Hereafter

I can only imagine the headache faced by the marketing and P.R. team at Warner Bros. trying to create a campaign for 'Hereafter'. Sure there are ma... read more

I can only imagine the headache faced by the marketing and P.R. team at Warner Bros. trying to create a campaign for 'Hereafter'. Sure there are marquee names like Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon attached to the film but after you have watched it, you realize this has little to do with the Hollywood style of filmmaking and more in common with European cinema. The deliberate slow pacing, the broken narrative, the lack of in-your-face "boo" moments and characters with a subdued dramatic arch all results in a fairly engrossing and tender cinematic experience which unfortunately also fails to reach it's true potential.

The story is anchored by three protagonists;

George Lonegan (Matt Damon) a psychic who once had a lucrative career "connecting" people to their dear departed but a life filled with death took its toll on him and he decided to leave it behind. While those around him consider it a gift, he thinks of it nothing more than a curse.

Marie Lelay (Cecile de France) is a television journalist who survives a near death experience in Thailand during the 2004 Tsunami resulting in her having visions of the afterlife which people around her scoff at. In order to prove her visions not hallucinations she learns a bitter lesson about her life and finds the insight to identify what is genuine and what is a faade.

Marcus (Frankie McLaren) a twelve year old boy has recently lost his twin brother, Jason (George McLaren) who was also the anchor in his otherwise troubled existence. Their mother's a regular drug user who can barely stand up straight to support herself, forget the kids. The story follows Marcus's attempts to come to terms to being on his own.

In addition to their individual tales, their paths do cross at certain intervals to fulfill a role they can in each others lives.

The movie is spiritual in its tone and outlook rather than dramatic or daresay even religious. Usually movies which look at the afterlife tend to offer atleast one bit of serious religious advice or point of view, not so this one. It is least interested in even painting some sort of clear image of the afterlife but more so tantalizing us with simplistic visions which might only be the tip of the iceberg. These work if you are patient and willing to absorb in the story rather than waiting for chills and thrills.

Certain sequences like the opening reconstruction of the Tsunami are brilliantly done. While others like Jason's accident and another involving Marcus in the London Tube station gave me goose bumps.

The movie's main problem is the narrative which touches upon plenty of ideas, theories and situations but fails to flesh them out properly. The conclusion to Marie & George's stories is sweet but far too abrupt & somewhat unreal while Marcuss is the most satisfying emotionally.

The acting by all the leads in utterly convincing with special mention made of Frankie & George McLaren whose first acting gig though not outstanding is pretty solid in setting up the characters individually.

'Hereafter' is a deliberately paced movie which has more than its share of engrossing moments along the way. However those looking for something scary or "supernatural-ly" might be disappointed with its lack of the usual creaky doors and ominous background score.
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When there are enough complications in life anyway, it takes a tough filmmaker to deal with afterlife.And they don't come tougher than Clint Eastwo... read more

When there are enough complications in life anyway, it takes a tough filmmaker to deal with afterlife.

And they don't come tougher than Clint Eastwood.

'Hereafter' is one of those unpretentious movies that are aimed at human beings more than numbers. It doesn't look like the director is running for box-office or Oscar glory, and the actors don't appear to feed their personas. None of them try to please you. They don't try hard to make you like them. They are who they are.

Take George Lonegan(Matt Damon) for instance. Normal guy looking for a normal life. Has a unique gift that he insists is more of a curse: he can talk to the dead. Then there's Marie(Cecile de France), a French journalist who has a near-death experience on being knocked out while covering the Tsunami. Visions she cant explain are then a regular occurrence, and are obviously scoffed at by the cynical world of bosses, publishers and boyfriends. Marcus(Frankie McLaren) is one of the cutest and most troubled kid you've seen on screen: his mom is an alcoholic and his twin has just died. He's not finished yet, and wants to talk to his dead brother Jason.

The common theme of afterlife brings them together, and they all find their answers- answers that aren't final or binding, but just help them all lead calmer lives.

I repeat my point about the story being perfectly at ease with itself, because it must have been tempting to delve into darker themes than it was handling. Or to brighten the dark with some 'commercial cinema'. It does neither. Also, there's no religious gyaan that'll make the believers or non-believers among you uncomfortable. Matt Damon is restrained as the guy aware of his gifts, and also of the anguish it causes him.

Watch it to see how troubled some people are almost destined to be, and the faint, understated glimmer of hope. Typical Clint Eastwood stuff- tough and honest.
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The film begins in an almost calm and meditative state then a few minutes later there is a Tsunami. It felt very weird to see a filmed version of s... read more

The film begins in an almost calm and meditative state then a few minutes later there is a Tsunami. It felt very weird to see a filmed version of something which I had seen just a couple of hours back on T.V.

Hereafter is three stories which comes together. George Lonegan (Matt Damon) is a psychic who can connect with the spirit world. He has given up on it because he thinks it is his curse. Marie Lelay (Ccile De France) is a French reporter who survives a tsunami and is troubled by her near death experience, Marcus ( Frankie/ George Mclaren???) is a kid who loses his twin brother to an accident and wants to connect with him. Through these three stories director Clint Eastwood tries to understand what awaits us after death and how do people deal with a loss. Writer Peter Morgan approaches the subject in a highly delicate manner which means that the film is extremely slow and if someone who dont believe in the subject it can come across as boring. If you have read laws of the spirit world you will connect to a lot of things which are shown in the film. The emotional connect for me in the film was the story of the twins. From the way it is setup to its conclusion it really comes across beautifully. By the looks of the trailer the film was promoted as one story that of Matt Damon but by the time it ended it was more of the kids story. I also liked the way the writer has weaved stuff like cookery classes & book fairs into the screenplay. I wonder which side of the fence the writer & the director belong too because with the film they have made I couldnt figure out what their personal beliefs were.

Final few words: where do the dead go? Is there life after death? Can we communicate with the dead? If questions like these crop up in your head this movie is worth your visit.

Rating: **

Ticket Meter: worth a 150 buck ticket
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This is a movie that is slow in building up and takes its time to tell its story. I would recommend that you watch it in an extremely relaxed state... read more

This is a movie that is slow in building up and takes its time to tell its story. I would recommend that you watch it in an extremely relaxed state of mind (preferably a night show with no major deadlines the next day). You have to allow the movie to draw you in and flow with it to really appreciate it.

The movie explores the theme of what happens to us after death. Matt Damon plays a psychic who no longer wants to live connected to the dead, Marcus is a ten year old who has lost his brother in an accident and Marie is a French woman who has a near death experience when she survives the tsunami in Thailand. )How the paths of these 3 characters from three different parts of the world connect and get braided into the story is where the movie takes us.

Matt Damon as the psychic who turns his back on what his greedy brother calls a gift but he calls a curse is superb. He has the dissipated look of a person who has reached a dead end. Cecile de France as the French woman who wants to find out the mystery of the afterlife is charming and intense. But it is finally George McLaren as Marcus and his twin Jason who steals your hear with his strong performance as the boy wrecked by the grief of his brothers death and his efforts to deal with it. His Marcus is strong yet vulnerable, grief stricken yet dry eyed. Perhaps the poignancy of his story is such that it makes you want to reach out to him but I think there were many melting hearts in the theatre today.

I would whole heartedly recommend this movie. The going is a bit slow somewhere in the middle and that may make you irritated but ride it out and I promise you will come out feeling somewhat happy and content, which is a surprise in itself given the theme it deals with. view less

After a long time a movie with multiple stories comes out which is successful in leaving some impact on the viewer. Writer Peter Morgan scripts 3 s... read more

After a long time a movie with multiple stories comes out which is successful in leaving some impact on the viewer. Writer Peter Morgan scripts 3 stories about people in different parts of the world that have some experience related to death. Although the stories by themselves are really touching, the meeting point of these 3 stories appears half baked and hence the climax leaves you unsatisfied.

George Lonegan played by Matt Damon is a an American who has a gift of connecting with the dead. He tries to shy away from this profession as it becomes more of a curse for him than a gift. Marie Lelay (Ccile De France) is a french journalist who gets caught up in the Indian Ocean tsunami and has a near death experience where she sees a vision consisting of a bright light. This event turns her life upside down as she ends up writing a novel on people having near death experiences. Jason and Marcus are twins who are very close to each other. In a freak accident, Jason dies leaving Marcus with a huge void in his life. Marcus sets out to find a psychic who can help him connect with Jason again.

The three mini stories by themselves are very touching. Especially the story of the twins is really emotional and one feels the pain of the young boy losing his twin brother. But sadly the meeting point of these three stories is the weak link of the movie. A stronger climax could have made a better long lasting impression for this movie and could have worked wonders.

In the acting department, Matt Damon adds star value to the movie. His fine acting is always a pleasure to watch. Ccile De France is brilliant with her expressions and delivers a stellar performance. The two young kids played by Frankie and George McLaren show great promise as actors.

This movie has a Clint Eastwood stamp on it. He does a very neat job of knitting the script together. Although on the flip side, the pace of the movie is a tad on the slower side and the build up to the climax lacks enough impact. All in all this is a very watchable flick.

Reasons to watch:

1) Fascinated by the question what happens after death
2) Simple story well told

Reasons to skip:

1) A DVD type movie.
2) Skeptical about the life after death concept.

Repeat Value: None. view less