The Sweet Hereafter [1997]

Directed by Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter is a sweeping deconstruction of a tragic event that has shattered the idyllic peace of a quaint village in Canada. The account of the events preceding and following a school-bus accident that has killed most of the kids in it, and the apparently selfless effort of a troubled and detached yet compassionate lawyer (Ian Holm has put in a brilliant performance laced with subtlety and world-weariness) striving to give the people of the town some sense of justice, is portrayed with devastating confidence. Every character has a story to tell which is presented via a fractured narrative making the tale even more compelling and heart-rending. Topics ranging from broken family to illicit affair to even murkier secrets have been captured with beautiful sensitivity and pathos, as the movie is led to a truly memorable climax. As a critic has marvelously put it, the movie is a stirring ode to the cyclical nature of human suffering.









Director: Atom Egoyan
Genre: Drama/Rural Drama/Ensemble Film/Psychological Drama
Language: English
Country: Canada