Hereafter
Reviewed by James Cheetham
jamescheetham.jcc@gmail.com
It’s always a good day in any film fan's week when a new Clint Eastwood film comes along, his most recent directorial effort being, Hereafter.
Unlike his previous endeavours, which focus upon political and emotional injustices and dramas, (i.e his other Matt Damon vehicle, Invictus) Hereafter is a different animal altogether, instead awkwardly attempting to juggle themes of the afterlife and psychic reverberations.
Charting three alternative narratives, and trying to merge the trio together, we are treated to one plot involving Damon and his unfocused and burdened psychic ability, a young boy who’s grieving the loss of his twin brother in London, and Cecile de France who narrowly escaped death due to a tragic tsunami.
These three plots are loosely connected, each one shuffling along at a fairly slow rate, and when they do finally conjoin it is so late in the game that there is no satisfying pay off.
Unfortunately, this means Hereafter bumbles along at a badly structured and uninteresting pace, the only memorable moment being the CGI laden tsunami sequence which acts as the exciting and promising opener of the film, the only other draw of the rest of the run-time being Damon's portrayal of a damaged psychic, doing his best with a fairly shoddy and somewhat embarrassing script. ("It's not a blessing...it's a curse!" *audience rolls eyes*)
Instead of exploring the mysterious depths of the myths of the afterlife, Hereafter comes across just as bland as its depictions of the ghost's limbo dimension; boring and lifeless.
Unlike his previous endeavours, which focus upon political and emotional injustices and dramas, (i.e his other Matt Damon vehicle, Invictus) Hereafter is a different animal altogether, instead awkwardly attempting to juggle themes of the afterlife and psychic reverberations.
Charting three alternative narratives, and trying to merge the trio together, we are treated to one plot involving Damon and his unfocused and burdened psychic ability, a young boy who’s grieving the loss of his twin brother in London, and Cecile de France who narrowly escaped death due to a tragic tsunami.
These three plots are loosely connected, each one shuffling along at a fairly slow rate, and when they do finally conjoin it is so late in the game that there is no satisfying pay off.
Unfortunately, this means Hereafter bumbles along at a badly structured and uninteresting pace, the only memorable moment being the CGI laden tsunami sequence which acts as the exciting and promising opener of the film, the only other draw of the rest of the run-time being Damon's portrayal of a damaged psychic, doing his best with a fairly shoddy and somewhat embarrassing script. ("It's not a blessing...it's a curse!" *audience rolls eyes*)
Instead of exploring the mysterious depths of the myths of the afterlife, Hereafter comes across just as bland as its depictions of the ghost's limbo dimension; boring and lifeless.
We shall allow you this one bump in the road Clint, but please don't plan on making another...
2/5
2/5
Hereafter is released on DVD 13th June
