Amazon.com

In synopsis The Sweet Hereafter may sound like a devastatingly unpleasant downer, but don't be discouraged. The real subjects of this luminous picture (adapted by director Atom Egoyan from Russell Banks's novel) are hope and renewal--avoiding the cheap emotions suggested by those clichéd terms. Like other Egoyan films (Exotica, for one), it's an intriguing sort of mystery, a puzzle in which the big picture is not revealed until the very last piece is in place. A metropolitan attorney (Ian Holm) travels to a small British Columbian town where 14 children have been killed in a school bus accident to prepare a class-action suit. With sensitivity and empathy, he approaches relatives with promises that the suit will give focus and closure to their grief. And as he investigates the circumstances of the accident, he not only uncovers a few local secrets, but dredges up some painful pieces of his own past. Slowly, deeper mysteries are revealed--eternal mysteries at the very heart of human nature: Who is to blame for a tragedy like this? And why do people feel such a need to assign blame? Is that how they give meaning to otherwise inconceivable events? How does one reassemble a shattered life? The Sweet Hereafter is too honest to offer bromides, but it shows how a few people struggle, as best they can, to answer these questions for themselves. DVD extras include audio commentary by Egoyan and Banks, a Charlie Rose interview with Egoyan, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (108)

Atom Egoyan's beautiful tragedy! Masterful filmmaking!
What can I say about "The Sweet Hereafter"? Well, without hyperbole, Canadian director Atom Egoyan has basically turned Russel Banks popular novel into one of the most touching and masterfully-crafted films ever made! This is the story of smalltown tragedy in British Columbia. Fourteen schoolchildren are killed in a freak school bus accident, and their families, friends, and neighbors, each devestated in their own way, tries to carry on with their lives. A manipulative laywer (played with stark intensity by Ian Holm) comes to the town to try to organize a class action lawsuit, but the lawyer is carrying some emotional baggage of his own, and Egoyan creates some beautiful plot "counterpoint" by weaving the townpeople's and the lawyers tragedies together. Egoyan takes what COULD have been fodder for another melodramatic Hollywood tearjerker, and turns it into a film of great depth and substance. Egoyan has a wonderfully lyrical sense of film composition, and he masterfully intermixes scenes from the present, with flashbacks to the past, and slowly unviels the the complex lives of his characters (including some even deeper tragedies than the bus accident!) Ever the innovator, Egoyan even manages to blend spoken poetry into the story, as Robert Browning's "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is used as a powerfully symbolic conterpoint to the story we are seeing on screen. The whole cast is quite excellent, but young Canadian actress Sarah Polley (as the pivotal character of Nicole, a would-be rock singer and survivor of the bus crash) just about steals the show! I won't give away one of the film's most surprising plot-points (although some Amazon reviewers have already let the cat out of the bag), but I will just say that Polley's dazed facial expression near the end of the story is a beatiful piece of acting...and speaks volumes more than any big, convoluted Hollywood "comeuppance" scene could ever achieve! "The Sweet Hereafter" is a film that should not be missed by any film buff! I have seen this film at least five times now and I can attest that it only gets better with repeated vieweings, there is simply too much going on underneath the surface of the story to absorb all of it's issues on the first glance. This very "human" film is the complete antithesis of everything that is wrong with the current Hollywood scene, and with this emotionally gripping film, Atom Egoyan has cemented his place among the world's finest filmmakers!

Secrets and Lies
This quiet, subtle and gripping movie is an impressive work about death, grief, change, secrets and communities, a strong, moving and complex cinematic experience. Director Atom Egoyan handles a difficult subject and knows how to develop an interesting and thought-provocking approach.

The basic story is about the aftermath of a school bus accident that led to the death of 14 children. An attourney (Ian Holm) then tries to find out who was the responsible for such dramatic and unfortunate incident, looking for clear answers but failing to achieve them.
Was it really just an accident? Why did it happen? Was it that surprising and unexpected? These are some of the questions that the lawyer tries to find answers to, so he starts looking for them in the little, calm and peaceful canadian village where the disaster happened.

As the lawyer`s quest unfolds, Egoyan shows us his motivations, giving a glipse about his relationship with his drug-addicted daughter that he is unable to help.
"The Sweet Hereafter" is a powerful story about loss and frustration in a world where parents can`t seem to help their children, dreams start to fade and hope is destroyed. But it`s also a story told in a realistic and credible way, avoiding easy melodramatic devices and dramatic overacting. Egoyan doesn`t offer a tearjerker session here, given that his approach is subtle, letting hope and reconstruction unfold.

The storytelling techniques are unique, given that the plot development isn`t linear and mixes three different timeframes that are related and co-dependent. The movie also presents an ethereal, hypnotic and dream-like atmosphere, creating a particular and unique feel, although it never loses its realistic elements. The acting is overall convincing, especially Sarah Polley as the enigmatic young girl.

"The Sweet Hereafter" is not always an easy film to watch, as some of its plot points offer some ambiguity and uneasy answers. The characters are more than what they first seem, and Egoyan wisely covers a wide range of emotions without following a predictable and standart perspective. This is a slow, engrossing and captivating piece of cinema, one that makes the viewer feel, think and question, way above many formulaic fast-food flicks out there.
A remarkable achievement.

Stays With You...
This is one of those rare films which is at least equal to the novel's quality, even surpassing it in some respects. Subtle and moving, it is refreshing to watch a film that incoporates so much imagery and symbolism without beating the viewer over the head with a skillet. The commentary by Atom Egoyan and Russell Banks provided much insight into why the film had to be structured so differently than the book, and I highly recommend watching the special feature of Russell Banks reading excerpts from the novel.

Another Egoyan masterpiece!
The Sweet Hereafter is more a work of art than a film, and that in itself will put off some people. Its a slow moving, dreary, and depressing motion picture, full of real people, real struggles, and real dialogue. It's a profound experience that moves like a dream, slowly easing its way to an incomplete yet satisfying finale. Egoyan certainly knows how to work with his actors, as is evident by all the brilliant performances he has captured. This is a top-notch film, hard to love, and at the same time, very difficult to hate. Egoyan always has a way to make a challenging motion picture, allowing the audience to think and discuss long after the film is over. He continues to amaze me. This is one of those rare films that might move slowly, but is worth watching. It's a tough one to watch because of the subject matter (children dying in a school bus accident), but in the end, it is well worth it. Egoyan is a brilliant director and he is in top form here. Any fans of his other works who haven't seen this should definitely look for it. Everyone else should also give it a chance. They might enjoy it, or then again, they might hate me for recommending it. Either way, it's at least worth a look.

movie good; book a thousand times better
the commentary by russell banks made the movie more interesting and enjoyable. from the sound of the dvd, the director will be patting himself on the back well into his sweet hereafter. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

The Innocents
That Atom Egoyan is one of the very best directors making movies today is beyond reproach. If he had only made the elegant and stunning "The Sweet Hereafter" his place among the pantheon of directors would be assured. So what happened with "Ararat?"
In a nutshell, "Ararat" is too complicated; filled with too many sub-plots and extraneous material not central to the plot. It's as if Agoyan, in his need to set the record straight about the Armenian Genocide says too much. The problem with all of this is that it takes away from the dramatic core of the movie: "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."
The Armenian Genocide by the Turks at the beginning of the 20th. Century is innately rife with sorrow, pathos and human despair but Atom Egoyan would have better served his people and his subject had he made a simple, straightforward dramatic film based on Clarence Ussher's Diaries, an American doctor and an eye-witness.
Several story elements do work, though: the story of Arshile Gorky and his mother become a touchstone for the entire film: it's emotional center. Also, Raffi's (David Alpay) plot line with the customs official (Christopher Plummer) though realistically implausible is nonetheless dramatically true. Some of the performances are also first rate: David Alpay, Christopher Plummer and Charles Aznavour as the director of the film-within-a-film.
As in most of Egoyan's films, events and how they are recalled and thereby inevitably interpreted by a group of people is at the core of "Ararat.": Recollection as a way of eventually getting at the truth of a thing.
For the most part, "Ararat" is well thought out and humane and it definitely brings to the forefront a piece of history many of us know nothing about. But ultimately "Ararat" does not carry it's grim burden well: telling the horrific story of the decimation of a people; a story too long hidden away in the history books (if there at all) of these heroic Armenians many of whom survive today and remain irrevocably scarred by it.

Remarkable and Multi-dimensional
This film is a work on many levels dealing with various social and political issues. The movie within a movie concept is successfully executed by Egoyan. There are also numerous talented actors in this film such as the main character David Alpay and even popular singer Charles Aznavour.

It seems as though some reviewers who gave this movie a negative review have not actually seen the movie. These are individuals who attempt to sabotage works dealing with the Armenian Genocide. However, a few Turkish scholars have risked their lives and accepted the Genocide and believe it is the first step to accept their history and actions of their ancestors. Also, contrary to what one reviewer wrote, this movie is based on a HISTORICAL ACCOUNT by the American physician Dr. Clarence Ussher who set up a hospital in Van and witnessed the horrors of Genocide.

The bottom line is this movie is very thought provoking as the New York Times reviewer wrote. This is one of those movies where you will find yourself trying to answer questions long after you've seen the film. Thus, one viewing will not suffice.

art or artifice?
Armenian-Canadian and Egyptian-born film director Atom Egoyan's film Ararat on "the Armenian genocide", while intricately constructed in his usual style, is a disservice to the ideals of progressive constructionism and historically faithful fiction. In this context it is important to consider how the Armenian propaganda machine and extremist groups regularly abuse Armenian art in order to reach their political aims. These fringe elements of the Armenian diaspora (especially in North America) over the 20th century have built the expat Armenian identity squarely on anti-Turkish feelings and this movie works to buttress that aim. The director's life and growing up in Canada as a teenage immigrant also impacts the movie in predictable ways, and is worth commenting on. Egoyan is essentially an identity-convert. He refused his Armenian identity as a teenager and made efforts to be a 'normal' Canadian. He did not speak Armenian. However in college, radical Armenian nationalists helped him rebuild his national identity on powerful anti-Turkish sentiments. Now they could bond around a common enemy. He was Armenian because he was anti-Turkish and vica versa. The nationalist trend in his character became even more significant when he married a beautiful but fanatic Lebanese Armenian, Arsinée Khanjian, who is cast as Ani in the movie. There's nary a single member of the cast who isn't caught up in the politics and this shows.

The 'genocide legacy' in particular has played a crucial role in Egoyan's self-identification like many Armenians in the diaspora, descendants of rural folk forced out of their ancestral lands as refugees by events beyond their control or comprehension. Though almost none of these millions of North American descendants of displaced Armenians had ever been to Turkey (or Armenia for that matter, though this would have been more difficult under the Soviets), many of them continued to believe and financially support the notion that the Turks had attempted to obliterate their race. Mind you these very same Turks and Armenians are descendants of Ottomans, a very genetically diverse and inclusive group (not to be dismissed by glib theories of rape and pillage - cf. Semino et al. Science vol. 290 10 Nov 2000, for an analysis of European Y chromosomes and human migration) who despite early military successes were unarguably one of the most tolerant conquerors in recorded history. It is deeply ironic that these people would nevertheless sabotage their own community after hundreds of years of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and collaboration in art, philosophy, literature, and trade. Most of the fruits of this cultural collaboration is unfortunately unavailable on the web or outside the realm of academia, but not music- see "Istanbul 1925" (a compilation CD by Traditional Crossroads available through Amazon) for a delightful historical example, coincidentally reproduced from the original recordings in the US by Armenian-Americans.

In essence Egoyan has exaggerated the past in order to legitimize his identity, in the cultural obsession which is the primary trait of "modern" Armenian art.

Egoyan bases his script on the (1917) book by Clarence Ussher, who worked as an American missionary in the eastern Ottoman Empire during WWI. However, the script deviates considerably from Ussher's accounts, beyond the boundaries of artistic expression especially for such a politically charged historical subject. Egoyan chooses to focus in his film-within-a-film on the Armenian revolt in the Ottoman city of Van in 1915. However the script conveniently neglects the fact that the actual revolt ended with the victory of Armenians, when the Ottoman governor of Van was forced to flee and was replaced by an Armenian at the conclusion of a bloody joint attack by the Russian army, which occupied the city joined by local Armenian bandits and militia. This Armenian-Russian joint attack resulted in the death of more than 20,000 Van residents, none of whom were armed combatants. Of course these historical 'macro' facts also covered in Ussher's book did not fit well into the victim's psychology which pervades the movie.

Ararat, though I hate to say it, is a typical Armenian propaganda film (see also Midnight Express) and will damage the ongoing attempts for Armenian-Turkish dialogue for the benefit of humanity, ie. for the people who actually have to live in these countries and not kick back on their leather couch in a US/Canadian suburb and pop in a DVD for entertainment/shock value, or for self-serving members of the diaspora hungry for victim psychology consumables. As other unbiased movie critics will attest, Ararat is one of Egoyan's worst films in terms of art value. A good product requires effort, subtlety and meticulousness. Extreme prejudice, ideological perniciousness and cartoonish depictions of good and evil do not improve the artistic quality of a film. That's not to claim Egoyan made this movie out of sheer hatred. The point is that he is compelled to become the voice of the proselytisers and as such does not really attempt with his art to reach into the nature of societal and emotional tensions that underlie cultural obsessions. As he states in interviews he refuses to discuss 'the genocide issue'. When you reject dialogue or debate on an issue you can't claim to make a critical film on the subject. It's likely that extremist Armenian elements within the diaspora acting through his wife and friends (not to mention Bob Lantos) have put enormous pressure on Egoyan to make a film like Ararat. This pressure has been building from decades of frustration with other prominent Armenian diaspora filmmakers (see Mamoulian, Kazan or Verneuil). Several years before this film Egoyan had even mentioned in an interview that he was not a historical filmmaker and that he would not be making a film on the events of 1915.

It's clear that he eventually succumbed to the pressure. Still, external forces aside it does not justify this intentionally obscure and convoluted effort because as an intellectual and high profile Armenian-_Canadian_ artist, more so an Officer of the Order of Canada, he has a responsibility to probe the underlying elements with integrity and create a conduit to bring together Armenians and Turks through visual art in reconciliation and self-awareness. To build such an outlet would after all be in the spirit of the Canadian national character.

Deep, captivating, emotional!
Very few movies leave a deep impact lately, as this one did. Not only because of my armenian background, but the composition and the human interaction. I had to watch it twice to make sure I did not miss anything and still did not catch all the nuances untill I listened to the commentary. I'm swept away! Recommended it to all my friends and family and will share it at work with my non-armenian friends!
Atom, thank you!

The Complete Picture..
I liked this movie because unlike most movies about massacre and persecution in the Old World, this movie follows up on the persecuted peoples, in this case the Armenians, as they find the life in their new country-of-refusge, Canada. As is the case with real, live human beings, escaping persecution to safety and "freedom" is not enough to address the complexity of the human soul. All of the Armenian-Canadians portrayed in the film live in a New World context and suffer from New World problems along with the alienations and isolations of New World lives. As in all Egoyan movies, most of the film protagonists in this exsemble work do not exist merely as didactic sterotypes. They breath, their relationship to their heritage is compromised in the personal life, they suffer. They suffer in a way which is special to the New World, Canada and The United States alike.

Instead of bringing us a dry, linear account, the story of the Armenian massacre in Eastern Turkey is told indirectly, through the filming of a film about it. In many instances the viewer is confused, not certain if it actually is a flashback to the actual past or merely the scenes of the massacre being filmed for the film. Does it matter? What is the relationship between the actual events and the events portrayed in the film? One keeps wondering about that.

Like all Egoyan films, the production is professional and smooth. The themes of his earlier movies about emotional disconnection and the use of video and vice to overcome that disconnection appear here as well. That is perhaps what makes this movie special: In exploring his own Armenian heritage, he never drops the ball of his old themese and concerns. He never forgets or ignores thay they are all in Canada now and that the fact that the Armenians were persecuted in the Old World, does not solve their problems of existentiality and their own estrangement in a New World Society.

Egoyan offers us a new model for the making of films about cataclyismic, life ruining problems. I wish that movies of this type could have been made about the Jewish Holocaust and the Palestinian Refugee Problem. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In spite of its atrociously misleading packaging, Exotica is abeguiling mystery by enigmatic Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, in whichpeople and their relationships are not what they seem. What at first appearto be disparate stories of a tormented tax auditor, a lonely pet-shop owner,and a sensitive stripper and her coworkers gradually merge to reveal alarger, interconnected portrait. The sequences involving Mia Kirshner'sschoolgirl stripper are particularly engrossing because of her character'sintelligence and the scenes' deeper subtext. Indeed, Exotica is lessabout stripping than about fragile human relationships, and it is not untilthe truly revelatory final scene that we are able to fully absorb the film'sdeeper meaning. --Bryan Reesman ... Read more

Reviews (51)

A fascinating and highly provocative mosaic
First of all, Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan's lavishly intense film is NOT to be mistaken for "Showgirls," nor for any triple-x movie (although it IS R-rated).
Although the film presents certain elements of mystery (and one must pay extraordinary attention to both detail and innuendo), the intensity of the characters and plot propel the film across several levels. The viewer hangs on every word, both to pick up (almost desperately) clues toward understanding the over-lapping stories, but also because the characterizations are so thoroughly riveting.
Bruce Greenwood displays excellent range as he portrays both a care-free young family man as well as that character in middle age, besought with layer upon layer of tragedy and "baggage."
Mia Kirshner similarly impresses as we see her character at various stages: as a troubled pre-teen, replete with pony tail and braces, and also as both a mature college graduate and, quite convincingly, as an exotic dancer.
Elias Koteas is stunning as an anguished and lost club DJ/poet.
Don McKellar and Arsinée Khanjian are also quite brilliant in supporting roles.
Be prepared to want to immediately view the film a second time -- to do so is not merely repetition but serves as an opportunity to continue to fathom the depths of the characters and the film's unrelentingly passionate intrigue.

Obsession and desire, Atom Egoyan's best to date.
An obsession is not unlike a dream, in the sense that you can find in both a very peculiar stance where sensibility and madness go hand in hand. But any attempt, by man or woman, to tread new roads to and from such places is often futile, simply because the journey to such underminded conditions is always one of self-discovery and self-torture.

Quite possibly his most sucessful movie to date, Atom Egoyan's marvelously written EXOTICA delves deeply into the world of pain and obsession, painting for us a canvas in which the characters and their stories are never static or cold, but organic and contrived. Painfully marred by their fractured lives and by their fears.

EXOTICA tells the story of three very enigmatic and confused individuals. Francis (Bruce Greenwood), an obsessed man who recently went through a very traumatic experience; Christina (Mia Kirshner), an erotic table dancer who has a very special relationship with Francis, and finally Eric the club's D.J. (powerfully played by Elias Koteas), who seems in turn to be obsessed with Christina.

As I was watching the movie, I quickly became enthralled with the story, if for no other reason simply because I was absorbed at how very well portrayed the characters were. It seems that at some point or another we all go through times when our own existance seems to flicker, something breaks inside which gnaws away our sanity. The only way to prevent our destruction is to see ourselves reflected in someone else's life.

This is the story told in EXOTICA. Don't be discouraged by the name, the movie is very enjoyable and fun. I was particularly amazed by Elias Koteas performance. The DVD edition is nicely presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1, the video transfer is solid throughout and even though there are no extras to speak of, I think the movie itself is worth its price (or at least a rent). Give it a try, I recommend it.

Shallow to deep.
One has to wonder if those who rated this movie poorly 'got it'. I gave this to a co-worker and he was highly confused at the end because he missed a critical link. For myself, I'm not sure what I expected. I knew I liked Mia Kirshner, and the pick-up of the DVD in a bargain bin was a "what the heck" purchase though I'd read reviews that seemed to promise a dark, disturbing, thought provoking movie.

Well, the packaging, as alluded to in the description, makes this seem like a standard erotic thriller. The addition of much of the action taking place in a strip club only seems to reinforce this as being standard, even shallow, fare. It's anything but. It might not be believable as a story, but the characters themselves are. Not only that, but fittingly enough, the shallowest seeming character through much of the film turns out to be potentially the most complex. It wasn't until after the end credits had rolled, and while still wrapping my mind around the whole canvas of the movie, it clicked as to why the character may have acted in a certain way.

I'll add a disclaimer here for anyone interested in the movie. If you are at all squeamish about the concepts of pedophelia, homosexuality, strip clubs, etc... well, just be aware that you might feel highly uncomfortable. I only plead discomfort to the first and parts were painful to watch even though nothing explicitly happens (and as is the case of the whole movie, nothing is anywhere near as simple or obvious as it first appears).

Highly recommended if you want a thought provoking, dark movie that at times makes you do a mental doubletake.

Don't waste your time with this trash
I was browsing movies on Amazon looking for something new and different to watch, using customer reviews to decide if it might be worth my time or not. When the movie started, I already knew this one was a mistake. I sat through the whole thing (another mistake) and in the end I felt very cheated out of a buck and a couple hours of my life I could of spent doing something else.

The acting, characters, script, and plot were pathetic. The climatic ending that people keep mentioning wasn't a big deal at all. This movie was not artistic as some claim. It wasn't thrilling or suspenseful. It was just a bad attempt at a bad story with bad actors. Move right along to the next movie.

Egoyan's swan Song!!!
O.K. this film sarts off with a elderly Kung Fu instructor that, at the end of his life, realizes that his five students could become evil. Each of the students has become a master Kung Fu fighter and has specialized in one of five deadly techniques. The problem is that the master has no idea who each of the " deadly venoms " are now that they have been able to leave the secret Kung Fu school......oh, wait! This is Atom Egoyan's Exotica I'm writing about. Sorry!

Exotica made me fall into a deep, deep sleep. I had a dream about a real strip club. It was NOTHING like Egoyan's over the top exotic wonderland. In reality strip clubs, strippers and strip club DJs couldn't be LESS interesting. The average strip club is , at best, entertaining. There is nothing exotic or entertaining about Exotica. I wonder if Egoyan has ever been in a strip club? Well, I'm sure he's too cultured for that kind of thing.

5 stars for the the Shaw Brother's Kung Fu classic Five Deadly Venoms! Top notch Kung Fu !!! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Family Viewing
Atom Egoyan's second film (1987) seems dated and grainy, and sitting through it until you are used to the pacing can be excruciating, but ultimately you may find this to be one of your favorite films, especially if you are interested in how film affects our lives. Told through film augmented by home movies and juxtaposed television viewing and security cameras, this deep and complex film shows that Egoyan was interested in themes surrounding the act and effects of filming right from the beginning. Also, his layers upon layers style is here in all its glory, as is actor-wife Arsinee Khanjian.

The story revolves around a young man just graduating from high school, his strained relationship with his father, his doting on his maternal grandmother who lives in a shabby nursing home, and his friendship with the telephone sex operator who visits her mother in the next bed.

This is one of those films that you will watch again and then watch with commentary and then want to talk to others about. Egoyan is a wonderful filmmaker, always interesting.

Extras include commentary, a very interesting bio/filmography of the director, over 12 minutes of rehearsal footage, stills and three early short films by Egoyan -- Open House (25 min), Howard in Particular (12 min, 1979) and Peepshow (7 min, 1981). The film can be heard in English with English or French subtitles.

"When you're not feeling connected."
In this double DVD set "Family Viewing/Next of Kin" from director Atom Egoyan, both of the films are about alienated young men who are unable to interact in any sort of healthy fashion with their emotionally dysfunctional families. When watching these films, I recall a quote from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This quote can be easily applied to the unhappy families in Egoyan's films "Family Viewing" and "Next of Kin."

In "Family Viewing" a 17-year-old named Van lives with his video and television obsessed father and his father's lover, Sandra. Van's mother disappeared years ago, and Van's maternal grandmother Armen is stuck in a nasty nursing home. Van has a complicated relationship with Sandra, but his relationship with his father is strained. The fact that Armen is neglected in a nursing home--regularly visited by Van--only serves to alienate the father and son even further. Van's father is gradually erasing home-made videotapes of Van and his mother--filmed in Van's childhood--and replacing these treasured memories with some nasty films of his own. While visiting his grandmother in the nursing home, Van, strikes up a relationship with an emotionally stunted telephone sex operator named Aline (played by Egoyan's wife Arsinee Khanjian).

"Family Viewing" may seem amateurish at first, but don't let Egoyan's techniques fool you. Egoyan's films are created with the precision of mathematical equations, and "Family Viewing" is a very concise, perfectly constructed film. It has the feel of a daytime soap opera, and this is intentional. The scenes with Van's family seem almost mechanical, and indeed perhaps the lives of the quiet and restrained emotionally dysfunctional do boil down to simple television watching. Watching television and eating seem to be the two activities Van's family indulge in regularly. In this film, Egoyan uses technology as a way of recording history--or showing the truth, but of course, tapes can be erased or rewound. The plot moves forward with the use of video, television, and surveillance cameras. Television programmes serve as an ironic background to the real life action taking place in Van's home and also in Armen's nursing home. For example, Van's mother has simply disappeared off the face of the planet, and yet a nature programme watched intently by Armen notes that Polar bears are tracked with implanted devices--no matter where the bears roam--so they can always be found.

I really liked the character of Van in "Family Viewing." He progresses from adolescence to adulthood in this film, and he emerges as a strong, intelligent, and independent person. I particularly enjoyed the scene between Van and the nursing home Dr when they discuss the charitable and the business sides of their natures. This really is an excellent, excellent film. I think it may be my favourite Egoyan.

"Next of Kin" is the story of 23-year-old Peter--an only child--who still lives at home with his eternally bickering upper-middle-class parents. As a result of years of listening to his parents fighting, Peter gradually retreats, and soon he rarely emerges from bed. Peter's parents seek help from family counseling, and they participate in video therapy. The family meets with a therapist who videotapes their sessions, and each individual family member then reviews the sessions. Peter views a videotape carelessly left from another family's session.

The other family---the Deryans--are Armenian immigrants who gave up a son, Bedros, for adoption before coming to America. The parents feel extremely guilty about this, and unfortunately the guilt manifests itself in dissatisfaction with their other child--Azah (Arsinee Khanjian). Peter is fascinated by video therapy, and by the powerful role of the therapist, and so he tells everyone he's going off on a holiday. Peter presents himself as Bedros to the hardworking Deryan family. He's rapidly accepted--no questions asked, and soon he's swamped in a different set of family-related issues. Peter simply steps seamlessly from one unhappy family to another.

"Next of Kin" is a very early Egoyan film, and it's not as sophisticated as "Family Viewing." Peter's acceptance in the family is a little too smooth, and the solutions he offers are a bit too simple. Nonetheless, "Next of Kin" is a marvelous film, and it makes some very powerful statements about the nature of family, and the fact that we are not able to choose who we are related to. Peter manages to overcome this obstacle, however. Keep an eye open for a glimpse of Egoyan in this film.

I love the emotional distance Egoyan creates between his audience and his characters. There's nothing I dislike more than a tear-fest. While I find myself riveted to Egoyan films, and fascinated by the characters, I never feel emotionally manipulated by the characters or by the director--displacedhuman

Next of Kin
Atom Egoyan is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. While many people consider his films "too artsy," I find them brilliant pieces of filmmaking. I have yet to view FAMILY VIEWING, but I will soon. NEXT OF KIN, however, was an incredibly impressive first feature, especially considering Egoyan was only 23 when he made it. I mean, what a fascinating plot. I commend Egoyan for having his first film deal with an Armenian family, he being of Armenian descent (as am I). The film follows a troubled family, who decide to go through video therapy to solve their problems. Peter, their 23 year old son, comes across a tape of another troubled family, Armenians (surprisingly, the film never mentions that the family is of Armenian descent, but they are) who had years before given their only son up for adoption upon moving to Canada. Peter pretends to be their long-lost son, suitably named Bedros, which is the Armenian equivilant of Peter. The family accepts him with open arms and treat him like he was never gone. Peter (Bedros) tries to fix the troubled relationship between his "father" George and "sister" Azah, as he learns about the family's Armenian culture. Now, I found the film very enjoyable, well acted, and for the budget, wonderfully directed. However, I felt Egoyan could have explored many more aspects of the Armenian family and at a mere 69 minutes, the film was WAY too short. (Why does the IMDB have this at 105 minutes, did I get an edited version??) How would the relatives have treated Bedros since he had been gone for some long? (They all gather for his surprise party, but we hardly see them for two minutes before Bedros disappears to the bedroom with Azah.) The relationships between George and Sonya, and even Bedros and Azah could also have been explored quite a bit. Overall, this was a fascinating, interesting, and wonderful film, but it didn't seem fully developed and ended way too quickly...This is one film I wish was longer.

Atom Egoyan's First Two Terrific Films
If you like Atom Egoyan or you just want to see two great movies, watch this 2-disc DVD set, with great commentary by the director. It's Egoyan first two features. Next of Kin is a funny, touching film about a young man who is unsatisfied with his parents and learns about another family suffering from the guilt of giving their son up for adoption twenty years ago. The young man decides to pose as the long-lost son and gain new parents that love him more. Family Viewing is about a young man who finds that his father is recording over home movies of his childhood with his homemade porn sessions. Wim Wenders won the Grand Prize at the Toronto Film Fest for Wings of Desire, but he gave his award to Egoyan saying that Family Viwing was one of the most honest films he had ever seen. Both Next of Kin and Family Viewing were nominated for multiple Canadian academy awards, including picture, director, and screenplay. Egoyan is one of today's great auteurs and has received numerous accolades, including Oscar noms for Director and Screenplay for The Sweet Hereafter. See these two films. Of interest are also Egoyan's Speaking Parts, Exotica, The Adjuster, Felicia's Journey, and my personal favorite, Calendar. Check 'em out.

Odd.
Family viewing tells the story of a not so typical family going through the motions of their perverse and depressing lives. To sum it up. Technology will destroy all.

A teenage boy, Van, lives in an apartment with his father, Stan, and stepmother, Sandra. At some point Van carried on an affair, or so it seems, with Sandra. Meanwhile Van and Stan have a very strained relationship, although they do not talk about it. It becomes worse when Van finds out Stan is recording "private" videos with Sandra, using old VHS tapes of Van as a child. Addtionally Van wants Stan to visit his mother, who has been abandoned in a nusring home. Enter into the picture a woman named Aline, who makes her money soliciting phone sex and things really get interesting. It all ties together in the end, with some surprising plot developments, into a twisted little story.

All of the characters in this film are strangely sedated. This is a very effect plot device though, because it really helps isolate the characters from one another. It also leaves the impression that these peoples' lives are so empty and unfulfilling they have become numb to it all.

Very well shot, and poignantly directed, this is a good film. Atom Egoyan is a director new to me. I have heard nothing but positive things about his films so I will certainly be checking out others he has made. Unfortunately I have not seen Next of Kin which is also featured on this DVD. Sorry, but Family Viewing is worth checking out. ... Read more

Book Description

screenplay to Egoyan's film, w/illus, photos ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"You've just got to know which buttons to push."
In Atom Egoyan's film, "Speaking Parts" bit-part actor, Lance, works in the housekeeping department of a posh, but strange hotel. Lonely co-worker Lisa (Arsinee Khanjian) stalks Lance during the day, and at night, she rents and re-rents his films. Lisa maintains that Lance may never actually speak in his roles, but that his scenes are crucial to the films. Lance, however, is not content with minor roles and understandably wants a big break. That big break seems to arrive when a writer named Clara checks into the hotel. When cleaning Clara's room, Lance discovers a script, and he approaches her for an audition. Clara is smitten with Lance, and soon auditions him for a part in a film.

Clara seems to have some artistic control over the film, but this power rapidly diminishes as the story progresses. In selling her true story to a film producer, Clara becomes disenfranchised from her own history, and soon she doesn't have a voice--or a speaking part in her own truth. Lance and Clara are both presented with occasions for moral compromise, and speaking out jeopardizes the tenuous positions they both hold.

"Speaking Parts" is about power--the power in relationships, and the only truly powerful person in this film is the producer (played with delicious icy gravity by David Hemblem). The producer lives on quite a different plane of existence, and he mostly communicates to his minions via television conferences which he entirely controls. Hemblem and Gabrielle Rose (she plays Clara) appear in many of Egoyan's films. I particularly enjoyed Lisa's odd relationship with Eddy, the video shop owner whose initial interest in Lisa sparks friendship.

Egoyan once again shows his obsession with television and technology. Egoyan seems to delight in placing his characters in front of the camera, and I can't think of another director who exploits and explores this medium quite so thoroughly--displacedhuman

80's Avante Garde
This movie is a prime example of 80's egosim and the human need to see the way others view you. Lisa played by Khanjian,(I think she is also Atom's wife) is a hotel maid that craves the attention of Lance a co-worker. The bulk of the movie is centered on Lance and Lisa and how they their need for attention ultimately throws them into a web of intrigue, delusions, sexual desire and ultimatley death. This is a movie that is best seen more than once, due to it's hidden meaning and dialogue. If possible I would highly recommend getting the DVD version, because there is commentary from Atom that is very helpful. F.Y.I. Micheal McManus also appears in the sci-fi show "Lexx," as the dead bun-headed assassin Kai and he also has a cameo in "Dog Park," as the waiter.

Riveting and Spellbinding!!
I was pleasantly surprised to see the release of this film, since it got less than it's deserved attention. The moodiness and underlying tension focus on Lance, a part-time actor/houskeeper/ prostitute trying desperately to break into the forefront of dramatic performances, but all of his efforts seem to be thwarted at every turn. His employer wants to keep him as her own personal sexual property to be doled out upon demand to customers, and Lisa, another employee at the hotel where he works has raised the level of obsessiveness to new heights, dragging other people into her obsession. Claire, a screenwriter Lance seduces into helping him to be cast in a locally produced film, has her own obsessions, and incorporates Lance into compromising his own needs with disatrous results. The performances were outstanding, especially from McManus, who portrays the effete Lance with a mixture of selfishness and torment. Lisa's descent into madness is underplayed just right, no over-the-top histrionics. The only flaw I found was the unbelievably bad wig they put on McManus for the comparison to Claire's brother's image. It must have been dreadful to acheive the desired results with the stringy locks hovering around just enough to distract his performance. But then, bad wigs pretty much come with the territory for McManus, who is also one of the lead actors on the sci-fi epic, "Lexx", currently on television, but his performances are just as spellbinding.. The Dvd comes with lovely extra goodies, especially the narration by Egoyan, which explains motivations behind each and every scene. Also contained were deleted scenes, which explained a few things not evident on first viewing. Highly recommened, but ignore the bad costumes and hairdos...

A deeper look into Speaking Parts
"Speaking Parts" is far more than just the script for the movie. This softcover book also includes an introduction by Ron Burnett, an essay by Atom Egoyan, and an interview with Egoyan by Marc Glassman. These all lead the viewer to a deeper understanding of the complexity and artistry of Egoyan's second major film. The book is also enhanced by black and white stills as well as pages from the original script showing hand written sketches and dialogue changes. Also included is a filmography of Egoyan's films through 1993. If you've been carried away by the film as I have, you must find a copy of this book!

Speaking Parts, Brilliant!
An excellent film by Atom Egoyan. The moody atmosphere enhances the plot and the production is excellent. McManus fans who know him through Tales from a Parallel Universe, or Lexx as it is called in the UK, will love him in this. McManus' portrayal as the ambitious, but emotionally ambivilant Lance is fantastic as is Arnesee Khanjan's performance as the frustrated Lisa. UK buyers will be pleased to know that this tape will play well on a video with duel PAL and NTSC format, with a decent PAL t.v. and is a must. Well worth the wait and not as pornographic as some reviews make out, but very erotic in parts. Not rated but not suitable for veiwers under eighteen. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

astonishing director does it again!!!
Atom Egoyan is a truly revolutionary director and he proves himself once again with CALENDAR, his first great film (although the ones before have been quite good)...the scenery is magnificant, the performances are so real (wife Arsinee Khanjian gives one of her best performances) and the directing style is fresh and unique (also keep in mind this is 1993)...The simple plot (engaging and absorbing as in all Egoyan films) does not unfold chronologically, which is just one of the fascinating aspects of the film...it truly is dazzling, and the mostly improvised dialogue is spectacular...(annoyed at the seemingly endless footage of the flock of sheep near the beginning? You'll appreciate it in the end.)Egoyan's films always manage to touch me in ways I never expect. That might have a lot to do with the fact that I am Armenian and a lot of his films deal with being an Armenian, but I never truly appreciated my heritage until viewing ARARAT, CALENDAR, and NEXT OF KIN. What a wonderful movie this is...what an remarkable director Egoyan is...can't wait to see what he comes up with next..

Self-indulgent and heavy-handed
I greatly enjoy Atom Egoyan's films, usually. I've followed his work since the release of SPEAKING PARTS and have seen most of his major films. I have found things to like about all of them - except this one. CALENDAR is a torturously self-conscious reflection on the ways an obsession with documenting reality can come between a filmmaker and those around him. The film has the FEEL of the confessional; to me, it seems very likely -- though I don't know for sure -- that Egoyan and Khanjian were playing, basically, THEMSELVES, and that the movie was meant as some sort of therapy for them -- Egoyan flailing around in his self-hate for being so afraid of experiencing an unmediated reality, wanting to see everything through the camera -- even his wife's attraction for another man, for example. In-between footage of Egoyan and Khanjian's trip to Armenia, we get lots of shots of Egoyan sitting around his apartment alone, contriving dates with women he doesn't really care much about and brooding over the memory of his failings with his wife. Maybe that sounds appealing to some of you -- sounds raw and daring, a filmmaker picking the scabs on his conscience aside and showing the viewer the throbbing wounds beneath; I personally found it embarrassing and somewhat distasteful. The obvious comparison, I suppose -- the film most like this one, that I've seen -- is DAVID HOLZMAN'S DIARY; but that movie only pretends to document a filmmaker's unhealthy dependancy on the camera-eye, and so never descends into the sort of psychological exhibitionism CALENDAR reeks of... If you're exploring his less-known work, or just looking for intellectually stimulating cinema, FAMILY VIEWING and SPEAKING PARTS are both incredible films. CALENDAR is one to avoid. (Sorry, Atom!)

Armenians must know their history
Our duty as Armenians is to Remember and pass the memory to next generation and make the tragedy known to the world, this movie does it the best way... excellent, something to have at home and watch it over and over..it is good acting, excellent plot, love and history...

Egoyan's only dud
Atom Egoyan is one of the most interesting directors alive. Indeed, "The Sweet Hereafter" was probably the best film of the 1990s. Practically everything Egoyan has made is worth a look.

Except for this mess.

"Calendar" is repetitive, pretentious, and almost unwatchable. It's like an Egoyan parody. The content would be thin even for a short film; as a feature-length production, it's a self-absorbed, seemingly endless disaster.

But *do* see "The Sweet Hereafter." And "Exotica." And "Felicia's Journey." And virtually anything else by this remarkable filmmaker.

Avoid except for true Atom Egoyan fans
I like Atom Egoyan's movies but I am not a die-hard enough fan to sit through this one. Atom Egoyan even "tries" to act in it. I think he would do well to stay behind the camera.

Basically a photographer and his wife take photographs of Armenian churches for a calendar they are making. They travel to these places with a local historian who is very interested in the photographer's wife. These scenes are cut with the photographer sitting at home trying to solve his emotional problems with other women.

Its pure garbage. Sorry but I could not believe I sat through this. I am a fan of the man's work but this one is a mess. I only recommend it to die-hard fans and the most extreme of art-house movie lovers. I lean a little to the art-house side but this was a way too much for me to take. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Great Modern Drama about Sexual Obsession
Surreal as it may "The Adjuster" is still streaks and bounds ahead of most other sexual dramas. The story basically revolves around an insurance claims advisor (Elias Koteas) who helps people come to terms with the lose of their homes and possessions to some form of accident. He wife Hera (Arsinee Khanjian) works as a film censor who secretly films the pornography that she is viewing. There are various other characters who come into contact with the pair and sexual fantasies are the main theme that drives the story forward.

In many ways it is hard to describe without actually seeing it. There is very little plot but the movie does have some very memorable characters and it does have a good climax. It is sort of like a tone-downed version of a David Lynch movie and film director Atom Egoyan does wonders with the cinematography. The film looks visually wonderful and is very pleasing to the eye.

All in all this is a great drama but do not try and find too much of a plot here. It is more about the characters and their sexual dysfunctions. Some very memorable scenes throughout.

Well worth seeing.

Egoyan's most complex,funny and reflective
After sitting through multiple viewings of both a Pan & scan, censored vhs and a dim, murky widescreen PAL transfer, what a JOY to finally get to see this splendid film in a clean widescreen transfer. The soundtrack is possibly the best I've heard since "The Conversation" -a curious layering of soundtracks to films which are being censored, which you'd never want to see. Sometimes the film is funny, sometimes thoughtful, always it gives me time to think my own thoughts about its' troubling implications regarding our inability to see the whole picture. I LOVE this movie. I Love owning it. This is what DVD is really great for: being able to own great looking and sounding copies of your favorite films at reasonable prices.

mal-adjusted cinema
Of all of the early Egoyan's this is the one most like Sweet Hereafter as both are centered around a character whose job it is to assist victims of a tragedy but it doesn't hit as many notes as Sweet Herafter in fact mostly its just dark and occasionally darkly comic. Perhaps too dark in places and in other places just too bizarre to be taken seriously. I like Egoyans cast of actors many of whom appear over and over again in his films. Egoyan is sort of like Altman in his use of tangled narratives and ensemble casts but unlike Altman he doesn't give us much variety. Everyone in the Adjuster is wounded beyond repair and after awhile one longs for at least one character who is not emotionally crippled but its a vain hope. Sweet Herafter had its share of bizarre characters and moments but many of those characters had moments of self realization and found their way toward some form of redemption and though the film focused on human vulnerability and weaknesses and imperfections the film also offered glimpses of human strengths and will and capacity to endure. The Adjuster focuses on the weaknesses and imperfections exclusively. The Adjuster himself played by Elias Koteas is a complex character who has collected the victims of various tragedies around him. Its his job to help these vitims collect on their insurance claims but his interest in the job has him doing more than that. Apparently others tragedies arouse him in some way and he ends up sleeping with many of the people he is supposed to be helping. No one seems to notice what hes doing, in fact all the victims inexplicably see him as some kind of angel there to help them through their suffering(perhaps they see him in this light because they need something to give them strength)but of course the Adjuster is no angel. Since most of the victims have been burned out of their homes they all live in the same hotel and this makes for one of the more inspired dark comic scenarios in memory. A few of the characters are interesting but some of the story lines are so outrageous that they dwarf everything else in the movie. At points the film feels like overkill. For instance the adjuster's wife is a censor who watches porn flicks all day and then along with other censors casts her vote as to which bits need censoring. However she actually really enjoys watching the stuff and shes strikingly beautiful so its not a scenario without considerable appeal. But the scenario gets out of hand when Egoyan makes the censors offices (as well as the people working there) look and act like something out of Kafka or Orwell. Egoyan seems to be trying too hard to be clever and so the point he is making about humans fascination with forbidden or dark subjects gets lost or misplaced. And then the nymphomaniac/exhibitionist seemed like a character from a very adult version of Saturday Night Live. The ending of the film reveals how Elias Koteas met his wife but reveals very little as to why Elias Koteas is so turned on by the victims that seek his services. Tragedies induce strange maladies is all we know. Koteas deserves credit for finding something human in his character. The film itself seems to be a study of the various ways we become dehumanized but the study seems superficial. Unlike Sweet Hereafter the film never digs deep enough into its characters to give us a chance at knowing them as sufferers of one bizarre affliction or another. Koteas does an excellent acting job with what hes given but even he seems a frustratingly incomplete sketch.

A CLASSIC OF CEREBRAL CINEMA
What little hope I held for the future of mankind retaining any intellect, capacity for introspection, or sense of humor is now gone due to the asinine, stupid, brain-dead comments below that this film is slow and stupid.

THE ADJUSTER is a great film. Wicked, funny as all get out, darkly comic, sexy as hell, and perhaps the most chilling and dead-on critique of '666' and consumer-society ever filmed. Mychael Danna's score is Byzantine-perfect; Elias Koteas is at his peak as an enigmatic, lost soul.

What's it about? Well, it's about us. Modern people in a listless, overindulged, sensate-conscious lifestyle flailing about in a Northern American state of emotional repression doing anything they can to give meaning to their lives, or rather, just accumulate more stimulation. And in such a society, who becomes a 'Christ' figure to people who can't afford one due to their lukewarmness? Well, an Insurance Adjuster, pal. Who else? The guy who evaluates your 'lifestyle' and returns a semblance of it to you. I mean, it is ALL 'lifestyle' now, isn't it? You don't need a Diety, do you? No, all you want is an insurance adjuster. He will even sleep with you.

The ending quotes from "The Sound of Music" in a comic/horrific finale. One of the main characters - unable to 'play house' anymore in the landscape of modern time and space - decides to burn down the Insurance Adjuster's house he has rented - starts singing "My Favorite Things" as he proceeds to extinguish them all. Filmmaking doesn't get much more sly than that.

5 STARS for the ... Fantasy Play ALONE!
True this movie is SSSSLLLLLOOOOOWWWWWW.
That does not negate, however, some fantastic scenes and dialogue. Terrific ... Role Play situations!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like Hitchcock, Atom Egoyan envisions family life as a potential hotbedofliteral or figurative violence and incest. In Felicia's Journey, Egoyan'sadaptation of William Trevor'sshattering novel, one dreads to imagine what TV-cook mom (Arsinée Khanjian) did to so damage her pudgy son that grown- up Hilditch (Bob Hoskins) still prepares meals in perfect unison with fadedvideotapes of her show--and, as we eventually discover, often takes moresinister trips down Memory Lane. Distant kin to Psycho's Tony Perkins,Hoskins's troll is so obsessive, so traumatized, his every short-armed,fat-handed gesture and sing-song utterance is precisely calculated to keepreality safely buried.

Egoyan's movies often seem located underwater, in some surreal dreamscapewhere one's breath is perpetually suspended while a slow horror seeps everdeeper under the skin. Helpless, transfixed, one watches as his characters drive inexorably toward mined intersections where lives and souls may be lost orredeemed. When Hilditch's path crosses, diverges from, and finally coincideswith that of young, pregnant Felicia (Elaine Cassidy)--an Irish innocentsearching for her errant boyfriend--it leads to terrible epiphany for these fellow travelers. Trouble is, creepy Hilditch and too-naive Felicia come upa bit short in the psychological complexity department, so by film's end,revelatory payoffs are mostly penny ante. Felica's Journey tours familiarEgoyan territory--an industrialized wasteland full of hungry hearts--but thislatest fairy tale (think perverse variations on Hansel and Gretel) isn't inthe same league with such "family values" masterpieces as Exotica or The SweetHereafter. --Kathleen Murphy ... Read more