Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, "The Sweet Hereafter" is a moving and disturbing look at the aftermath of a sudden, horrendous accident. For the people of the small town of Sam Dent, that's the first insult. The second comes in the form of a lawyer who digs up the townspeople's darker secrets that eventually do more damage than the tragic accident itself. Part drama, part mystery, this film is often compelling and manages to survive a loss of plot momentum toward the end.
Director Atom Egoyan (1994's "Exotica") has crafted an interestingly structured film that spans three separate, but highly related time lines. One deals with the events leading up to the accident itself, another shows Stevens working his case, and the last deals with the lawyer several years after everything has concluded. By structuring the film this way, Egoyan keeps the audience guessing about what really happened by presenting us with what nearly becomes a murder mystery story.
The film's more much than that, however, as it also delves into the townspeople's secrets as well as the lawyer's own troubled private life. By layering the film with many subplots, Egoyan creates a more densely interesting story than what would have concerned just the bus accident itself. The film is essentially about the bond between adults and children and we see many varying versions of that. There's Stevens and his daughter Zoe (both as child and young adult), the many townspeople who've lost their children, the bus driver and the students she saw as her kids, and the incestuous relationship between Nicole and her father. Together they form an interesting symbolic tapestry of parents "losing" their kids (to death, estrangement, or simply growing up).
Egoyan, adapting and working from Russell Banks' novel (itself loosely based on real life events), creates several intensely mesmerizing moments that obliterate any sense of being in a darkened theater. Some obviously deal with the different characters' reactions to the tragic event. The most effective, however, is a story told by Holm's character about his young daughter having an allergic reaction to spider bites and what he was prepared to do to save her life. His retelling of that moment will leave you spellbound, and while it's quite compelling (without ever really seeing anything -- a mark of good storytelling), it's also a sweet look at what had been an innocent time in both his and his daughter's lives. That moment sharply contrasts his more current problems dealing with his drug-addicted daughter who's no longer that little girl he could save once upon a time.
It doesn't hurt that Egoyan has cast British actor Ian Holm as his lead. An Oscar nominee for his best supporting performance in 1981's "Chariots of Fire" (and recently appearing in last year's "Big Night"), Holm creates a complex character with many behavioral levels. Although on the surface he appears to be a high-priced lawyer simply smelling a lucrative lawsuit, it's those moments where he must deal with his daughter that show his more human side. By seeing those scenes, we better understand his motivation to help the townspeople. While his daughter is still alive, he too — like the townspeople — has lost his child forever, and the thought of possible negligence related to the bus accident infuriates him. When he finds there is no responsible villain — just as there's none for his daughter's condition — he's crushed to an ever greater extent. At times an ambulance chaser and at others an emotionally devastated father, Holm and his character are continuously mesmerizing to watch.
Delivering a more subdued, but just as compelling performance is eighteen-year-old Sarah Polley (who also appeared in Egoyan's "Exotica"). Her take as the coming of age Nicole perfectly balances the fine line of young adulthood mixed with the trappings of a more innocent childhood. A strongly written character whose readings of passages from Robert Browning's poem, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," create a haunting mood over the film, this is an impressive performance from an up and coming star. We expect good things from her in future roles. The rest of the supporting cast are also to be commended for their fine performances and their roles are all quite believable, particularly Bruce Greenwood as the widowed and now childless father, and Gabrielle Rose as the injured, but guilt-ridden school bus driver.
While Egoyan's direction and script will have you glued to your seat waiting to find out what happened, the film does lose some momentum once we actually see the accident (from a distance in a horrendous flashback moment). From that point on the mystery element begins to evaporate and the story does begin to feel a bit long as it eventually winds its way toward the conclusion. It's not a horrendous loss, and the plot's focus on the characters and their interwoven problems take up most of the slack. One only wishes that the payoff of the eventual revealing of the truth about the accident had a bit more kick after such a big buildup.
Of course the film is purposefully about much more than just the accident. It's about the town, its people, and their reaction to both that horrible event and the lawyer's uncovering of their secrets. Egoyan's direction and storytelling are first-rate while cinematographer Paul Sarossy's lens work is captivating. Whether focusing on Holm's pained expression, capturing the sad life of these people or the coldness of the wintery mountain landscape, the film is never boring to watch. Likewise, Mychael Danna's score is equally compelling and at times haunting.
Some viewers will find the proceedings slow at times and others may find the jumping through time confusing (you quickly get used to it), while the sad lives of these townspeople might be a bit overpowering to many others. That's intentional, but it may be a bit much for some who won't be able to "enjoy" Egoyan's storytelling style. If you can get past the somber, and often depressing plot elements, you'll find a masterful piece of film making. We found "The Sweet Hereafter" nearly always compelling and thus give it an 8 out of 10.
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