It’s difficult to explain the premise of “Guest of Honour” without getting too much into spoiler-y territory. Suffice it to say, the new film is a complicated, emotional family drama that follows the lives of a father and his daughter, a music teacher that finds herself on the wrong side of the law due to hoax. And judging by the new trailer, the film should be one that you make sure to see as soon as it hits a theater or digital avenue near you.
The film stars David Thewlis, Laysla de Oliveira, and Luke Wilson. “Guest of Honour” is written and directed by Atom Egoyan. Film fans probably know him best for his projects, “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Chloe,” and “Devil’s Knot.” His most recent film before ‘Guest’ is the 2015 feature, “Remember.”
“Guest of Honour” premiered at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, and in our review from that event, we said, “While wrestling to keep its unwieldy plot twists under control at times, [‘Guest of Honour’] is a complex, at times melancholic study of a father-daughter relationship gone awry over with the passing of time.”
“Guest of Honour” is currently set to be released in select European territories in April, though it’s unclear if that will happen, with the COVID-19 pandemic still a very real problem. Regardless, it does appear that Egoyan’s film will be released soon.
Here’s the synopsis:
Jim (David Thewlis) and his daughter Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira), a young high- school music teacher, attempt to unravel their complicated histories and intertwined secrets in GUEST OF HONOUR, the new film from Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) which weaves through time exploring perception and penance, memory and forgiveness. A hoax instigated by an aggressive school bus driver (Rossif Sutherland) goes very wrong. Accused of abusing her position of authority with 17-year-old Clive (Alexandre Bourgeois) and another student, Veronica is imprisoned. Convinced that she deserves to be punished for crimes she committed at an earlier age, Veronica rebuffs her father’s attempts to secure her early release. Confused and frustrated by Veronica’s intransigence, Jim’s anguish begins to impinge on his job. As a food inspector, he wields great power over small, family-owned restaurants. It’s a power he doesn’t hesitate to use. While preparing Jim’s funeral, Veronica confides the secrets of her past to Father Greg (Luke Wilson) who may hold the final piece of the father-daughter puzzle.