Author: Elizabeth Jabejian

Bundestags-Resolution hässlich
Passauer Neue Presse – 18.06.05 03:34 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat Bundeskanzler
Gerhard Schröder mit scharfen Worten dafür kritisiert, dass er die
Bundestagsentschließung zu Massakern an Armeniern im Osmanischen Reich nicht verhindert habe.
Die Entschließung nannte … … Bei Massakern hatten Türken 1915/1916über
eine Million Armenier getötet, Tausende wurden vertrieben. Das damals mitdem
Osmanischen Reich …
Der Völkermord an den Armeniern
FNP – 17.06.05 21:53 Uhr
Berlin. Der Bundestag hat mit den Stimmen aller Fraktionen eine Entschließung
zum Gedenken an die türkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Menschenrechtskommission der UN hat die der Türkei zurLast
gelegten Gräueltaten an den … … Schweiz und die Niederlande. Der für die
Armenier erste Völkermord des 20. Jahrhunderts begann mit dem Ausbruch des Ersten
Weltkrieges. Weil …
Genozid-Streit: Türkei attackiert den Kanzler
N24 – 17.06.05 21:39 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat Bundeskanzler
Gerhard Schröder mit scharfen Worten dafür kritisiert, dass er die
Bundestagsentschließung zu Massakern an Armeniern im Osmanischen Reich nicht verhindert habe.
Erdogan erklärte am Freitag, … … In der heutigen Türkei leugne niemand die
Leiden der Armenier, die Tragödien während der Zwangsumsiedlung sowie die
Verantwortung der …
Ankara bestellt deutschen Gesandten ein
FNP – 17.06.05 20:14 Uhr
Ankara/Berlin. Aus Verärgerung über eine gemeinsame Entschließung aller
Fraktionen im deutschen Bundestag zu den türkischen Massakern an den Armeniern im
Ersten Weltkrieg wurde der Gesandte der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara gestern
ins türkische … … dass die Taten der jungtürkischen Regierung zur fast
vollständigen Vernichtung der Armenier in Anatolien geführt habe. In der
Begründung …
Erdogan nennt Schröder rückgratlos
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten – 17.06.05 20:08 Uhr
Berlin/Istanbul – Mit einer scharfen persönlichen Attacke auf Kanzler Gerhard
Schröder hat der türkische Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan auf den
Bundestagsbeschluss zu den Massakern 1915/16 an den Armeniern reagiert. Ihmseien Politiker
mit Rückgrat lieber, sagte … … nachdem der Bundestag der im Osmanischen
Reich getöteten Armenier gedacht hatte. Noch Anfang Mai habe Schröder bei
seinem Besuch in der Türkei …
Türkei verärgert über Armenien-Resolution
Netzeitung – 17.06.05 19:24 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan nennt die Bundestagsentschließung zu
den Massakern an den Armeniern falsch und hässlich . Vor der deutschen
Botschaft in Ankara kam es zu Tumulten. … In der heutigen Türkei leugneniemand die
Leiden der Armenier, die Tragödien während der Zwangsumsiedlung sowie die
Verantwortung der …
Völkermord als Fußnote
Berliner Zeitung – 17.06.05 18:15 Uhr
Der Bundestag hat nach langem Ringen um die Worte nun doch noch eine
Entschließung über die Vernichtung großer Teile des armenischen Volkes verabschiedet,
die vor 90 Jahren während des ersten Weltkriegs im Osmanischen Reich … … 5
Millionen Armenier gedacht, die in der Folge planmäßiger und systematischer
ethnischer Säuberungen ums Leben kamen. Gleichzeitig wird …
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder in der Armenienfrage
Welt – 17.06.05 17:38 Uhr
Ankara/Berlin – Der türkische Ministerpräsident Tayyip Erdogan hat
Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder für die Bundestags-Resolution zum Massenmord an den
Armeniern kritisiert und ihm indirekt mangelndes Rückgrat vorgeworfen. Die
Bundesregierung bezeichnet die … … in dem die Armenier die russischen
Invasionstruppen unterstützt hätten. Die EU hat die Türkei aufgefordert, vor Beginn der
…
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder wegen Armenien-Resolution Reuters.de – 17.06.05
16:35 Uhr
Türkei beweist mangelnde Reife in der Armenier-Frage | Politik | Deutsche
Welle |
Deutsche Welle – 17.06.05 17:29 Uhr
Ankara empört sich über die Armenien-Resolution des Deutschen Bundestags.
Darin wird die Türkei aufgefordert, die Verantwortung für die Vertreibungen und
Massaker an den Armeniern vor 90 Jahren zu übernehmen. Das Ausmaß der Massaker
und Deportationen 1915 … … wie viele Armenier vor 90 Jahren im Osmanischen
Reich getötet wurden. Hunderttausende waren es gewiss, vielleicht auchüber
eine Million …
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder: Kein Rückgrat
FAZ – 17.06.05 17:00 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat den
Bundestagsbeschluß zur Armenierfrage als falsch und häßlich kritisiert. Nach der Rückkehr von
einem Besuch im Libanon äußerte sich Erdogan besonders enttäuscht von
Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder … … die fast vollständige Vernichtung der Armenier
in Anatolien vor 90 Jahren im Osmanischen Reich nicht möglich sei. Mit tiefer
Sorge sehe es …
Erdogan attackiert Kanzler frontal
Focus – 17.06.05 16:00 Uhr
Der türkische Regierungschef hat Schröder für die Bundestags-Resolution zum
Massenmord an den Armeniern heftig kritisiert. … in dem die Armenier die
russischen Invasionstruppen unterstützt hätten. Die EU hat die Türkei
aufgefordert, vor Beginn der ..
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMPOST PLANS TO ENGAGE IN FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES
YEREVAN, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Converse Invest company that
assumed the trust management of Haypost CJSC has submitted a bid to
the Central Bank of Armenia to get a license for foreign currency
exchange activity. According to a reliable source, it is planned to
open exchange offices in all the 900 branches of Haypost. The licenses
of 30 exchange offices have lately been recognized invalid by CBA for
the reason of violating the currency legislation. Converse Invest is
an investment company registered in Latvia, which, according to our
information, is founded by the Armenian Converse Bank.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman Online, Turkey
June 13 2005
So-Called Genocide’s Passionate Claimer Manoyan Seeks Dialogue
By Fatih Ugur,Tuncay Kayaoglu
Published: Monday 13, 2005
zaman.com
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Balikesir Deputy Turhan
Comez, who continues his contacts in the Armenian capital Yerevan,
held a surprise talk yesterday with Giro Manoyan, deputy of the Dashnak
Party and one of the most passionate claimers of the so-called Armenian
“genocide” allegations.
Comez and Manoyan announced at a press conference following the talks
that Armenian-Turkish relations should be developed. “A dialogue is
certainly necessary,” said Manoyan, “However, building a dialogue does
not mean that all problems are solved. Both parties should sincerely
express their perspectives. The media, in this respect, also has
a huge responsibility to undertake.” He acknowledged meeting with
a politician from Turkey for the first time: “We have conveyed our
stance. Negotiations are our hope. It is possible for our people to
live in peace together.” Comez in return remarked about the exchange
of opinions with Manoyan: “The meeting was held to share our intentions
and ideas. I thank Armenia for their hospitability. We, as two nations
sharing the same geography, can take steps forward in harmony and
mutual understanding, and open the channels of communication with
warm dialogue. Dialogue is a must. ”
Visiting the Horvirat Monastery at the Turkish-Armenian border,
the AKP Deputy bought a pigeon from local children and set it free
by saying, “This was the peace pigeon.” During the Monastery visit,
Comez also attended a national talk show on an Armenian television.
When asked, “Why didn’t you visit the genocide monument?” he replied
that it was not included in his program. To another question, “Will
you visit it during your next visit?” Comez answered by saying,
“Let’s not speak with false assumptions”.
for photo:
;ned=ca&q=armenia+OR+armenian+OR+armenians+OR+karabakh+OR+Qarabagh+OR+Garabagh+OR+karabagh&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&sa=N&start=20
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Media Advisory
OSCE Office in Yerevan
13 June 2005
A Roundtable on a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) will be held on
Wednesday, 15 June 2005, in Hotel Marriott-Armenia, “Tigran the
Great” Room.
Mass Media are invited to cover the opening and the closing sessions
at 9.30 and 17.00 respectively.
Representatives of the Government of Armenia, leading NGOs active in
the field of anti-trafficking and international organizations will
discuss the National Referral Mechanism, a formalized system of
comprehensive rights-based anti-trafficking policies, with the
ultimate objective to develop an effective NRM for Armenia. Ms.
Astrid Ganterer, Adviser on Anti-Trafficking issues from the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR),
will present international experience on NRM.
The event is organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan supported by the
OSCE/ODIHR and the US State Department.
Representatives of the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs will open the event.
For more information, you can contact Mrs. Gohar Avagyan, Senior
Press and Public Information Assistant, tel. 541062, 63, 64, ext.
108, cel. (091)436389. Email: [email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Diplomat: Russian weapons transferred to Armenia won’t destabilize region
By AIDA SULTANOVA
AP Worldstream
Jun 02, 2005
A Russian diplomat sought to assuage Azerbaijani concerns about the
relocation of weapons from Georgia to Armenia, saying Thursday that
the arms and equipment would remain under Russian military control
and would not destabilize the region.
Azerbaijan has voiced fears about Russia’s plan to move weaponry
from Georgia to Armenia, which has been locked in a conflict with
Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is
a staunch ally of Russia.
Pyotr Burdykin, Russia’s acting ambassador to Azerbaijan, said Thursday
that the weaponry was being relocated under pressure to speed up the
Russian military withdrawal from Georgia.
“We initially talked about returning all these weapons to Russia
in normal conditions, but Georgia and other nations have insisted
on speeding it up and applied very strong pressure,” Burdykin told
reporters in Baku.
Russia agreed to begin withdrawing from two Soviet-era bases in
Georgia by the end of the year and complete the pullout over the
course of 2008.
“This transfer isn’t directed against any third country, and it’s not
going to affect the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,” Burdykin said. “There
is no sense in blowing it out of proportion.”
But Tahir Tagizade, a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, said
moving the weapons to Armenia would compromise Russia’s role as one
of the international mediators to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “We
will insist that Russia listen to our concerns,” he said.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region inside Azerbaijan, has been
under the control of ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s, following
fighting that killed an estimated 30,000 people. A cease-fire was
signed in 1994, but the enclave’s final political status has not been
determined, and shooting breaks out frequently between the two sides
across a demilitarized buffer zone.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s military on Thursday denied Azerbaijani reports
that an Azerbaijani soldier was killed Wednesday in a skirmish on
the border.
The head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s election commission, Sergei Nasibian,
defended the enclave’s plan to hold parliamentary elections on June 19.
“Azerbaijani’s concerns that the parliamentary elections would be an
obstacle to peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are
unfounded,” Nasibian said Thursday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Head of Russian arms exporter praises cooperation with Belarus
Zvyazda, Minsk
26 May 05
Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia is proceeding
apace, the director-general of Russia’s Rosoboroneksport federal
state unitary company, Sergey Chemezov, has said in an interview
with a Belarusian state daily. He gave examples of beneficial
collaboration in arms trade and urged all CIS arms exporters to
forge a single pricing policy in external markets. He said that the
legal framework governing cooperation between Belarusian and Russian
defence companies was adequate. The following is an excerpt from the
interview with Chemezov by Alyaksandr Komlew entitled “Whose armaments
are better?” and published in the Belarusian daily Zvyazda on 26 May:
[Komlew] What defines military cooperation in the post-Soviet space?
[Chemezov] Russia has signed bilateral military cooperation agreements
with Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Military cooperation with each
of these nations has country-specific features.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov outlines cooperation with CIS countries]
[Chemezov] Experts have long calculated that involvement in joint
military projects implemented by three or four countries allows the
participants to reduce their costs by 41-50 per cent. As about 500
Russian defence companies cooperate with more than 1,200 enterprises
throughout the CIS, this interaction spurs the economic development of
host nations. It is common knowledge that 103 companies from Russia,
Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine are involved in the manufacture of the
S-300 missile complex.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov says that the disintegration of the Soviet
Union has negatively affected Russia’s military-industrial complex]
[Komlew] What countries are at the forefront of integration?
[Chemezov] Cooperation between Russia and Belarus could be held up
as an example in this respect. The Belarusian-Russian interaction,
which has been accelerating since the late 1990s, translates into an
increasing share of jointly developed weaponry in the Russian arms
exports. Some estimates put it at 30-35 per cent. Another reason behind
this trend is the fact that about a third of all manufacturing and
research facilities is concentrated in Belarus. Also, the leaderships
of both countries are keen on furthering integration.
[Komlew] Did a rupture of ties between defence companies in the wake
of the Soviet Union’s implosion affect arms exports?
[Chemezov] Some companies are still involved in dumping. On the
whole the potential for unbridled competition between CIS weaponry
manufacturers has been exhausted. It is high time to join forces in
the development and sales of weaponry. A single pricing policy is of
utmost importance. If all arms exporters stick to the same prices,
their revenues will jump 10-14 per cent. We are talking about millions
of dollars. Mutual supply contracts promote cooperation between Russia
and Belarus. Agreements for license, duty and quota-free shipments of
more than 600 types of inputs manufactured by 59 Belarusian companies
for 68 defence enterprises in Russia were concluded last year. About
500 types of inputs of Russian manufacture are shipped to 33 Belarusian
defence companies under similar contacts. To a great extent, Russian
and Belarusian arms exporters act in concert.
[Komlew] How would you define the legal framework governing
military-technical cooperation between Russia and Belarus?
[Chemezov] It is fairly efficient. Belarus and Russia have been
cooperating in the military realm since July 1992. Since then several
intergovernmental agreements have been signed. The agreement between
the governments of Russia and Belarus on safeguarding intellectual
property either developed or used in the course of military-technical
cooperation signified another step forward. The parties to this
agreement undertake not to supply third parties with jointly developed
military hardware without the consent of the other party. A similar
agreement was signed between Russia and Kazakhstan early this year.
[Komlew] What role do interstate financial-industrial groups play in
the CIS markets?
[Chemezov] They play an immensely important role in creating a
single technological space both within the framework of the union
state [of Russia and Belarus] and the CIS as a whole. Several
Russian-Belarusian financial-industrial groups exist in the union
state, namely, Oboronitelnyye Sistemy [Defence Systems], BelRusAuto,
Electronic Technologies, etc. The possible involvement of Ukrainian
companies in Oboronitelnyye Sistemy is currently being considered.
[Komlew] What areas are most promising in the Belarusian-Russian
military cooperation?
[Chemezov] The overhaul and modernization of military hardware,
including Su-22, Su-27, MiG-29 planes, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters,
BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-60 and BTR-70
armoured personnel carriers, S-300B anti-aircraft systems, as well
as communication equipment, hold the greatest promise. Specifically,
more than 100 Belarusian companies are involved in modernization of
Soviet-made weaponry. A Russian-Belarusian centre for servicing,
modernization and repairs of air defence equipment set up by
Oboronpromservice holds a great deal of promise. This interstate
body will make sure that air defence hardware stationed in Belarus,
Kaliningrad Region and the northwest of Russia is properly
serviced. We also pursue a number of international projects. For
example, Rosoboroneksport, [Belarusian state weaponry exporter]
Beltekhekspart and [Belarusian optical instrument maker] Pelenh along
with France’s Thales are taking part in a tender for a contract to
supply India with a fire control system for T-72M1 tanks. The fire
control system is based on the Belarusian-made Sosna-U daylight and
night multichannel heat imaging sight.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov praises the MILEX defence industry show
in Minsk]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THOUSANDS OF ARMENIANS JOIN HNADS TO ENCIRCLE THEIR HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
Armenpress
YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS: Hundreds of thousands of Armenians joined
hands to encircle Armenia’s highest mountain Aragats Saturday, in a
dance of unity to celebrate the establishment of the first Armenian
republic in 1918.
More than 150,000 people danced for about 15 minutes in a massive,
165-kilometer (100-mile) circle along the roads surrounding Mount
Aragats, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of the capital, Yerevan.
The event was also joined by Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Ghukasian, Armenian government
officials led by Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian and members of
parliament. Kocharian arrived at the mountain foot after attending
a ceremony at the historical complex of Sardarapat accompanied by
famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. Armenians living in
all foreign countries joined the event. Asked by reporters to comment
on a recent announcement by Ukraine that it could deploy peace-keeping
forces along the line dividing Armenian and Azeri troops around Nagorno
Karabakh the latter’s leader Arkady Ghukasian said there was no need
for it, because the truce has been maintained for 11 years already
without any international interference. Ghukasian also spoke about
the summer parliamentary elections in Nagorno Karabakh saying the
election campaign proceeds normally. “My duty is to ensure free and
fair elections and I believe we shall achieve it,” Ghukasian concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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-7FD72043C07A%7D
Serg ey Khachatryan der kompletteste Kunstler in Brussel – Emotionale
Tiefe und bluhender Ton
Saitenspiel ohne jeden Sprung
Von Norbert Meyers
Es war ein Triumph der Musik – aber nicht nur. Sergey Khachatryan war
ungeachtet seiner gerade mal zwanzig Jahre unbestritten die
kompletteste Personlichkeit, die nachdrucklich durch Intelligenz,
Reife, Klangschonheit, Virtuosität und Spielwitz bestach.
Die Qualitäten, die den diesjährige Sieger des
Konigin-Elisabeth-Wettbewerbs auszeichnen, ließen sich wie edle
Perlen an einer Schnur aufreihen. Makellose Intonation, stupende
Technik, sorgfältigste Bogenfuhrung, elegische Grundhaltung,
differenziertes Vibrato, inspirierte Lesart, sonore Expressivität,
kontinuierliche Spannung, distanzierte Emotionalität, virtuose
Leidenschaft und eine ausgesprochene violinistische Eleganz, gepaart
mit dem naturlichen Charme eines noch jungen und doch schon so reifen
Mannes – dergestalt die Trumpfe, die Sergey Khachatryan bei der
ungemein variablen und jederzeit schlussigen Sonate Nr. 3 d-moll opus
108 von Johannes Brahms ebenso wie im tiefschurfenden Konzert Nr. 1
a-moll opus 99 von Dimitrij Schostakowitsch in die Waagschale zu
werfen wusste und die letztlich nicht nur das Publikum, sondern
gleichfalls die Jury uberzeugten.
Zudem stach bei seinem Auftritt ins Auge, dass er sich jede
oberflächlichen Effekthascherei verbietet, sich gar in einem gewissen
Maße auf der Buhne zurucknimmt, um allein die Musik sprechen zu
lassen. Eine Qualität, die den Armenier gerade auch im Halbfinale
ausgezeichnet hatte, als er in der “Carmen-Fantasie” von Franz
Waxmann zwar ein Feuerwerk zundete, dafur jedoch nie die Musikalität
auf dem Altar alleiniger Virtuosität opferte.
Im Konservatorium wie im Palais des Beaux-Arts wurde schnell
offenbar, dass Sergey Khachatryan etwas zu erzählen hat. Jedenfalls
mehr als andere! Zugegeben: Mikhail Ovrutsky und Yossif Ivanov
beruhrten gleichfalls tief mit ihrer Schostakowitsch-Interpretation,
doch die Gänsehaut, die der ungemein ruhig wirkende Armenier
erzeugte, war ausgeprägter, prickelnder. Bei ihm steht die
Fingerfertigkeit keineswegs der Tiefe im Wege, er entwickelt einen
sanften, bluhenden Ton, der am erstaunlichsten im mezzopiano wirkt
(so gerade im Adagio der Sonate, mit seiner nicht minder
beeindruckenden Schwester Lusine am Klavier).Es ist die Spannung und
Detailgenauigkeit, die ihr pianistisches Spiel auszeichnen. Hier
kommunizieren zwei Kunstler, die nicht nur wissen, was sie wollen,
sondern vor allem, wie sie das gemeinsam erarbeitete Ziel auch
erreichen konnen.
Eine un(an)greifbare Plastizität, ein Schmelz und eine Samtigkeit,
die hinter die Noten fuhren. So auch in der Nocturne des Konzertes,
der Sergey Khachatryan all ihre Phantasie und Abgrundigkeit
abzugewinnen wusste. Daruber hinaus ist es immer wieder diese
beispiellose Intelligenz, mit der unaufdringlich, aber deutlich
phrasiert wird. Das ist nicht eigenwillig, aber doch autonom und auf
gar keinen Fall “abgerichtet”. Wo schärfere Konturen verlangt werden,
da zeichnet der seit zwolf Jahren in Deutschland beheimatete
Violinist mit filigranem Strich nach.
Es bleibt einfach unvergessen, was der junge Kunstler in der Kadenz
des opus 99 an Klangbildern auf die imaginäre akustische Leinwand
zeichnete, ja zauberte. Einfach grandios waren diese funf Minuten,
angesiedelt zwischen innerer Leidenschaft und äußerer Virtuosität,
getragen von federnder Elastizität und gestischer Eleganz. Alles
wirkt so leicht, so naturlich, so musikalisch. Einfach unglaublich!
Sein hochintensives, in Dynamik und Farbgebung nach extremen
Ausdrucksmoglichkeiten und mehr noch -werten strebendes Spiel scheint
fur dieses Werk wie zugeschneidert. Was hier an Klangsinn und
Klugheit auch in den virtuosen Passagen des Scherzo und mehr noch der
Burlesque aufleuchtet, ist ungewohnlich und lässt auf eine
erstaunliche Karriere hoffen – die im Grunde längst durchgestartet
ist.
–Boundary_(ID_98/nw7g5ZOPsvw6fRcI/Fw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE INFORMATION OFFICE IN YEREVAN DECLARES MAY 16 –
17 TO BE THE DAYS OF OPEN DOORS IN CONNECTION WITH WARSAW SUMMIT
YEREVAN, May 17. /ARKA/. The Council of Europe Information Office in
Yerevan declares May 16 – 17 to be the days of open doors for wide
strata of society, in particular, for students and representatives of
the Mass Media in connection with the Summit in Warsaw. According to
the CE Office, the initiative will allow observing the course of the
work online; receiving information package in Armenian and English
about goals and expectations from the Summit, as well as about the CE;
watching a video film about the establishment of the CE, two Summits
of the organization, interview about the Summit with dealers of the
CE. A.H. -0-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Film review: Where the Truth Lies, by Atom Egoyan
By Ray Bennett
CANNES (Hollywood Reporter) – Atom Egoyan has delivered a big, slick
and sexy mystery in “Where the Truth Lies,” turning the Rupert Holmes
novel into a sumptuous tale of show business hype and duplicity.
Boasting a handsome cast, top-flight design and evocative music, the
film should have no trouble attracting audiences seeking high-style,
grownup entertainment.
Rich in backstage atmosphere and the glamour of big-time hotels and
nightclubs, the movie delves with considerable wit into the ugly side
of the entertainment industry.
In the late ’50s, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin
Firth) are the biggest comedy duo in America. The last thing they need
is the naked body of a beautiful blonde in the bathtub of their New
Jersey hotel room.
In fact, the last thing the comedians do as partners is to deny they
had anything to do with the dead woman, and they promptly break up
their long-standing and hugely successful act.
Fifteen years later, a young writer named Karen O’Connor (Alison
Lohman) wins a fat contract from a publisher to write a book about
Vince Collins, and it is through her eyes that the secret behind their
split is slowly revealed.
Using flashbacks from different points of view, Egoyan traces the lies
and deception that have kept the sordid events that followed a Miami
telethon from a still-adoring public.
Larry and Vince had been forced by a no-nonsense gangster named Sally
Sanmarco (David Hayman) to fly directly from the Miami gig to the
opening of his New Jersey nightclub, where the corpse was found.
As O’Connor discovers, many facts were quickly hidden and the comics
appear to have covered their tracks cleverly but with their careers
pretty much over by the ’70s, their mutual desire for public acclaim
drives them to reveal a version of the truth.
But the young writer cannot resist being drawn into the pair’s intense
world of fabrication and celebrity worship. “Having to be a nice guy
is the hardest job in the world when you’re not,” Larry tells her.
Egoyan has enormous fun peeling the wrappers of showbiz lore so that
we see the hoodlums, the drug taking, kinky sex and unstoppable
violence. Soon O’Connor is wrapped up in it as much as the superstars
who might or might not have committed murder.
The film obeys the sometimes strained logic of mystery novels so that
there’s more than the occasional need to suspend disbelief, but
Egoyan’s script moves slickly along to a satisfying conclusion.
Bacon is as taut and effective as usual, and Firth might prove a
revelation to those who have seen him only in period pictures and
English comedies. Lohman carries the weight of lead investigator with
immense charm and no little grit.
Best of all, the film looks wonderful, and full credit is due to
production designer Phillip Barker and costume designer Beth
Pasternak. Mychael Danna’s music, too, is sly and seductive, adding a
touch of noir class to the proceedings.
Cast: Lanny Morris: Kevin Bacon; Vince Collins: Colin Firth; Karen
O’Connor: Alison Lohman; Maureen: Rachel Blanchard; Reuben: David
Hayman; Sally Sanmarco: David Hayman; Alice: Kristin Adams; Bonnie:
Sonja Bennett; Mrs. O’Flaherty: Deborah Grover; Jack Scaglia: Beau
Starr.
Director-screenwriter: Atom Egoyan; Producer: Robert Lantos;
Co-producers: Sandra Cunningham, Chris Chrisafis; Based on the novel
by: Rupert Holmes; Cinematographer: Paul Sarossy; Editor: Susan
Shipton; Production designer: Phillip Barker; Music: Mychael Danna;
Costume designer: Beth Pasternak.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
05/15/05 22:31 ET
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress