Hereafter

Clearly, no the best movie directed by Eastwood.

The performances are quite OK but the story is flat from the beginning to the end.

Clint Eastwood has once again proved himself to be a formidable director. The style and structure of storytelling used in Hereafter will not appeal to a large audience, but something tells me he knew this all too well but honestly, didn't care and rightfully so. Because let's face it, he can afford it and it's certainly a privilege he has earned. And with Hereafter, it seems that all Mr. Eastwood wants to do is share a story. A very beautiful one at that.

Hereafter is divided into three story lines, spread over three different countries. We have Matt Damon as a reluctant psychic in the United States, Cécile De France who plays a journalist in France and a young pair of twin brothers (Frankie and George McLaren) in England. All of these peoples' lives are in one way or another affected by different aspects of death, whether that be a near-death experience or the passing of someone very dear. Or, in Damons case, the ability to establish a certain connection with those who are no longer with us. Eastwood has decided on a particularly art house-like approach, which, like I mentioned earlier, will certainly back off a large amount of potential viewers. However, I personally very much appreciate his decision. He has obviously chosen not to make this some big, hyped-up monster movie about all things paranormal. Instead, Hereafter deals with its subject with great integrity and subtlety. Although, despite said subtlety, it features a few moments which are, by contrast, incredibly intense and shocking (in a non-scary way). In fact, I would even go so far as to say it is not for the faint of heart, but I mean that mostly in an emotional sense, rather than a spectacular one. On a side note, I would actually not recommend this film to anyone who has, in any way, shape or form been confronted with the 2004 tsunami, or even the London terrorist attacks. It might be really confronting, so be advised.

I personally think the film's user rating is a bit low, but on the other ha...

Bit of a disappointment, to be honest.

'Hereafter' spends the majority of the 2hr (or so) run time building up the intrigue, but then proceeds to do hardly anything with it. As the credits rolled, I felt like I wanted more from this 2010 release. The three stories take too long to connect, even if each one is actually quite interesting.

I like the performances of Matt Damon and Cécile de France, while youngsters Frankie and George McLaren do well. Bryce Dallas Howard is also involved, she and Damon have good chemistry - it's not quite Damon and Emily Blunt in the phenomenal 'The Adjustment Bureau', a film that in fact caused a production delay for this film, but they come across nicely together onscreen. I also recognised George Costigan ('Line of Duty') and Mathew Baynton ('You, Me and the Apocalypse').

For how long it takes to connect and how little satisfaction the end product gives, I can't help but feel disappointed with this flick from Clint Eastwood; who worked alongside 'The Crown' creator Peter Morgan, interestingly.