''The Life Before This'' is a 1999 Canadian drama film directed by

Jerry Ciccoritti Jerry Ciccoritti (born August 5, 1956) is a Canadian film, television and theatre director. His ability to work in a number of genres and for many mediums has made him one of the most successful directors in the country. Biography Born in ...

. Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 125. It begins with a massacre perpetrated in a coffee shop by two gunmen, and then uses flashbacks to show how each of the people present found themselves in the shop on that day. The film was inspired by the Just Desserts shooting of 1994. The film premiered at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival.

Cast

Response

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Peter Howell of the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...

'' wrote that the film had a solid cast, but that "in seeking to make an Altmanesque story about the perfidy of fate surrounding the events leading to a cafe massacre, the movie follows dull characters too far and interesting ones not far enough." Deirdre Dolan of the ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

'' wrote that the initial shooting scene was stiffly acted and meaningfully paced, leading her to fear that she was about to watch "another self-important, amateur film", but opined that the film became more engaging once it shifted to explore the various decisions and choices that had led everybody to the café: "That we know their fates from the beginning only adds a layer of tension and meaning, an effect reminiscent of Robert Altman and good television." Conversely, Marc Horton of the ''

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...

'' wrote that beginning the film with the shooting scene robbed it of any suspense.

Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her comedy work on ''Second City Television'' (1976–84) and ''Schitt's Creek'' (2015–2020) and in films such as '' After Hours'' (1985), '' Beetlej ...

won the

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

for Best Supporting Actress at the

20th Genie Awards The 20th Genie Awards were held on January 30, 2000, by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to honour films released in 1999. The ceremony aired live on CBC Television, and a post-event highlights show aired on Radio Canada.Maria Topalov ...

.John McKay, "Genies a bright spot for Sunshine". '' Kingston Whig-Standard'', January 31, 2000.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Life Before This, The 1999 films 1999 drama films Canadian drama films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Jerry Ciccoritti 1990s English-language films 1990s Canadian films