Hereafter – Review – 5/5 stars

This film has met a mixed response mainly due its subject which is very take it or leave it. Mainly due to different opinions on the afterlife, but you don’t to believe life after death to enjoy this film. The film even grounds us in reality by setting these characters during the events of 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2005 London bombings. This a film about three different characters who each have a different experience involving death, loss and afterlife, this is more of a character study than a film about the afterlife.

It opens with a brilliant recreation of the tragic 2004 tsunami, which causes French journalist Marie (Cecile de France) to have a near death experience. The images of her experience in the afterlife don’t seem any more unrealistic than real-life claims from people who had near death experience: white lights, blurry people etc. The second character George (Matt Damon) who can commune with the dead but is trying to escape trying to have a normal life. The other is a young English boy Marcus who lost his twin brother Jason (played by Frankie and George McLaren) and is trying to communicate with him.

Matt Damon is good as always and is surprisingly believable when doing psychic readings; he leaves it ambiguous enough for the audience whether he’s really having these visions or just works it out picking up vibes (remember his character explained he had brain surgery). Cecile de France is great as a character trying to discover what happened to her, although most her lines are in French. The McLaren twins are good for child actors with no experience. Then there’s the lovely Bryce Dallas Howard (I don’t care what anyone thinks, one day she’ll be mine!) in a small role as a girl Damon tries to start a relationship with, she starts off sweet and likeable then she discovers his secret.

It’s almost impossible to see a bad film by Clint Eastwood or with Matt Damon. Don’t expect this to be a huge a action packed thriller just because it’s big opening sequence. This film is not for everyone, try not to afterlife parts too seriously if you don’t believe and get to learn about the characters and will be more enjoyable (at least for me).