Egoyan (who's previous films have, frankly, never done much for me) approaches the story with mostly static, coldly imagined shots.

CNN: Review: Vengeance in a town full of grief in 'The Sweet Hereafter'

Egoyan aims his restrained camera at a small Adirondack community that's suffering an answer to that riddle on a grand scale.

CNN: Review: Vengeance in a town full of grief in 'The Sweet Hereafter'

This subject matter sounds emotionally unrelenting, and it is, but Egoyan ultimately manages to wring hopefulness out of one of the most unforgiving stories I've ever seen put on film.

CNN: Review: Vengeance in a town full of grief in 'The Sweet Hereafter'