Blessed Stranger: After Flight 111

This film just had an airing on UK television. I have to say just how unexpectedly good it was. A complete surprise. You rarely get performances as good as this in TV films of this nature. I suppose the fact that it was a Canadian production was a factor. It portrays ordinary people going through some traumatic times, and it does so with an immense amount of tact and feeling. It is heart-wrenching at points which isn't surprising considering the subject matter, but it is well worth keeping a look out for. Gently, and profoundly moving, with excellent location shooting and an apt musical score. Wish I had taped it. These sort of productions never seem to have any kind of review prior to transmission so there is never any way to know whether or not it is likely to be any good.

It's doubtful this will turn up anytime soon as an in flight movie. It is a very sensitive telling of events after the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia.It's a terrific tear jerker but not in any shallow sense. Kate Nelligan demonstrates once more what an incredibly powerful actress she is. Not too often does an actress bring moisture to the corner of my eyes. Nelligan captured the horrible loss, sorrow, doubts, anguish, frustration and regrets of a bereaved parent so perfectly and without resorting to being maudlin or melodramatic. The lady is a national treasure! Not that the rest of the cast wasn't terrific too. This is a delightfully compassionate and richly human film, very sad but very beautiful.

A slowly paced and very well written film that follows the parallel stories of the mother of one of flight 111's victims, and a fisherman who helps with the recovery effort. By opening after the crash, the film ablely conveys the horror and tragedy of it without resorting to gratuitous footage. Kate Nelligan plays the mother and gives a nuanced performance, conveying her transformation from shock to denial to grief with authenticity. The details of the fisherman's life are doled out in small samples only when needed, giving the character a richness and honesty that is compelling. Details such as how the victim's belongings are identified add to the immediacy and tragedy of the story without overwhelming the viewer. The writer develops the plot by using flashbacks to hint at what lies beneath the grief and shock that both characters feel. Despite the fact that a few of the other characters seem superfluous, as they are never developed, the core of the story is solid. Though a sense of the ending is predictable, the story never resorts to cliches and never becomes too saccharine, making the conclusion a satisfying one.

This is one of those movies that turns out to be more satisfying than you expect. Get past the first 1/2 hour and there actually turns out to be a story. Nelligan is very good and while there are no surprises the ending is compelling and satisfactory. Lots of nice little parts by bit actors and its good to hear that Nova Scotian accent so prominent in a movie. Give it a go - you wont be disappointed

I would like to purchase this movie...anyone? Love the movie and will Be visiting the memorial site this summer in nova scotia. I have tried everything to find this movie. I watched it twice on t.v and highly recommend it, if you can find it. Please let me know if anyone knows how i can get a copy. DVD or VHS