Guest of Honour (2020)

Guest of Honour Poster

Veronica wants to remain in jail for a sexual assault she knows she's been wrongfully indicted for. She and her father, Jim, find themselves acting out of the bounds of good behavior as the past haunts them.

Introduction
"Guest of Honour" is a 2020 drama film written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan. The film stars David Thewlis, Laysla De Oliveira, and Luke Wilson. The film revolves around a daddy and child's complicated relationship as they concern terms with a past filled with tricks, misconceptions, and suspicion. The film received combined reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Thewlis and De Oliveira but slammed the complicated narrative. It had its premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

Plot
Jim (David Thewlis) is a food inspector, who uses his position to both satisfy his need for control and unearth the filthy tricks of numerous restaurants. His daughter, Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira), is a music instructor wrongly implicated of unsuitable conduct with her students. The film starts with Veronica going to Father Greg (Luke Wilson), a local priest, to plan her father's funeral.

As the two talk about Jim's eulogy, she begins to reveal her household's dark history. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks and cross-cutting scenes, diving into the intricacies of the father-daughter relationship. Key moments in the narrative consist of Veronica's illicit affair with a trainee's dad, Mike (Rossif Sutherland), and her subsequent planting of evidence to convict him.

Troubled by her actions, Veronica eventually turns herself into the authorities, admitting to a produced crime. Regardless of her father's efforts to prove her innocence, she serves prison time. It is during her imprisonment that Jim dies. Now, as she faces her guilt and grief, she looks for solace from Father Greg and tries to comprehend her dad's intentions.

Styles
1. Household and Relationships: The movie focuses on the intricacies of familial relationships, particularly between Jim and Veronica. The stretched father-daughter bond is exacerbated by their failure to interact effectively and a misunderstanding of each other's actions. The relationships between other characters, such as Veronica's previous lover and the trainee's father, likewise serve to highlight the tangled web of human connections.

2. Control and Power: Control is a pervasive style throughout the movie. Jim's work as a food inspector affords him a sense of control and power, which he utilizes to control and dominate others. However, this unhealthy desire for control ultimately destroys his relationship with his child.

3. Redemption and Forgiveness: Both central characters, Jim and Veronica, require to come to terms with their past actions and their efforts to attain redemption drive much of the story. Forgiveness, specifically from oneself, is represented as a necessary procedure in recovery and moving on.

Reception
"Guest of Honour" got blended reviews from critics, who lauded the effective performances of Thewlis and De Oliveira however found the movie's narrative structure to be extremely made complex and disjointed. Rotten Tomatoes offers the film a 56% approval ranking, with an average rating of 5.8/ 10. Critics applauded the ambitious scope of the story, however felt that the numerous themes and subplots diminished the film's central concentrate on the father-daughter relationship.

Conclusion
"Guest of Honour" is a detailed, multilayered movie that checks out the dark underbelly of a family torn apart by tricks, lies, and control. With strong efficiencies from its lead actors, it offers an appealing and extensive take a look at the complexities of human relationships and individual accountability. However, the film's somewhat complicated story may hinder some audiences.

Top Cast

  • David Thewlis (small)
    David Thewlis
    Jim
  • Luke Wilson (small)
    Luke Wilson
    Father Greg
  • Laysla De Oliveira (small)
    Laysla De Oliveira
    Veronica
  • Rossif Sutherland (small)
    Rossif Sutherland
    Mike
  • Tennille Read (small)
    Tennille Read
    Roseangela
  • Tamara Podemski (small)
    Tamara Podemski
    Detective Grove
  • Gage Munroe (small)
    Gage Munroe
    Walter
  • ArsinĂ©e Khanjian (small)
    Arsinée Khanjian
    Anna
  • John Bourgeois (small)
    John Bourgeois
    Gunter
  • Sugith Varughese (small)
    Sugith Varughese
    Indian Restaurant Manager
  • Hrant Alianak (small)
    Hrant Alianak
    Garo