FILM REVIEW: Hereafter

FILM: Hereafter
GENRE: Drama/ Fantasy
CAST: Matt Damon, Cécile De France and Thierry Neuvic
DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood
YEAR: 2010


WHY ARE THE CAST FAMILIAR?: Well, to be honest, the cast aren't as familiar as you would expect, given that this film is directed by the one and only Mr Eastwood. However, the lead actor- Matt Damon, is a man that can stand on his own. Perhaps some of his most famous films include Good Will Hunting, playing 'Will Hunting', The Talented Mr Ripley, playing 'Tom Ripley'; the Ocean's.. series, as 'Linus Caldwell' and The Bourne... series, playing Jason Bourne. Cécile De France is a French actress who- until Hereafter, I had never seen before. But after doing some digging, I can tell you that she has had quite an extensive career- just on the other side of the English Channel in France. Like De France, Thierry Neuvic has been in a lot of things, but perhaps the film that we would recognise is Sherlock Holmes- A Game of Shadows, where he played Claude Ravache.


My review:
This is a film that I had wanted to watch since it came out. Unfortunately- due to circumstance, that wasn't to be... until yesterday night. I think that there's something a little curious about the subject matter because-  despite what any of us may or may not believe, we will never know what happens when we die. This film, however takes out the element of religion and uses scientific evidence to justify an afterlife. Yet to avoid confusion, it uses the clever title Hereafter. 


The film begins in an idyllic location: beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters that look wonderfully enticing, before they turn menacing. At first, I have to confess that I thought I'd accidentally tweaked the settings of the DVD as the film began in French with English subtitles, but then I realised that this was part of the story! This beautiful opening soon becomes devastated by a tsunami. De France plays Marie- a woman whose life is changed by the tsunami. She attempts to out-run the impossible but is soon swept up by the water. After having been declared dead, she miraculously awakens having witnessed the tranquillity of the 'hereafter'.  


Marie's story weaves its way through the film with that of George (Matt Damon) and a young boy in England called Marcus who tragically loses his twin brother. At times I did find the editing a little complicated as it seemed to jump sporadically from one story to the next, sometimes without feeling as though each segment is ready to be changed. And yet, this seems to be intentional as there later came to be an 'oh, that makes sense' moment.


When Marie starts suffering from flashbacks, she is instructed to take time off work. Whilst on sabbatical, she writes a book entitled 'Hereafter'. This is debuted at The London Book Fair. Coincidentally, George is also in London as he attempts to escape this curse that he has- the ability to talk with the dead. It prevents him from leading a normal life and seems to leave him isolated and alone. Yet, his moment of serendipity with Marie proves that he is no longer alone. 


Similarly, the third story also intersects at this same point. Marcus (played by George and Frankie McLaren) is continually searching for a way to be close to his identical twin brother- Jason. The performance's given by the McLaren brothers are heart-wrenching as Marcus' grief is quite challenging to digest at points as it just seems too much for a child to handle. But it seems to be the truth of his grief that helps to legitimise his search for the 'hereafter'. At the same time, it is Marcus that helps give weight to the lives of Marie and George: it feels like they are all on a journey that you can't help but become a part of.


As the film draws to a close, there is a feeling of contentment that George is able to give Marcus the closure he so desperately needs to move on. Likewise, when George meets Marie, I was left with a feeling of lightness in my tummy. At long last, this man could share some happiness with someone who has experienced what he has to live with on a daily basis. Both George and Marie are so likeable that you are willing them to meet; a meeting that to me symbolised the final pieces of the jigsaw. 


I watched this film and was surprised by how powerful it was. I felt moved by all the main characters and found myself considering my own thoughts on the 'hereafter'. I don't usually enjoy this sort of film, but I have to say that I felt the subject matter was handled delicately and benefited from thoughtful directing by Clint Eastwood. Overall, a very, very good film that will leave a lingering sentiment. 


My rating: * * * *