growing discomfort towards the podcast? Does the host actually care about this interview? If not, what’s the point of the podcast or for these scenes? Are they only here to fill in any gaps in the exposition? A related question: has writer/director Egoyan ever listened to a podcast?

Despite my unease towards Seven Veils, the film puts the “opera” in “soap opera”. Though I wasn’t completely won over, audiences who love sinking into an over-the-top melodrama will be tickled by….whatever this is.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie