Hereafter

Written by Peter Morgan, Hereafter follows three characters as they deal with issues of a decidedly spiritual nature: George (Matt Damon), a retired medium who is reluctantly drawn back into the psychic fray; Marcus (Frankie McLaren), a young boy reeling from the death of his twin brother; and Marie (Cécile De France), a successful reporter who must rethink her beliefs after surviving a deadly tsunami. Filmmaker Clint Eastwood kicks Hereafter off with an absolutely electrifying sequence revolving around the aforementioned tsunami, which, though effective at initially capturing the viewer’s interest, admittedly does stand in sharp contrast to the subdued nature of everything that follows. Eastwood’s notoriously deliberate sensibilities prove an ideal match for Morgan’s somber screenplay, while Damon’s spellbinding work ensures that the film is at its best when focused on his character’s low-key comings and goings. (Damon is so good here, in fact, that the film’s two other subplots suffer by comparison, as it does become increasingly difficult to work up a similar degree of enthusiasm for both Marcus and Marie’s respective exploits.) Morgan’s penchant for padding out the proceedings with sequences of a decidedly needless variety – eg Marcus visits with a succession of phony psychics – contributes heavily to the uneven atmosphere, yet there little doubt that by the time the three storylines converge in the movie’s final act, Hereafter has certainly established itself as an engaging, sporadically enthralling drama that ranks as one of Eastwood’s better efforts as of late.

***1/2 out of ****