The Sweet Hereafter . Tucson Weekly . 03-02-98

The Sweet Hereafter

DIRECTED BY: Atom Egoyan

REVIEWED: 03-02-98

Kurt Vonnegut once described the literature of a race of beings who were not bounded by time. Their books were essentially read all at once, and contained a series of unordered sentences that, when taken as a whole, produced a still image of ideas, emotions, and histories. Atom Egoyan has directed films that work in much the same way, weaving their stories back and forth across time until the mystery of the characters' actions and reactions becomes clear in the light of devastating, defining or punctative events. In Sweet Hereafter, Anthony Hopkins stars as a lawyer out to use a small-town tragedy for personal gain, and his overly mannered performance is the film's weakest link. Otherwise, all the actors, many from Egoyan's usual troupe, play their parts with a stiff naturalism that perfectly complements the horrific central event that practically disanimates an entire community. Two stories of the worst possibilities in father-daughter relations further accentuate the bland unpleasantness of quotidian existence, and as each thread of the tale is slowly unwound, a final image of pointless hope and senseless loss is formed. Definitely one of the bleakest, most despairing, and best films of last year.

--DiGiovanna

Full Length Reviews
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter

Capsule Reviews
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter

Other Films by Atom Egoyan
Exotica
Felicia's Journey

Film Vault Suggested Links
Pariah
Down in the Delta
Cruel Intentions

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