I, too, had seen another movie [The Sweet Hereafter] by this director, that I really enjoyed. This movie, like that one, takes what seems like several different stories and, eventually, transforms them into one. When I watch a movie I like to be entertained rather than presented with a series of images that I need to figure out as if I'm taking a quiz. On the other hand, I don't want it to be so simplistic that it becomes boring. And, finally, I like being surprised by plot twists that are not contrived. So this movie, for me, is "just what the doctor ordered". Always interesting, with wonderful performances, it is a movie I highly recommend.