'The Sweet Hereafter'

I felt like this movie was trying to convey some kind of message.

First off, was Ian Holm good or bad? Does fiscally punishing someone or some company make up for loss? If someone is legitimately at fault for an accidental death and no criminal charges are pending, doesn't it make sense to provide some kind of reprimand? I don't know the answer. I guess it can't hurt.

The film also had an odd flow. Going back and forth between characters and time, the pieces of the puzzle are slowing put into place and by the end you realize what actually has taken place. This flow takes it toll. You have to pay attention or you might as well not watch it.

I also felt a tinge of theme around the idea of money/capitalism/materialism being the great evil: A cancer that grasps onto the organ and kills it slowly. If Sarah Polley testifies one way, that cancer infects her little city, one that had been dead already.