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Reviews
The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
A fine study of grief
It is difficult to predict what Sweet Hereafter will do to you. The outback video cover summary of the movie as a portrayal of a buss-crash and its judicial aftermath does the film little, if any, justice. Where Egoyan's masterpiece true strength lies is in its ingenuous portrayal of grief. People usually talk about something called `The Hollywood model moviemaking' (a term as vague and irrelevant as, for example, `The New Economy') where plot and character portrayal usually follows a set path. Without getting into a discussion of anomalies to this rule, what the Sweet Hereafter so masterfully accomplishes is to get beyond the usual portrayal of sorrow as something tangible and predictable. Nothing wrong with that, when you deal with one or two-dimensional film characters. But real people grieve in real ways. There are no ways to tell how people react to trauma, such as a bus crash or the death of a child. This is the element that Egoyan so beautifully takes advantage of in The Sweet Hereafter. The result is a film that may either bore you or leave you breathless depending on how much liberty you allow filmmakers in their portrayal of human emotions. Like sorrow, The Sweet Hereafter is at once fascinating, boring, painful, frustrating and peculiar.
Going Nomad (1998)
Quirky, brilliant and culty
Going Nomad is not only a movie, it is an invitation to join a mock-cult of asphalt nomads who roam the streets of Manhattan in search for the perfect ride. It is a true feel-good movie that cradles the viewer in its blissful combination of acting (Damian Young, of Hal Hartley fame, is brilliant), music and cinematography. Never have the streets of New York looked so inviting, never have one been so fascinated by a person who, in essence, does nothing with his life and never has driving a car seemed as mythical and spiritual as surfing . This is a true masterpice and a must for all "searchers".