THE SWEET HEREAFTER (1997) - Movie Review

Director: Atom Egoyan
Starring: Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Bruce Greenwood, Caerthan Banks, Arsinée Khanjian, Simon Baker, Alberta Watson, Gabrielle Rose, Tom McCamus
Genre: Drama
Writer: Atom Egoyan
Runtime: 112 min
Rated: Rated R for sexuality and some language
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Apple TV

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Synopsis:

As the residents of a remote Canadian town try to cope with the aftermath of a school bus crash that injured dozens and left 14 children dead, they are divided by the arrival of a lawyer who, driven by a tragedy in his own past, encourages them to sue for damages

Review:

"The Sweet Hereafter" is a dark and painful journey into the darker aspects of parenthood and grief. Written and directed by Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan based on Russell Banks' 1991 novel of the same name, the film explores the aftermath of a tragic school bus accident that has killed most of the town's children. Egoyan's adaptation is nonlinear, and he meticulously builds a narrative puzzle that reveals a haunting picture once all the pieces are in place.

An "ambulance chaser" lawyer, played by Ian Holm, arrives in town to convince the bereaved families of the victims to sue, which triggers a series of revelations as the townspeople struggle to make sense of this tragedy and cope with loneliness, guilt and despair. There are no manipulative attempts to make these characters sympathetic. Egoyan never holds back, analyzing his subjects with devastating honesty. Add to that some disturbing references to the "Pied Piper of Hamelin" story, and you get the perfect recipe for a movie that will stubbornly remain stuck in your head for quite some time.

Although the ensemble cast is pretty much uniformly great, there are a few standouts worth mentioning. Holm has a very complicated role, which he pulls off brilliantly. His character appears to be somewhat cynical, and much like the fairy tale piper, he has a way of making people follow his lead. However, the character is much more complex than that, harboring his own dark secret and experience with loss, which have pushed him dangerously close to the breaking point. In one scene he delivers an incredibly written and unsettling monologue: "We've all lost our children. They're dead to us. They're killing each other in the streets. They wander, comatose, at shopping malls. Something terrible has happened. It's taken our children away. It's too late. They're gone". This is indeed one of the film's bigger themes, and one of many references to the tale of the Piper.

Bruce Greenwood, Gabrielle Rose and Sarah Polley are also great. This was Polley's breakout role, she was 18 at the time, and she demonstrates an impressively subtle performance as one of the surviving children. She also sings several of the film's folky songs, and contributed some music and lyrics alongside composer Mychael Danna.

There's an eery lyrical beauty to the way Egoyan unfolds this story and stirs a whirlpool of human emotions. Beautiful cinematography and a medievally-inspired score composed by Danna (another fairy tale connection) complete Egoyan's filmmaking tour de force which earned him two Oscar nominations (Director and Screenplay). Don't expect this to be a legal thriller or courtroom drama, because it's most definitely not. It's light on plot, and leans hard into abstract territory, and the lack of a concrete resolution will probably turn some people off. But if this is not your first arthouse fare and can appreciate a movie that doesn't feed you answers, you will find "The Sweet Hereafter" to be a thoroughly engrossing experience.

SCORE: 10/10