AfterLife

Rather condescendingly and disappointingly this DVD has English subtitles come up by default. Why? Because it's Scottish and whilst some accents are stronger than others, most, if not all dialogue will be quite clear to all of us, here in Britain.

Actress Alison Peebles, who's CV looks a bit bleak, debuts with this her first, and only feature film. It's quite dour, depressing at times and is held together mainly by some now familiar actors and their performances.

Kevin McKidd and Shirley Henderson, both stars in Trainspotting, here play arrogant journalist and his photographer/artist girlfriend, respectively. Both have carved Hollywood careers since. As Kenny, he starts out following a story concerning one of those now notorious Swiss euthanasia clinics, after a man suspected of being mentally unwell was 'treated' there and wasn't in a position to decide his fate for himself.

This rather pales into the background as the intense Kenny copes with his mother, May, who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer and her chances are slim. He is further bound by his Downs syndrome sister, Roberta, whose character blows through the otherwise maudlin story like a breath of fresh air. Real-life Downs sufferer Paula Sage cannot help bring smiles and tears - anyone who knows a Downs person (I worked with one) know all too well their zest for life and can be very characterful but also their vulnerabilities.

These elements do - though not always smoothly, or satisfactorily run alongside and with each other. Kenny is obviously annoyed by his sister's long term incapacity and the limits that puts on his freedom, both as journalist and future life with his new girlfriend. This is intentionally made obvious, but that doesn't make him, or the film any more pleasant.

Some reviews on other sites have said how the ending was a disappointment, or other phrases meaning much the same thing. Obviously, without even hinting what that is, I would say that I for one, was OK with it.

I have to admit that I bought this DVD in error, as I was in a shop many years ago and knew of another film with the same name, but without being able to access reference material, I bought the wrong one. I found the one I wanted later (Hirokazu Koreeda's 1998 Japanese film).

So, get this mainly for early performances - including Eddie Marsden - and a sterling and at times uplifting performance from Paula Sage.

A very moving and thought provoking film that raises issues of mental health, terminal illness and euthanasia. Sound a bit too heavy? It is a little, but this is all treated in a realistically straight forward way within a story of the changes that take place to the family who have to deal with these things. This is a positive story of facing up to life and responsibility that isn't overwhelm by the subject matter.

Afterlife is beautifully shot and crafted film set in modern times and dealing with modern issues. It is a character driven, enthralling film with a strong cast and some very good performances.

Unfortunate it is not the sort of film that always performs well at the box office, so catch it while you can.

Not an easy film to like at first with both the lead characters quite unlikeable but luckily the heart and soul of the film is Paula Sage's touching performance which drives the film into uncharted waters and transcends the rather awkward storyline. This gives the film a feeling of real truth and makes you think you've seen something special.(7/10)

AfterLife. A film that anyone who has had to choose between pursuing their career and being near their loved ones will relate to.

Despite the low budget, 'AfterLife' boasts a very strong cast...including Lindsay Duncan as the mother and the versatile Kevin McKidd as self-centred journalist Kenny Brogan. The central role of Roberta is played with great maturity and confidence by Down's Syndrome actress Paula Sage.

Behind the scenes, director Alison Peebles focuses tightly on the human scale of the story, and although Andrea Gibb's writing certainly tugs hard at the emotions, a healthy dose of honesty ensures that it never descends in sentimentality.

'AfterLife' was a deserved winner of this year's Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

This film may be low budget but it is certainly high on the emotional scale with fantastic performances, especially from Paula Sage (Roberta) who has Downs Syndrome. The film is very funny and moving and depicts Roberta in a completely different way than characters with special needs are usually shown - she is selfish, rude but also very funny - in fact most of the humour in the film comes from Roberta. The relationship between Kenny (Kevin McKidd) and May (Lindsay Duncan) is realistic and insightful.

The ending is very moving, a little twist had us all cringing in our seats as we awaited the final outcome. This film quite rightly won the audience award at the Edinburgh Film Festival with the highest votes ever.