Hereafter: Movie Review

To quote the great Benjamin Franklin, "Two things are certain in life, death and taxes". "Hereafter" tries to tackle the former - the thing that all of creation must endure someday. Death is so powerful, so scary and yet we do not know a single thing about what happens after it. Some say that we all move on to another realm while some think that it's just nothingness. You must admit though that knowing that there is an end is intimidating to say the least but death is a blessing as much as some would label it as a curse. Without the concept of death, would we even have the urgency to do anything significant? Anyway, it's getting too philosophical already. Read on to find out if "Hereafter" is a film to watch out for or not.

George Lonegan (Matt Damon) is a factory worker who is also a reluctant and recluse psychic. He was once known and famous for his abilities to talk to the dead. For George though having his ability is a curse rather than a gift as it has destroyed his chances to have a normal life. Marie Lelay (Cécile de France) is a famous television host in France. She encounters a near death experience when she was swept away in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Marie struggles to live a normal life after that incident as her near death experience has left a mark in her life. Marcus (Frankie Mclaren) lost his older twin brother in a car accident. Being recently orphaned to a new family, Marcus finds it hard to move on without his brother and his best friend.

"Hereafter" is a film that will grab your attention the whole time. The concept of the unknown, death and the afterlife, gives it a different dimension not normally seen in drama films. Too bad though that as much as death made it more interesting, death at the same thing limits its ability to become something more. What we can surely say about "Hereafter" though is that it was well-made. The cinematography was perfect and the acting was superb especially for Matt Damon. As usual, slow paced story-telling is king (as all Clint Eastwood films are). Even though this is the case, we never felt that any scene was unnecessarily placed. All seems perfect for "Hereafter" but the only problem is that it tries to tackle the unknown - a topic that will always be lacking in some regard and this is what happens in "Hereafter". We wished it could have developed its idea of death more but how can they in the first place if they don't know what it really is.

Rating: 3.5 reels





Why you should watch it:
- great story, great pacing, great cinematography
- superb acting

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- it is a long movie with really slow pacing
- it tackles the concept of death but is greatly lacking on how it develops it further