Hereafter (Blu-Ray / DVD Combo)
Blu-Ray Reviews | Mar 23rd, 2011
Starring: Matt Damon, Cecile De France, Frankie and George McLaren, Jay Mohr, Bryce Dallas Howard, Marthe Keller, Jean-Yves Berteloot
Written By: Peter Morgan
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Studio: Warner Bros
Buy On Amazon.com
Hereafter is the latest Clint Eastwood movie that got barely any press, because I didn’t even know it existed until I got this sent to me. That’s a shame because it’s a really good movie, it’s just a bit of a downer.
The movie centers around 3 different people who have been affected by death in different ways. Their lives eventually intersect in a way that brings the movie all together in the end. Hereafter starts out with French journalist Marie Lelay (Cécile de France) on an assignment in Thailand, when the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami hits and she encounters a near-death experience. George Lonegan (Matt Damon) is a genuine psychic who doesn’t want to give readings because of the emotional impact it had with the clients. His brother Billy (Jay Mohr) keeps wanting him to start his own business but George is hesitant about it. The third person involved with the story is 12-year old twin Marcus, who loses someone close to him. All three try to deal with death in different ways, and eventually overcome it in the end.
From not knowing a thing about Hereafter, I thought it was a good film. It’s not the type of movie where I’d want to go out of my way to see but if you like sad, depressing movie then this is for you. The opening sequences are terrifying, since it’s a CGI account of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Since the Earthquake and tsunami just happened in Japan, it might be tough to watch. I know there were some shots during the first 15 minutes that were quite scary because it’s like watching real footage. Just seeing cars and people float away. I can see why it was pulled from Japanese theaters.
The other storylines were okay, but I almost wish the movie was entirely about Matt Damon’s character. I felt like we could have gotten to see a lot more from him, and maybe had more of a backstory. I suppose the movie is really about the three people crossing paths in their lives though. Eastwood’s direction is okay, but to me, it just doesn’t feel like one of his movies for some reason. The soundtrack does, because he composed a subdued score track along with some light classical music.
The special features on the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo include a feature length documentary with Clint Eastwood discussing his 30 plus years in the movie biz, focus points about various things about the movie like making the tsunami sequence, life after death, the actors and other things. I liked the focus points about the tsunami and especially the life after death stuff. Its a discussion most people always have, so some of the actors and crew talk about it. If you add all the mini featurettes up, it’s about 45 minutes. For the movie itself, it looked wonderful on Blu-Ray of course. No complaints with that.
I’m not sure I can recommend this movie to people, because it all depends on what type of movies you like. It’s a good, sad film that I don’t really want to see again because it’s such a downer at times. It’s not all the time, but just rough watching people cope with death. If this is your thing, go rent it when it becomes available.
Features:
The Eastwood Factor – Extended Edition
Focus Points
Digital Copy
Video:
Widescreen 2.40:1 Color
Screen Resolution:
1080p
Audio:
ENGLISH: DTS-HD MA 5.1
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English, Spanish, French
Bottom Line: A downer of a movie but it’s still good.
Running Time: 129 mins
Rating: PG-13
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:
