The Sweet Hereafter - New Line Platinum Series

Rating:
Summary: LAYERED, LYRICAL PROBE INTO COPING WITH GRIEF
Review: The simple, smooth lives of a small Canadian town nestled in snow-capped peaks of British Columbia are jarred by a schoolbus accident that takes the lives of some kids and brutally hurts others.

The film intimately tiptoes into the homes of affected parents, each with their own perspective and mien, but connected by a lawyer from out of town bent upon instigating them to dig deeper into the tragedy's cause and sue those responsible.

But what makes this caper special is how deeply we relate to each character in the film. The lawyer for instance (played impeccably by Holm) may come across as a swindling ambulance-chaser at first, but as much as we feel ready to dismiss his callous opportunism we can't because we are privy to his own personal anguish -- it's almost as if his keenness to help the town were driven by his search for an outlet for his own pent-up emotions. There is a lingering subplot about incest in one family, which in hindsight is pivotal to the film, but there's never a condescending tone about it.

In fact, The Sweet Hereafter impetuosly blackballs the idea of revenge or malice in coming to terms with a loss of this nature and scope. Instead it sanely depicts a community caring for itself through mutual healing. Even a lie told delicately and with the right timing can be a much-needed suture on a gaping wound. It's stirring to see how this plays out.

If you've seen Exotica, you are familiar with Egoyan's lyrical screenplays. The narrative here is a brilliant riff on the tale of the Pied Piper; it comes on in voiceover at just the right points but manages to signify something different each time. Danna's exotic score lends a sombre yet serene texture to the anxious proceedings. The landscape is repeatedly expressed as a richly sweeping expanse of snowy ground spread beneath low clouds. Naked emotion weighs in on every frame, a welcome change from Hollywoodesque kitsch.

In a nutshell, the film has virtually every attribute that an intelligent moviegoer looks for in a film. Couldn't recommend it highly enough if you have the appetite for meaningful cinema.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most pretentious movies I have ever seen
Review: I saw this movie for a film studies class at the university I attend. It was absolutely horrible. The characters are stereotypical and cliched. The writing is shallow and at times overbearing. The story itself arrogantly forces the audience to believe that they are viewing a "profound work." Instead, the movie does not go into the utter devastation that the town faced by losing its children, but shows the "seedy" underbelly of white suburbia. Seems more suitable for an after school special than an award winning movie. The only reason it got one star was because of the use of complex crosscutting and the subjunctive narrative style. That's it. Not worth seeing, trust me.

Rating:
Summary: Mezmerizing
Review: Nothing in this movie is of any interest to me. I really don't care about one single aspect of the plot, not one. On top of it all, I am an exceptionally hard bitten movie viewer.

When I started this film in the video machine I had spilled an ice cube on the kitchen floor. When I had gotten through the spell that this movie wove, the cube had long been melted. Atom Egoyan had me riveted to the spot with excellent story telling, casting, acting, plot presentation and timing like no one else.

Of all the movies I have ever seen, this one is at the top of my list. I am scared to see it again because it could not be more special than the first time through.

Excellent excellent from every point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Near perfect!
Review: Few films skate the edges of perfection like this one. And few are as difficult to pin down, classify, explain and put in its rightful box. Atom Egoyan's, 'The Sweet Hereafter,' approaches the burning star of creative brilliance like few other films have. Mesmerizing to the very end, this film simply overwhelms. Those looking for easy answers best look elsewhere.

Based on the Russel Banks' novel of the same name, 'The Sweet Hereafter,' weaves the deceptively straightforward tale of Hamelin's Pied Piper into a modern texture of mind-numbing complexity.

The premise appears simple enough. An isolated community in the snow-covered valleys of British Columbia finds itself paralyzed with grief after a number of local children are killed in a tragic bus accident. Who or what was the cause of such a tragedy? The community dares not pursue such a piercing question, lest long-kept secrets burst to the fore. Adultery, sexual abuse, and repressed malice towards thy neighbor all foment below the surface until one big-city lawyer, Mitchell Stephens (Ian Holm), descends upon the community determined to rid it of its rats.

Enter the piper. Mitchell arrives with a mission. To build up a case of negligence against whatever or whoever is responsible for the loss of so many young lives. To place blame where it is due. But what drives the piper? Mitchell makes the rounds of the children's families, dredging up the tragedy anew, taking the bandages off yet-unhealed wounds. Compensation. Justice. Accidents are simply unheard of in Mitchell's world. Humans are always able to control their destinies. As Mitchell stirs up emotions, self-interest raises its ugly head as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in the struggle for a hefty settlement.

Mitchell shatters the communal peace in his single minded pursuit of purifying the town of its undirected and unreleased anger. But whose anger? Unable to except his estranged relationship with his drug-addicted daughter, Mitchell is a man in denial of his own demons, fighting against his own rage, his own helplessness. Once he could protect his daughter, 'control' her, but now he only hears her hysterical voice on the phone, asking for money, craving for a father. A father whose mission to exorcise others' pain has left his own intact and out of control. Swelling with rage, pain and frustration, Mitchell spirals towards his imagined catharsis. Lawsuit, settlement, satisfaction. Mitchell's hopes that the victims' reparations will heal his wounds as well.

Yet, one survivor refuses to play Mitchell's game of scapegoat. Strapped to a wheelchair, Nicole (Sarah Polley) has been relieved of both her dreams and nightmares--her dream to be a singer and her abuse at the hands of 'daddy,' her stepfather, manager. But Daddy wants money now.

Nicole finally puts an end to the witch-hunt that masquerades as concern. The children, already dead, don't need to be raised only to die again. Nicole's testimony chops off the swollen finger of blame. No culprit. No one to point a finger at. Only victims, for accidents do happen. Nicole's behavior begs the question: who among us sinners can rightfully raise the flag of wronged innocence?

What Egoyan has created with the rich material of Mr. Banks is nothing short of a masterpiece. A small sliver of our frail and sordid existence is made real through Egoyan's intricate storytelling. Each family's tragedy is layered on top of each other with grace and honesty. Fragile humans caught in this cruel wheel of life. Egoyan's breathtaking shots---whether they be close-ups of a baby or snowy panoramas--wrap you up in each unfolding layer of the story. Eerie, harrowing music whispers in the background as you read every twitch in Ian Holm's tense face or in stare in bewilderment at Sarah Polley's fathomless smile. A miracle to behold!

Rating:
Summary: overrated, boring
Review: i rented this film because i had heard good things about it (and the 'spine-lines' on the box claimed it was good)...but it was a big boring disappointment. you definitely won't miss anything, and will save precious time if you skip this bust.

Rating:
Summary: A Sad, Great Film
Review: This is one of the most wrenching movies a person could see.

A school bus skids off a frozen road and crashes through the ice into a lake. Fourteen kids die. Later, a lawyer shows up in the small town and tries to convince the grieving parents to join in a class action law suit. You see him talk to the parents, you hear their stories and you learn about him. You find out secrets and feelings that maybe are best not found out. You experience the parents anger and loss of their children. And there are no happy endings, no satisfying answers. Maybe there's a small spark of hope at the end. It's a magnificent piece of work.

Ian Holm in a great performance plays the lawyer.

The DVD transfer is first-rate

Rating:
Summary: Stays With You...
Review: This is one of those rare films which is at least equal to the novel's quality, even surpassing it in some respects. Subtle and moving, it is refreshing to watch a film that incoporates so much imagery and symbolism without beating the viewer over the head with a skillet. The commentary by Atom Egoyan and Russell Banks provided much insight into why the film had to be structured so differently than the book, and I highly recommend watching the special feature of Russell Banks reading excerpts from the novel.

Rating:
Summary: Another Egoyan masterpiece!
Review: The Sweet Hereafter is more a work of art than a film, and that in itself will put off some people. Its a slow moving, dreary, and depressing motion picture, full of real people, real struggles, and real dialogue. It's a profound experience that moves like a dream, slowly easing its way to an incomplete yet satisfying finale. Egoyan certainly knows how to work with his actors, as is evident by all the brilliant performances he has captured. This is a top-notch film, hard to love, and at the same time, very difficult to hate. Egoyan always has a way to make a challenging motion picture, allowing the audience to think and discuss long after the film is over. He continues to amaze me. This is one of those rare films that might move slowly, but is worth watching. It's a tough one to watch because of the subject matter (children dying in a school bus accident), but in the end, it is well worth it. Egoyan is a brilliant director and he is in top form here. Any fans of his other works who haven't seen this should definitely look for it. Everyone else should also give it a chance. They might enjoy it, or then again, they might hate me for recommending it. Either way, it's at least worth a look.

Rating:
Summary: movie good; book a thousand times better
Review: _The Sweet Hereafter_ by Russell Banks and _The Sweet Hereafter_ directed by Ian Holm are somewhat akin, save for the final chapter of the book.
A town experiences intense tragedy. Whose to blame?
Mr Banks chose to end his novel showing the strength of a town and it's ability to forgive. This to me seems crucial to the entire work.
The movie lacks this part; and though indepedent of the novel, the movie is still good, I feel that after reading the novel, the movie lacks a general closure.