THE SWEET HEREAFTER Movie Review
In the aftermath of a tragic, small-town accident in British Columbia that takes the lives of 14 schoolchildren, a sophisticated big-city lawyer (Ian Holm) arrives on the scene to convince parents of the need to assign blame—and to collect a settlement. Atom Egoyan's thoughtful and skillfully performed adaptation of Russell Banks's story is a carefully layered piece of storytelling that touches on many issues. The Sweet Hereafter begins as a simple search for the truth; it gradually evolves into a far more complex exploration of the not-so-easily solved mysteries of guilt, collective responsibility, and victimization, within both society and the family. Much of The Sweet Hereafter's power emerges in small, seemingly throwaway moments such as Holm's irritation with an airplane meal; in such sequences Egoyan suggests motivations and character history with a breathtaking economy of means. He couldn't do it without his exceptional cast, of course; young Sarah Polley is a real discovery, and Ian Holm is just plain brilliant, as usual. Egoyan seems to have faltered in his faith in his audience, however, by including a naggingly insistent rereading of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin—it's a bit much the first time we hear it, and more than a bit much every time thereafter. Special Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival.
NEXT STOP … The Adjuster, Exotica, Affliction
1996 (R) 110m/C CA Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Bruce Greenwood, Tom McCamus, Arsinee Khanjian, Alberta Watson, Gabrielle Rose, Maury Chaykin, David Hemblen, Earl Pastko, Peter Donaldson, Caerthan Banks; D: Atom Egoyan; W: Atom Egoyan; C: Paul Sarossy; M: Mychael Danna. Cannes Film Festival ‘97: Grand Jury Prize; Genie Awards ‘97: Best Actor (Holm), Best Cinematography, Best Director (Egoyan), Best Film, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Score; Independent Spirit Awards ‘98: Best Foreign Film; Toronto-City Award ‘97: Best Canadian Feature Film; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘97: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director (Egoyan); Genie Awards ‘97: Best Actor (Greenwood), Best Actress (Polley, Rose), Best Screenplay. VHS, LV, Closed Caption, DVD NLC