So now, just barely into the film, there's good reason to worry that Hereafter isn't going to be one of Eastwood's finest films. And that worry that sets in early on continues to grow as Eastwood, working off of Peter Morgan's script, excruciatingly slowly goes through the paces. Ultimately what Eastwood delivers is a lackluster exploration of the afterlife through the eyes of the film's three central characters.
Cecile de France in 'Hereafter.'
© Warner Bros PicturesHereafter - The Story
Cecile de France plays Marie Lelay, a French TV reporter with horrible timing. On vacation in a beach resort in Southeast Asia, she steps out of her hotel room - leaving behind her boyfriend/producer of her TV news show - and within minutes is swept away by a massive wave of water. She drowns and her lifeless body is pulled from the water by two good samaritans who try to revive her but fail. And as we see through her eyes, she's greeted in death by fuzzy images of others who've recently passed away. However, she's not dead and comes to believing she's had a near-death experience in which she's seen the other side. Although she returns to her job in France, the experience has traumatized her and left her wanting to further explore what happened to her in those brief moments underwater. All but forced out of her job because she's no longer able to concentrate on work, Marie sets to work researching and writing a book about the afterlife.Meanwhile, George (Matt Damon) is a San Francisco-based medium who no longer wants to speak to the dead. He's put that part of his life behind him, but his brother (Jay Mohr) is convinced George has made the wrong decision. Why kill the cash cow when people are so hungry for answers and so determined to be able to reach out to those who have passed away that they'll pay handsomely for the privilege? George only wishes for a normal life, for the ability to be in a romantic relationship, but his psychic powers have always stood in the way. Even a pretty student (Bryce Dallas Howard) in his Italian cooking class expresses interest in him but then runs away after she discovers his ability, forces him to reach out to her dead relatives, and is freaked out by what he tells her they're saying from the beyond.
The three stories converge, as you know full well they will from the start, as the search for answers leads George, Marie, and Marcus to a book fair of all places.
The Acting
Matt Damon is fine in this role that demands very little of him other than to talk to people who aren't there. Strangely, no one on the other side has all that much to say so his conversations aren't all that interesting. But back to Damon, he's become one of the most dependable actors of his generation, always giving 100% to every role he takes on. It's unfortunate there's just not that much in Peter Morgan's script for Damon to sink his teeth into.Cecile de France didn't wow me as Marie. There seemed to be a lack of emotional commitment to the role, and I never felt anything for this woman who should have had my sympathy from the moment she survived the devastating tsunami.
Lyndsey Marshall and Frankie/George McLaren in 'Hereafter.'
© Warner Bros Pictures
The Bottom Line
Though the characters travel the globe, Hereafter never actually goes anywhere. Morgan's script isn't up to his usual standards (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and Eastwood's also off his game.The film's tone shifts wildly and the pacing's incredibly slow. Sadly, that audience member who asked at the end of the film if that's all there is to Hereafter was right on. The answer is a very disappointing yes.
GRADE: C-
Hereafter was directed by Clint Eastwood and is rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language.
Theatrical Release: October 15, 2010 (limited) and October 22, 2010 (wide)
