Hereafter (2010) Film 15/50

There are very few movies directed by Clint Eastwood that I've seen and disliked. Hereafter is no exception. And while it may not be my favorite Eastwood film (that honor still resides with Mystic River), this film was in no way among his worst (yes...I'm talking about you, Space Cowboys).

Somehow this movie premiered late in 2010, and I managed to go over a year without hearing once about it. Now, thanks to the good folks at HBO and a random bit of happenstance, I ran across this Matt Damon/Eastwood reunion (previously having worked together on another of my Eastwood favorites, Invictus). This time, Damon plays a psychic who hates being a psychic. But his story is not the main focus of the film. Instead, the narrative is split between three characters and their respective journeys dealing with death and the afterlife.

The first character we meet is Marie (played by Cécile De France), a French journalist who barely survives a tsunami while on assignment in Thailand. After having a near-death experience, Marie loses all focus with her career and relationship and turns all of her attention to her new hobby: life after death.

Over in London, we meet brothers Jason and Marcus (played brilliantly by George and Frankie McLaren). They are 12 year old, identical twins with a junkie for a mom. One morning, Jason sets out for some medicine to help his mother detox and ends up killed after being chased into on-coming traffic by some local punks. Marcus, who had been talking with Jason via cellphone up until this point, rushes to his brother's side. The loss is heartbreaking for Marcus, his mother and anyone in the audience who appreciated the bond these boys had demonstrated in the previous ten to so minutes. Marcus, in turn, becomes obsessed with finding anyway to speak to his dead brother. With a little help from everyone's favorite search engine, he manages to put together a decent list of psychics.

Psychics, you say?! Why didn't you mention something about Matt Damon playing a psychic? Why yes, I did. Coincidence? I think not. But his character, George Lonegan, lives in San Francisco...ages away from both Marie and Marcus. If only there some sort of plot device or story-line that was would result in his character meeting up with the other two. Look, I said I enjoyed the film. I didn't say it wasn't amazingly predictable.

This film is not action-packed. It's not even heavy on conflict or plot twists and turns. What it does have is heart, largely due to the phenomenal performances of the McLaren brothers. Damon provides a necessary role in Marcus' struggle to cope with the death of his brother, but the George-backstory lacks the depth or angst needed to make him a worthy protagonist. Marie's story is a shade more interesting, but without more development of her experience with the hereafter, her suffering also pails in comparison to that of Marcus.

So where does that leave us? Well, here's the official likes/dislikes breakdown for you to enjoy. Maybe this will help you to decide whether or not you should devote two hours and nine minutes of the present on Hereafter.

THINGS THAT I LIKED:
Any scene with George and/or Frankie McLaren and their baseball cap, Clint Eastwood's soundtrack, les français, the über-creepy scene where Matt Damon drools over Derek Jacobi reading Dickens, and the presentation of the tsunami and subway sequences

THINGS THAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Jay Mohr's hair, Jay Mohr's character, Bryce Dallas Howard (in anything, including this film), the artwork seen on the film poster that looks like Good Will Hunting and The Day After Tomorrow had a baby, the über-creepy scene where Matt Damon drools over Derek Jacobi signing copies of the audio CD of himself reading Dickens, and Damon's idea of "doing the dishes"

Fortunately for us, Jay Mohr's hair and Bryce Dallas Howard hold minor roles in this film. So please don't let that hold you back from seeing this film. That being said, I wouldn't recommend you add this to your "absolutely must-see ASAP" movie list. It's probably best enjoyed when found randomly as I had happened across it...in a sort of "wardrobe to Narnia" channel surfing moment.