Hereafter - Das Leben danach

Life after death. Yes. The big question. Here 80 year old maverick Clint Eastwood present us with a cinematic feast without arriving to any final conclusion. How could he? The first quarter of the film is riveting, compelling, jaw dropping. Then, Matt Damon takes over. Let me be clear, I think he is a good, competent actor but I can't, ever, divorce myself from the actor and marry the character. I'm far too aware of his "acting" I have the feeling that Eastwood hires his actor and lets them to their own devices. Sometime that's a good thing but some others, like here and "Changeling" it is clear that more direction of actors was needed. Specially the children. Here as it was the case in "Changeling" the children seem kind of lost. Bryce Dallas Howard makes a bizarre contribution to the film. Unconvincing and down right annoying. And, I must say, I miss opening credits. I hope this fashion ends quickly. The appearance of Martha Keller took me out of the picture. I recognized the face but I couldn't put a name to it. The nagging thought distracted me away from the story. A problem that, with opening credits, could easily have been avoided. I'm rambling. I liked the film and Eastwood should be applauded. Still exploring, still taking risks. Well done!

This drama is about three lonely people each living in different countries whose lives become indelibly connected in an unforseeable, yet touching way. The story centers on Matt Damon, an American, who apparently has the psychic ability of contacting the recently departed, however, he believes that this "gift" is a "curse" because it renders him a social outcast. There is also a French woman who has a near death experience and a troubled British boy grieving over the loss of a loved one.

I am not a firm believer in a hereafter life or psychic abilities, and what is great about this movie is that it addresses these issues in an intelligent way without asking the audience to debate their existence. Instead, it focuses on the characters and how these issues affect their lives. There is nothing cheap or gimmicky about this movie. It simply tells a touching story without being overly sentimental. Clint Eastwood delivers a great picture and Matt Damon an excellent performance. The round-out cast deserves a big-hand as well. Keep in mind that this is a character drama and, like cooking a good sauce, takes its time to develop a richness. So if you're the type of person who only responds to immediate sensory gratification, this movie might not be for you.

On the way home from seeing this terrific movie, I stopped at a light, a few cars in front waiting to turn right. Around us, the sun had just set, a full white moon was high and the reflections of brake lights bounced off gas stations and car dealerships.

What an amazing world we live in. There is so much in the five miles between my house and the theater where I saw the movie that I could never experience it all. Moments arrive and disappear and the the people shift, move, appear and disappear.

I think most of us need some kind of assurance that it all goes on forever, that our open windows aren't just blacked over and sealed at death.

Clint Eastwood has made a quiet, reflective, thoughtful film on this condition, this need for forever. It's not a flashy paranormal probe of ghosts and goblins, spirits and such.

Taking three central lives we see our need for a hereafter from a French woman who has experienced something before being revived, from a twin boy who has lost his brother and from a lonely man who seems able to capture something from beyond this life. Or perhaps he just captures something from those who come to him.

Cecile De France is stunning as a television reporter who touches her own death and returns. Frankie (or is it George) McLaren is good as the young boy. And Matt Damon's restrained performance is a revelation.

Eastwood has the assured hand that allows long segments in French with English subtitles and a juncture with two disasters and such a touchy-feely subject, and yet it works. Quietly. Thoughtfully.

He also has the good sense to let us draw our own conclusions.

Clint Eastwood likes to make his films slow paced and this can be annoying at times. In my opinion Sands of Iwo Jima was boring and Grand Torino was overly sentimental but with Hereafter he was the right man for the job. The pacing is perfect with the story unfolding in just the right way, eliciting just the right emotions at just the right time (the opening scene is genuinely terrifying) and giving us enough time to think and absorb without ever boring us.

As for Matt Damon, this is a masterpiece. There are so many depths and subtleties to this role and Mr Damon gets it all. George Lonegan is a creepy haunted loner with poor social skills, not in spite of but *because* he's a big hearted person who cares too much. And Damon *gets* that, and shows it, you can see it in every frame of the movie, even when he's not moving a muscle. I know this movie won't be for everyone but this performance is one of the greats, a real tour de force of subtlety.

Lastly, the writing, the story is something not seen often enough these days, a thoughtful movie about a complex and emotive subject that doesn't treat the audience like idiots. There are a lot of questions unanswered here, and that's alright, there should be. This movie isn't about answers or some kind of payoff, it's about guiding the viewer through the story's of three people with very interesting perspectives so that we can all feel our way though it together. I love that the writers trust us to do that and don't try to force feed us a "message" or a moral.

A great thoughtful film about a difficult subject that will leave you feeling good, as long as you're not expecting to be spoon fed.

Hereafter (2010) My Review i didn't know if I would be able to review this movie, the film is not about solid moments that one can simply talk about occurring in a film, but rather the experiences that forge who we are, and where those pieces as people feel they are searching but not finding someone to understand their differences, and those two pieces coming together finally between two extraordinary people crafted by extreme circumstance. It's impossible to describe, but also impossible not to feel, and so this movie is more about a feeling, a longing within us all to find meaning, to be validated perhaps, for who we are, not for what we do.

Three people in different parts of the world deal with death in their own way... a boy loses his brother, a woman nearly drowns, and a man burdened by his psychic ability he calls more curse than gift... we follow these burned characters as they stumble with what they understand, and what they cannot deny...

The movie will slip by many, those only looking for the mundane, action-packed, roller-coaster ride, but for those looking for a visceral, meaningful, timeless gem, look no further, for you will find it here.