Hereafter (2010)- Matt Damon (3 ½ )

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Matt Damon, Cécile De France & Bryce Dallas Howard

Genre: Drama/Fantasy

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language)

Running Time: 129 Mins

Tagline:  None

Synopsis:

{According to IMDB}"A drama centered on three people -- a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy -- who are touched by death in different ways. "

Discussion

I can’t remember the last time a Clint Eastwood movie disappointed me.  The only one I can recall is unforgiven; which I never understood how or why it became so popular, to me, it was just a boring and mediocre Western.  All other films Directed and acted by Clint have been superb; just as this new directorial take on the subject of the afterlife

Hereafter reunites Matt Damon with Clint Eastwood (previously worked together: Invictus) in what I can describe as a rare treat. I came into the film a bit skeptical, while I wasn’t expecting to be disappointed, I wasn’t hoping to be mesmerized either. I don’t think I got neither of these reactions, I mostly felt pensive after the closing credits.  The movie’s theme which deals mostly with what happens when we die has always intrigued me, perhaps because I, like anyone else, doesn’t really know what happens when we seize to be. I have my thoughts on the subject, but rather not get into them; I will more than likely dwell on that subject more than the actual movie I should be reviewing.

 

Matt Damon plays George Lonegan, a retired psychic who is trying to live a very private life; working in the day in a factory and taking cooking lessons at night. Even as private as he wants to be, his brother brings to him someone who wants a “reading” (a seeing of the afterlife) initially refusing to do it, he eventually agrees, being the last and only time. With that reading more people come into his life who are interested in “readings” George tries to explain to his brother that what he has is not a gift, but a curse; people will not understand what he is going through. He decides to leave the country and move to London to begin anew.  In London and France we are introduced to other pivotal characters that eventually connect with George. One being a young boy who has recently lost his twin brother, now in search of someone who can tell him if he is ok or if there is an afterlife; the other being a female reporter who survives a Tsunami and for a couple of minutes experienced death.  

Personally I was pleased with the picture, it was slow, but not boring, took its time developing each character; Giving enough time to explore each character’s belief in death. The ending however is one that left me mixed. I think it was ended that way as a metaphor of enjoying more the time you have alive, than that of which you will be dead; you will only be alive for so little time.

DVD

I was skeptical about this movie, so I ended up renting it from blockbuster on DVD. I might actually get this one in the future on BD.

Video

For a DVD the quality was pretty sharp, the contrast wasn’t too high nor too low, just right for the tone of the movie. I only saw pixilation in some scenes, but nothing too distracting. The tsunami scene had some pixilation, but after that it scene I didn’t witness anything else.

Audio

The movie wasn’t loud, don’t expect this to be 2012 or Armageddon. In exception of the first scene involving a Tsunami, the rest is very slow and mostly dialogue. The 5.1 surround works nicely with the first 10 min of the film. Throughout the film you will feel the 5.1. Mostly in the atmospheric music and exterior sounds.

Bottom Line

I say give it a try, I enjoyed it, might actually end up buying it in the future. If you have taste for thinking and observing this is for you. If you are expecting a disaster flick, this is not for you

Theatrical trailer