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| Movie Review: Hereafter Alternate Title: From Here to Eternity
Story: I only hope that the
hereafter is not as boring as this film. Sorry, but while director Clint
Eastwood is a wonderful film maker and writer Peter
Morgan has scripted great work - this experience left me cold
(no pun intended). Three unrelated characters and their on-screen
experiences will surely come together at the end of the film to reveal
what? That there is life after death? That it is all random coincidence?
That it is hocus pocus? Oh dear - by this film's end I thought my watch
had died from my looking at it so often. What did not work for me was the repetitive 'been
there, done that' scenarios. Yes, they are depicted with that Eastwood
easy pace, beautiful lens and quiet demeanor but this film demanded
more oomph and less fuzziness. The three characters on three continents represent
all of us, I guess. The psychic, who views his gift more like a curse
seems as if life has already been drained out of him. There is an overall
sadness to this film that left me indifferent. It could and should have
been either uplifting or chilling - but not indifferent. Check out the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XvJwTYnKww Acting: Matt Damon as George Lonegan did not have
his usual magic moments. Cécile de France as
Marie Lelay is lovely - but her part needed more zest. Frankie
and George McLaren as Marcus/Jason were delightful. Jay
Mohr as Billy was annoying and his toupee was awful. Bryce
Dallas Howard as Melanie was too twitchy. Trivia: In a February 2010 interview with the UK's
Daily Telegraph, Clint Eastwood described "Hereafter" as "...three
different stories with people who have gone through some sort of stressful
time and it's about how they sort of converge together. Much like a
lot of French movies have been in the past, where the stories kind of
converge together, and destiny drives each person towards the other."
Predilection: I like Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon.
Food: Several scenes take place at a cooking school.
Lots of chopping of vegetables takes place.
Blatant Product Placement: Blackberry, Virgin Air,
Apple
Soundtrack: Eastwood always has good tracks.
Opening Titles: All titles at the end. The film opens
with a terrific tsunami scene.
Visual Art: The attention to detail was wonderful.
Theater Audience: Very crowded for a Thursday early
show.
Sappy Factor: 1
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: If drifting means looking at my watch
often - I drifted.
Predictability Level: High
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: I guess if you are going to
see it - the big screen is best.
Length: Long at a bit over two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 5
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