The Road to Nowhere: The Last Detail Review

Classic from the Vault

The Last Detail (1973)

Director: Hal Ashby

ByAlex Watson

The films of Hal Ashby have given us some of the forgotten gems of 1970’s American Cinema. He was one of the original pioneers of the New Hollywood Renaissance, from his off-beat romance drama Harold and Maude, to his social satire comedy Being There, Ashby always gave us films that were refreshingly real and depicted real people getting by in everyday life. But behind them was always a powerful message on current state of American Life. But his statements were never more poignant than in his 1973 classic comedy drama The Last Detail.

The story centres of two career Naval Petty Officers, Billy ‘Bad Ass’ Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Richard ‘Mule’ Mulhall (Otis Young) are charged with escorting young Seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) to Naval Prison in New Hampshire. Meadows, has been given 8 Years in jail for being caught stealing $40 from a Polio charity box. Feeling a sense of injustice for him losing his youth, Buddusky and Mule bond with Meadows during the long trip and make it their pledge to show him a good time before he goes away. During their long trip they take in the sights of Washington, New York and Boston- all the while faced with the impending guilt of having to take him to jail.

It could be said that The Last Detail is a bleak road movie. Usually in these films we have a feel good buddy comedy surrounded by hope and pretty scenery. In typical Ashby fashion he went against this. Throughout the film there is a large grey cloud lingering and a constant sense of dread. The cinematography in The Last Detail is distinctly un-glamorous, in their visits to the big cities there are no major sights shown, just the dim lit back room bars and grimy whorehouses. These elements give the audience Ashby’s view of American life and the cynicism that goes with it. This view is also shared in the isolation shared by the three main men. All of them are from poor working class backgrounds and are poorly educated. In order to escape mediocrity it seems the Navy, no matter how many headaches it gives them, is the best option for them in current jobless working climate!

The main theme that surrounds the story is the sense of time running out. We know that Mule and Buddusky have to turn Meadows over and their throughout the film their minds are torn apart by their pending decision. The final scene where they watch Meadows being dragged up the prison stairs to begin his 8 year torture; is truly gut wrenching! The fact is made harder by the friendship they have built up during their long trip. From the beginning we see three solitary figures, all of whom have their issues with the world. Towards the end their tie grows more stead fast and they feel more like brothers, but we know that this will all come at a price- and that price is the loss of Meadows Innocence!

Mule and Buddusky have consigned themselves to the fact that they are ‘lifers’ in the Navy and no matter what they will do their duty. This perhaps influences their desire to make sure Meadows lives a full life in the 5 days he has. As they walk away from the prison muttering to each other, we see them slumping back into the isolated figures they once were.

Jack Nicholson gives one of his best performances in The Last Detail. Buddusky is a compelling character, a Navy man who is finds solace in the violence of frustration. Through Nicholson’s fantastic and aggressive performance we hear Ashby’s voice of opposition to American life and we feel the impact is has through. Randy Quaid does well as the doomed Meadows, Quaid shows us a man who is naive to the ways of the world and this time is last he’ll have before being changed for life. Otis Young gives a measured performance as Mule, his character knows how desolate his situation is and that he has little other option an African American is 1970’s America!

Hal Ashby’s is one of the underrated names of cinema, but after his golden period, his career went into decline and he passed in 1988 largely forgotten! But in recent years his film has developed a cult following. Ashby was one of the last great film makers of the old days and this lead to some memorable, yet off beat pictures. The Last Detail was one of his last great films and it is here I recommend you start!

Excessive Force: Rampart Review

Rampart

Director: Oren Moverman

By Alex Watson

The controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Police Department has been well covered in cinema over the years. We got to see the corruption of the 1950’s Hollywood era in Curtis Hanson’s L.A Confidential, then we saw the tension surrounding the Rodney King incident in Ron Shelton’s Dark Blue and before we saw LA’s response to gang violence in Dennis Hopper’s film Colors. The Rampart division and its scandal were infamous in the late 1990’s, with graphic examples of extreme brutality by officers. We now turn to director Oren Moverman’s documentation of events. This ground has been covered before so will the new kid on the block bring the streets back to life?

Set in 1999 the story follows LAPD veteran Dave ‘Date Rape’ Brown (Woody Harrelson), an old officer of the old rampart days who is no stranger to scandal. But when Brown is caught on TV viciously beating a black suspect who has crashed into his car it appears that his controversial career will be brought to justice. Brown decides to prove his innocence and refuses to be forced into retirement! This fight costs him financially and gradually his life descends into a mess of alcohol, violence and sex. Very soon he is forced to face what his life has cost him.

Disappointingly Rampart fails to bring anything new to the corrupt cop genre, the sun soaked streets of Los Angeles are an overly familiar sight to viewers and we are drawn to Date Rape’s view of the streets being a battle ground between cops and gang members. LA Confidential author James Ellroy co-writes this drama and his dialogue gives Rampart some bite, especially when Brown is trying to exonerate himself before his peers by using fancy sounding legal terms. But the plot itself feels light and throughout the movie, not a great deal happens. We see the effects from Dave beating the suspect and his gradual estrangement from his family (the mothers of his children being sisters) but from there the story zig-zags and by the end it feels that the idea is stretched too far.

Moverman and Harrelson last worked together on the well acclaimed but little seen film ‘The Messenger’ and here they work together again. Oren Moverman has the potential to be an interesting prospect for the future. But in Rampart his star takes a knock, his main use of jerky camera moves confuses people as to what is happening in the story. One particular scene which suffers from this effect is when Dave meets with the Police Chief (Sigourney Weaver) and the District Attorney (Steve Buscemi), this should have been the stand out scene of the film. But due to Overman using a spinning camera to go around the table, it leaves us dizzy and makes you want to hold the screen still! Also his choice of ending will no doubt leaving viewers dumfounded because it merely leaves more questions for us to ask rather than bring events to close.

The movies saving grace however, is a stunning lead performance by Woody Harrelson. This man has been gradually earning back his 90’s acclaim and here his Dave Brown is a fascinating example of a man spiralling out of control. He sees himself as ‘the one cop who gets it’, a crusader out to make the streets a better place, when in reality he is merely a bully who trips up on his own violent actions! Yet he still sees himself as an innocent victim of Police politics. Harrelson holds our attention and is never off screen, he gives Rampart its main driving force and it seems Moverman has found a new leading man. Outside of Harrelson, hardly anyone gets a look in. Steve Buscemi and Sigourney Weaver are vastly underused when their characters promise so much! More inclusion of them could have really widened the story.

The Rampart scandal should have been a blue print for a tight and tense police drama. But it seems like an opportunity has been missed and instead we are left with another run of the mill film. There is no doubting that Moverman will come back from this but this really should have been his break out. It is a shame that Woody Harrelson’s name was missed out on the Oscar list this year, but if anything there is evidence that his second coming is much closer than we think!

Ultra-Violence in Japan: Review of Audition

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Audition (1999)

Director: Takashi Miike

By Alex Watson

Japanese Director Takashi Miike’s films are to put it mildly-an acquired taste! His films range from very gory, bizarre to sometimes family friendly. In his previous efforts such as the brutally violent Ichi the Killer and the strange family film Visitor Q, we have seen perhaps the most controversial artist of years gone by. Opinion has been divided over his work, particularly his use of sexual perversion and extreme violence. Audiences were firmly spilt with his 1999 film Audition, which was adapted from the novel by Ryu Murakami. In this film we were given some of the most shocking imagery in both Asian cinema and the very history of cinema itself!

Audition features a lonely widower of seven years, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) who is currently raising his teenage son single handed whilst running a successful TV production company. To help him find love a friend and colleague suggests he hold a mock audition to find the perfect girl. Aoyama is reluctantly to go along but is eventually persuaded. While there he finds himself enchanted by the shy Asami Yamaza (Eihi Shiina). His friend expresses concern when her resume doesn’t check out and some suspicious events are reported. Aoyama however, is infatuated and proceeded to approach her! Very soon he discovers there is a dark side Asami which will soon leave him fighting for his life!

Upon release Audition caused a major stir and in various film festivals walk outs were common. At the 2000 Rotterdam Film Festival one viewer was so incensed she screamed ‘YOU’RE EVIL’ into the face of Miike. The reaction was unsurprising as the imagery in the film is at times difficult to swallow. But in the face of all its adversities we have a fantastic psychological horror film. The tension builds slowly and it sets up Aoyama as a pleasant and loving man who is looking another woman in his life. At first we assume this is will be a love story and when we first meet Asami she seems innocent and very likable as a person. But then we switch to a scene which shows her sitting quietly in an empty apartment with only a sack and telephone. When the phone rings, the sack begins to move a make gurgling noises. From here the audience begins to feel a sense of un-ease!

The second half is where Miike’s psychological mind play comes into effect, we know that there is something dreadfully wrong with Asami and we pray for Aoyama to discover before it is too late. But we know that the road he taken will lead to disaster. Little by little our hero goes deeper into the underworld and the further he goes the more terrified we grow. The imagery in the latter half is disturbingly memorable! In particular the scene where Asami carries out her delicate and near sexual torture of Aoyama! Dressed in a black apron and slender black gloves she carries out a horrifying deed as she saws off his foot with a wire saw! While doing this she displays a scary girlish glee! Whatever charm was previously is thrown out the window and we see our worse fear come to light! This links to Miike use of violent and perversion because she seems to get a thrill of gently making Aoyama suffer! As the credits roll you sit in a stunned silence and contemplate if this whole event was all a bad dream.

Eihi Shiina gives us one of the most terrifying performances of years gone by. Asami isn’t any typical boil bunny girlfriend and instead she is very soft spoken and seemingly gentle. It is these qualities about her that make it all the more shocking when her dark side emerges and through her piercing eyes we never forget her presence! Ryo Ishibashi charms us with his portrayal of Aoyama, his eyes dazzle at the sight of his conquest but gradually his smitten looks turn to pure terror as things progress. Through Ishibashi’s great everyman performance we see a nice man who is gradually being scarred for life!

Audition is an audacious film by one of Asia’s most daring directors, never once does Miike’s style flinch while any of the mind boggling image are on screen. He always shows us the whole event, no matter how vicious it may be. It is this fact that has set him apart for other men in his field. Audition is worth a look and will leave you think for days after. But be warned it might make you think twice about dating strange woman in future.

Paint It Black: The Woman in Black Review

The Woman in Black

Director: James Watkins

By Alex Watson

For years audiences have been given the chills by Susan Hill’s terrifying Victorian ghost story, The Woman in Black. Its pitch black menace is felt throughout and it is rightly regarded as a classic of its genre. The stage adaptation has also been a major success in London’s West End. I was lucky enough to see a production of it last year. You will never find a more chest-tightening stage piece than this! However, since its publication it has been strangely absent from our screen. Apart from a made for TV version in 1989 (which is still worth a look), there has been no big screen outing for this tale of horror. So now we turn to Eden Lake director James Watkins’ version. But will it conjure up the same lurking threat of the original?

The story surrounds young solicitor Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) who still grieves for his wife who has died in childbirth. Kipps is sent to a small Northern town of Crythin Gifford to settle the estate of recently deceased Alice Drablow- who lived a remote house called Eel Marsh House. Upon his arrival he sees a society seemingly in fear of an unknown presence and the locals want nothing to do with him! Whilst sorting through the paperwork for Mrs Drablow’s estate he learns there might have been more to her family than meets the eye! He is also nervous about a mysterious woman dressed in black who skulk’s the grounds of Eel Marsh House!

The film version of The Woman in Black certainly stays faithful to the spooky spirit of the original and delivers us numerous scares. In one scene where a petrified Kipps wanders the dark halls of Eel Marsh House, the tension is unrelenting and Watkins never gives the audience a chance to breath! And when the shocks come- a massive jump is guaranteed! But it’s not the sight of the lady up close that provides the anxiety, here her very presence is the threat. Through a glimpse of her in a doorway or in a window pane, the effect is everlasting. Also the movie perfectly captures the perplexing world that is Crythin Gifford. The town is permanently in mourning due to the constant loss of their children. Through Watkins, we see a town scared stiff of the swirling mist from the marsh.

But one area where this film falls down is in it cutting and pasting of the story line. The central characters and ideas are all there, but a lot of key areas of the original plot are strangely absent. In particular the explanation of how the Woman in Black really came to being is drastically altered and on screen doesn’t have the same effect. Also the back story of Kipps is also hacked to pieces, in the original he was happily married with a young child. But in this he is transformed into a troubled widower which doesn’t give threat to his family as events progress. The main point of contention is the ending. Originally the stage play ends on a threatening note. But in James Watkins’ piece events are seemingly rounded up with a near happy conclusion. Debate will ensue as to whether this was the right choice?

In his first post Potter adventure Daniel Radcliffe does well as Arthur Kipps. Originally he looks far too young to convince as a father of a four year old boy. But as The Woman in Black enters darker territory it is there that his acting grit shows. Frequently alone and with nothing to react to, his big scared eyes have the audience gripped with anticipation. There are also strong turns from veteran Ciaran Hinds as wealthy landowner Sam Dailly. A man who scoffs at the notion of supernatural spirits, until it becomes impossible to ignore them! Janet McTeer is a revelation as Mrs Dailly, the ghost of her dead son lingers hard on her and she has now replaced him with two dogs that she treats like people! In creepiness terms her limited screen time is as scary as the ladies!

So the legend of The Woman in Black lives on, its frights aplenty and the house full of haunted souls. Time will tell if this has been a worthy adaptation of this novel. But it’s odds on to be the scariest movie of 2012. Make sure you sleep with the lights on after seeing this because the lady will be haunting your dreams!

Clash of the Titans: Review of A Dangerous Method

A Dangerous Method

Director: David Cronenberg

By Alex Watson

David Cronenberg’s films have emerged as some of the most original and strange of years gone by. The results have always been interesting and left us some memorable images, such as the infamous head exploding scene in Scanners, the sheer insanity of the James Woods starring Videodrome, to finally the leg wound penetration in Crash. But his recent era of mind altering tales and numerous splatter effects has considerably mellowed. In its place we have seen a stronger story teller emerge who gives us a compelling leading figure. This time Cronenberg turns to two great minds of the twentieth century and the theories that brought them together, but that would also eventually spilt them! Minds will be tested in A Dangerous Method.

The film focuses on the friendship between potent psychiatrists Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), two great figures in their field. Jung seems to be heir apparent to Freud and he has had great success with his patients as a result of Freud’s theories. But when he begins treated a severely disturbed Russian patient Sabrina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), the relationship between the two begins to grow dangerously close. Soon Jung begins to wonder whether Freud’s theories are right after all.

A Dangerous Method is certainly another big step in the opposite direction for Cronenberg. His recent efforts such as Eastern Promises and A History of Violence have shown us that his films can be accepted by the mainstream. This is probably the most straight laced tale he has done so far and yet we never once feel that Cronenberg’s stamp is absent from it. Unfortunately unlike the men it portrays the film doesn’t quite delve as deeply as we would have liked. The account of the men’s lives feels constricted by the screenwriter Christopher Hampton and because of this we get a rather limited account of the men’s private battle for glory. This film could well have been a gritty and unrelenting psychological piece but sadly we never feel the hatred steadily boiling.

But the relationship between Jung and Sabrina is one of the more interesting aspecst of the film. In their first session we she a woman who is completely lost and seems locked within her own fears. As she sits in her chair squirming and grunting viciously, another memorable Cronenberg image is born! But Sabrina when lets the cat out the bag and reveals that as a child, the abuse inflicted by her father excited her, we feel Jung’s own desire begin to reveal itself- and he administers her cure by given spanking sessions! Even when she is cured Sabrina still proves to be a handful for him! Her presence in his life is both a blessing a curse. Jung gets to break free and vent his sexual urges but at the same point she begins to drag his once great mind down into the gutter. By the end you feel as your mind is one on the verge of breaking in half!

Keira Knightley’s performance is a very bold one and is ultra physical! In years gone by her talents have been questioned by just about everyone. But in A Dangerous Method she really convinces as the frosty, yet severely loyal Sabrina. Knightley is at last proving herself to be an audacious actress and it will be interesting see where she goes from here. Fassbender also does well as the conflicted Jung, with the pain and excited swimming in his eyes we yearn for him to make the right choice. But yet we know whichever one he chooses will be flawed! Disappointingly Cronenberg’s muse of recent times, Viggo Mortensen, feels drastically underused as the supremely arrogant Freud. Through his reduced screen time, Mortensen gives a good account and we can feel his strong hold on Jung’s mind.

Although David Cronenberg’s film might not leave a lasting impression, it is still evidence that he can go straight. A Dangerous Method has is its moments and will probably be remembered for robust sexual content. But if one director can keep changing faces it will always be this man! His imagery will always be unforgettable and I am truly excited to see Cronenberg’s future efforts.

A Game of Shadows: Silence of The Lambs Review

Classic from the Vault

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme

By Alex Watson

What elements does it take to make a great psychological thriller? Firstly you need an intriguing set up, one preferably that involves a deadly game of cat and mouse! Secondly, you need a great central character with strength and resource. But most importantly you need a classic villain who gives the film its tension and whose presence is felt throughout. All these fundamentals were included in Jonathan Demme’s masterpiece, The Silence of the Lambs. Based on Thomas Harris’ best-selling novel, it gave film fans a heart racing mystery, an un-orthodox partnership and finally, one of the most memorable screen villains of all time!

The story sees FBI trainee, Clarisse Starling (Jodie Foster) who is recruited by the head of the behavioural science unit, Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) to do a psychological profile on the notorious man eating ex psychiatrist and prison inmate Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ Lector (Anthony Hopkins). She is warned for the outset of the dangers of Lector and initially she stays away from revealing anything personal. However, across America a new serial killer called ‘Buffalo Bill’ (Ted Levine) has begun to kill young woman and skin parts of their body! Soon the bureau and Starling are forced to turn to Lector for help and soon an unlikely alliance is formed.

The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most recognisable thrillers of recent times, with Demme’s stunning direction; we are given suspense by the bucket load.  The film stays away from the usual clique’s and doesn’t give us the killer simply jumping out of nowhere to make us jump. Demme instead used techniques such as intense close ups and obscured camera shots to encapsulate the terror surrounding the story. So effect are his close ups, that in the scenes involving Lector, it makes the audience want to take a giant step back! The narrative stays faithful to Harris’ novel and in doing so it captures the un-ease that goes with it.

The principle strength of The Silence of the Lambs though, comes from its central duo. Starling and Lector hold our attention throughout. Initially Starling refuses to fold in the face of Lector’s mind games. But in the search for Buffalo Bill, Lector gives her a Quid Pro Quo deal, where she tells him things about herself in exchange for possible information. It is hear where Lector’s psychological influence takes over and soon we feel him needling his way into Starling’s mind. But in some way we also feel that Starling is beginning to get into his also. Lector has finally met a contemporary to match him in his game of mental chess- it is this fact that makes her safest in Lector’s world.

Character wise Starling represents a real rarity in cinematic thrillers, a female protagonist. Clarice is the viewer’s eyes into the horrifying world of murderous insanity and she is gives the movie its human feel. We see someone who is very strong willed, but is also vulnerable to the horrors that she faces. The one scene that demonstrates this is when Lector forces her to recount a traumatic memory of watching her uncle slaughter lambs! One the main parts of the story is Starling’s struggle as woman in an all male world and therefore- an outsider! Through her desire to succeed, Clarice’s strength of character comes alive and in the face of Lector’s twisted brilliance she is able to hold her own.

The film however, belongs to the presence of Hannibal Lector, even though his presence throughout the film is limited, his ghostly presence haunts the screen. The man himself comes across as likeable and charming. But just when you let your guard down, that is when his dangerous side becomes visible! In Particular, Lector’s daring escape from custody in Memphis! The guards take him to be harmless and are almost blasé towards guarding him. But in a moment he handcuffs one of them to the jail bars and brutally murders them! Lector is a legendary villain of our time whose menace has rarely been equalled!

Anthony Hopkins brings the screen to life in The Silence of the Lambs; this role will forever be his most identified. With his cold eyes and lurking presence, this is one of the great turns of cinema, and to this day it is still as chilling! Jodie Foster is equally as brilliant as Starling, through an almost quiet mannered and determined performance. Foster gives more dimensions to Starling as she battles against male superiority! These two performances combined were two of the most outstanding of the 1990’s!

So after all these years, the lambs still haven’t been silenced! Lector’s spirit still lurks in the shadows and Clarice Starling’s fight is as passionate as it always was. If you haven’t already seen this a bunch of time, the time to begin is now!

The Double Sided Mirror: Martha Marcy May Marlene Review

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Director: Sean Durkin

By Alex Watson

Every year around festival time, there comes an independent film that captures everyone’s attention. In these films there are no fancy effects or big names, just raw and efficient story telling. They are pieces that make us sit and pay attention, and have actors that make the story feel more genuine. This year’s festival darling is debut director, Sean Durkin’s complex directorial debut, Martha Marcy May Marlene.

The story begins with Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) fleeing from the abusive cult she has joined in Catskills, New York. The cult is led by the caring but possessive Patrick (John Harkes). She makes a frantic phone call to her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) who takes her to the luxurious lake side apartment she shares with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy). Martha has been missing for two years, and is reluctant to reveal who happened in her absence. Inside she is traumatised young woman! As the film progresses her paranoia increases and she comes to believe that Patrick’s cult are watching her every move!

Martha Marcy May Marlene has a very rough edge to it, and a lot of what happens will seem very ambiguous. But those who stay with this film will be rewarded with one of the boldest pieces of American cinema this year. The story is split between two worlds, we focus initially on the scenes of Martha re-entering society. These scenes have heavy fracture to them, almost as if Martha is reawakening from a coma and the disorientation that comes with it.  It is here where the movie forms a claustrophobic edge. Martha’s behaviour grows more bizarre, she goes skinny dipping and at one point she climbs into bed with her sister when she is in the middle of sex with her husband! She fails to comprehend how this behaviour isn’t normal. It seems like the ghost of the past are trapped inside her.

Then we back date to her time in the commune, this part of the story is slowly brought to light by Durkin. It is this area where the film feels strongest; there is an ethereal like quality and we are pulled into a world where nothing seems quite real!  What starts as innocent free love, turns into something very un-pleasant. Through these cracks we see the influence of cult leader Patrick, who re-christens Martha, ‘Marcy May’. Patrick’s followers are truly slaves to his will and it seems they do anything to please him, even if it means murders of innocents! With his poetic philosophic sayings and his soulful singing, at first he appears like a cult Bruce Springsteen. But when his cold, calculating side appears, his control over Martha intensifies.

Elizabeth Olsen takes centre stage in this film; Martha could have been a very un-likeable and cold character in the wrong hands. But through the haunted look in her eyes, Olsen holds the screen throughout and we are drawn to Martha’s battle against her confusion and increasing anxiety! The younger sister of the Olsen twins, it seems Elizabeth has made her mark on the film world! John Harkes’ performance is also of a high quality. We’ve seen him play this kind of aloof character previously in Winter’s Bone. But here his character rings remarkably true, Patrick feels like a soft spoken prophet whose ideals enchant his young disciples. Sarah Paulson also gives a strong supporting turn as sister on the edge Lucy.

Director Sean Durkin gives us a fascinating look at a troubled woman and his broken style of direction in Martha Marcy May Marlene shows us he’s a name to watch. His principal strength is that the main events of the movie are left open to interpretation. Are Martha’s paranoid thoughts valid or has not truly escaped Patrick’s control? The end scene of the movie will spilt viewers, some will go away disappointed, while other will leave quietly anxious. But one fact is undisputed, we have a great new independent film and in Elizabeth Olsen, a new indie queen in the making!

The Approaching Curve: Review of The Sweet Hereafter

Classic from the Vault

The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

Director: Atom Egoyan

By Alex Watson

Normally if you asked to name a film by director Atom Egoyan then you would probably give that person a blank stare. The Egyptian/Canadian director is an acclaimed artist who has refreshingly stayed away from the mainstream. Egoyan has an eye for expressing complex human emotions and bringing their feelings across. His previous efforts Exotica and Felicia’s Journey demonstrated such feelings as loss, trauma and individuals seeking comfort. All these themes were expressed in his Canadian gem The Sweet Hereafter.

The Sweet Hereafter tells the story of the small town in Canada which has been affected by a fatal school bus crash that has claimed the lives of nearly all the town’s children. The accident has attracted lawyer Mitchell Stephens (Ian Holm) who has metaphorically lost his daughter Zoe to a heroin addiction and Aids. Mitchell is determined to prove that the crash was anything but an accident and is looking to give the town’s anger a voice. Each of the film’s characters have been affected by the result of the loss of their children, particularly young teenager Nicole (Sarah Polly) who has been paralysed and is traumatised from the loss of her legs, which has ended her music career and ends her ‘special relationship’ with her father.

One of the main themes running through The Sweet Hereafter is trauma. Through Egoyan, we see the town’s pain in full force. Entire families move away, parents turn to alcoholism, while others seeking solace in affairs with others. The trauma of truth is also predominant, families are un-willing to talk about that fateful day and the memories will forever haunt. In particular, Billy Ansel (Bruce Greenwood), who lost his children in the accident. He knows the lawsuit won’t bring him happiness, and he wants to move forward with his life.  Here, he is the voice of reason for the town and the sole opposition to greed.

Throughout the film there is no single voice that the audience is drawn to but several. The Sweet Hereafter moves from narrator to narrator and the story unfolds gradually. By doing this Egoyan prevents the viewer from getting too close to any particular character. The story is told mainly through flashback and it is for the audience to make their own interpretation of events. This effect gives the story a dream like quality and ensures that the audience experiences the full range of emotions in the town, especially the exploitation of greed. Mitchell Stephens, although determined to give their anger a voice, also brings the threat of greediness by promising them a big cash settlement! As the film unfolds greed becomes an important emotion as many of the bereaved parents seek financial compensation, but for what reasons do they turn to it? Are some doing it because they feel that money will quash their anger and solve their problems? Or are they doing it to gain some attention. The repeated telling of The Pied Piper by Nicole emphasises this notion and spells the outcome for the town if they continue!

The performances in The Sweet Hereafter are an unknown quality, Ian Holm gives one of his greatest performances as jaded lawyer Mitchell Stephens. We feel his connection to the case as he has more-or-less lost his own daughter. Holm’s world weariness fits the role perfectly as Stephen’s strive to help everyone involved. Sarah Polley is heart breaking as Nicole, a victim in more ways than one; she has not only lost her entire future and friends. But she is also involved in an incestuous relationship with her father. Through Polley’s engaging presence, we feel the death or her dreams and Nicole’s unwillingness to accept the life that is left for her.  She is the lame child in the Pied Piper, left behind while the others are gone.

It is disappointing that the cinema of Egoyan is largely unknown. His use of emotion is beautifully articulated. In his films Egoyan shows us resolution can be both brutal and beautiful at the same time. The characters here are fully justified in their pain and loss, but what set them apart is that they are willing to sell out their trauma in order gain riches and be in the spotlight.  In The Sweet Hereafter he makes ourselves ask some serious question about how close we hold the traumatic events our lives. If you wish to explore Atom Egoyan, this will make the perfect start!