The Sweet Hereafter Review

by "Andy Wright" (louk AT seanet DOT com)
February 6th, 1998
THE SWEET HEREAFTER
Grade: A (Highly Recommended)

Directed by Atom Egoyan (Exotica, The Adjuster, Family Viewing) Written for the screen by Egoyan, from the novel by Russell Banks Starring: Ian Holm (Alien), Bruce Greenwood (Nowhere Man), Alberta = Watson (Spanking the Monkey), Sarah Polley (Exotica)
Year of Release: 1997
Rating: R

Deserves Recognition for: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Holm), Supporting Actor (Greenwood), Supporting Actress (Polley), Screenplay, Production Design (Philip Barker), Music (Michael Danna) - geez, can you tell that I liked this one?

Capsule Review:
    To audiences used to movies that tell you how to feel, director Atom Egoyan's new film may seem like a cold, lifeless ordeal. The more discerning and patient viewer, however, will find this to be a mournful, absolutely shattering cinematic experience, possibly the best of the last year. Ian Holm gives a magnificent performance as an ambulance chasing attorney whose self-serving attempts to heal a small Canadian community's pain after a horrific accident only ends up ripping new wounds. Egoyan, previously best known for the dark puzzle EXOTICA, displays an astonishing mastery of the medium here, freely mixing timelines in order to view the tragedy from all sides. (He makes an especially resonant and inspired connection with the fable of The Pied Piper of Hamlin.) The result is a film that affects the watcher in a delayed, haunting fashion; you don't realize you've been hurt until you glance down and see the blood.

Copyright 1998 by The Critic formerly known as Andrew Wright For more insanely biased reviews, check out http://www.seanet.com/~louk/ e-mail [email protected]

"Saturday Night Thing.
Drunken Hillbilly Bar Fight.
My Soul Rejoices."

A Haiku in honor of ROADHOUSE
A9Andrew L. Wright esq.

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