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HereAfter (2017)

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Review

Duration: 2:35

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Clint Eastwood has dabbled with the supernatural in movies such as "Pale Rider" and "High Plains Drifter." The director invoked spiritual ideas and imagery to bring the stories effectively to the big screen.

In his new movie "Hereafter," Eastwood returns to the supernatural realm to confront the issue of the afterlife. Only this time, death and dying became merely afterthoughts.

I had high expectations for the movie knowing its award-winning pedigree. Eastwood is a commanding director, Matt Damon is a commendable actor, and Peter Morgan ("The Queen," "Frost/Nixon") is an intelligent scriptwriter.

But what's meant to be a meditative film about death and dying quickly disintegrated into some supernatural mumbo jumbo crossed over with a pedantic love story. It just did not work.

The film started promisingly enough. The captivating Cécile De France stars as Marie Lelay, a French journalist on vacation in Southeast Asia who becomes a victim of a tsunami.

The tsunami scene was shot with assured hands by Eastwood complete with eye-popping visual effects. After the storm, Marie realizes she has near-death experience.

Thousands of miles away in San Francisco, we meet George Lonegan (Damon working with Eastwood for the second time after last year's "Invictus"), a reluctant psychic who sees dead people. George has stopped using his special connection to the afterlife since he thinks it's a curse and "a life about death is no life at all."

Meanwhile in London, Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren) is grappling with the reality of death after he loses the person closest to him. Soon, the paths of Marie, George, and Marcus will intersect, but before this happens, you may start losing interest.

The first part of the film is great. I love the production design, and I was interested in how these lives will cross. But the second half meanders into a "been there, done that" territory even though the actors tried their best to make the film interesting.

The scene-stealer of the movie is Bryce Dallas Howard as Damon's cooking school partner. She's vibrant and so darn likable she lights up the screen every time she's on.

De France's character arch started with a big splash and ended with a quite drop. The most involving storyline for me is the one about Marcus. He's a lost little boy who wants answers about the afterlife and will do anything to get them.

Damon's character is the one I find problematic. The actor did a good job, but his character was not developed well. You will end up wanting to know more about why he stopped using his psychic powers. The filmmakers were more interested in showing us George's penchant for Charles Dickens.

In order for us to move forward with the lead character, we need to know the ins and outs of this person. If George keeps on saying his gift is a curse, then show us why it is. I'm against literal representation of characters but for a subject like death and dying and the supernatural, it is well needed.

Eastwood directed "Hereafter" like a foreign film complete with an existential tone. While the payoff may be good for the characters, the ending will make you wanting for more.

"Hereafter" was tied too neatly and conveniently for a supposed meditative film about death and dying. Sadly, the movie feels long and laborious, and there's already a supernatural love story that was done much better. It's called "Ghost."

RATING: "HEREAFTER" GETS 2 ½ KISSES

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