Hereafter (2010)

A drama centered on three people -- a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy -- who are touched by death in different ways.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

Peter Morgan

Stars:

Cécile De France, Thierry Neuvic, Matt Damon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cécile De France	...	Marie Lelay (as Cécile de France)
Thierry Neuvic	...	Didier
Cyndi Mayo Davis	...	Island Hotel Clerk
Lisa Griffiths	...	Stall Owner
Jessica Griffiths	...	Island Girl
Ferguson Reid	...	Rescuer
Derek Sakakura	...	Rescuer
Jay Mohr	...	Billy
Richard Kind	...	Christos
Matt Damon	...	George Lonegan
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	Photographer
Frankie McLaren	...	Marcus / Jason
George McLaren	...	Marcus / Jason
Lyndsey Marshal	...	Jackie
Rebekah Staton	...	Social Worker

Storyline

A drama centered on three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways. George (Damon) is a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (de France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren), a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might-or must-exist in the hereafter.

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Plot Keywords:

death | twin | tsunami | twin brother | afterlife | 

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Taglines:

Touched by death. Changed by life.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [de] Warner Bros. [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Más allá de la vida

Filming Locations:

Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Muswell Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£601,728 (UK) (28 January 2011)

Gross:

£1,151,807 (UK) (4 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Malpaso Productions, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a February 2010 interview with the UK's 'Daily Telegraph', Clint Eastwood described "Hereafter" as "...three different stories with people who have gone through some sort of stressful time and it's about how they sort of converge together. Much like a lot of French movies have been in the past, where the stories kind of converge together, and destiny drives each person towards the other."

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Goofs

When Jason is hit by the Mercedes van, there is a shot from inside the car Jason's body is thrown onto showing him cracking the windshield. *** The view is not from inside the Mercedes van. This can be clearly seen as the camera pans away from the twins and the black car next to them has a cracked windshield. ***

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Quotes

George Lonegan: I'm sorry, I'm losing him now. He's leaving. He wants to leave.
Marcus: No, Jase. Don't go. You can't.
[starts crying]
Marcus: Don't leave me. I don't wanna be here without you. Please, Jase, don't go. I miss you.
George Lonegan: Okay, he came back. He's here. He says if you're worried about being on your own, don't be. You're not. Because he is you and you are him. One cell. One person. Always.

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Crazy Credits

The mid 80s-late 90's Warner Bros. shield is used and is in black and white at the beginning of the movie, and at the end of the credits, the same Warner Bros. Shield is used alongside the Amblin logo, also in black-and-white.

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Connections

Featured in Great Movie Mistakes III: Not in 3D (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Piano Concerto #2"
(1900-01)
Written by Sergei Rachmaninoff

User Reviews

Incredibly intense, subtle masterpiece.

Clint Eastwood has once again proved himself to be a formidable director. The style and structure of storytelling used in Hereafter will not appeal to a large audience, but something tells me he knew this all too well but honestly, didn't care and rightfully so. Because let's face it, he can afford it and it's certainly a privilege he has earned. And with Hereafter, it seems that all Mr. Eastwood wants to do is share a story. A very beautiful one at that.

Hereafter is divided into three story lines, spread over three different countries. We have Matt Damon as a reluctant psychic in the United States, Cécile De France who plays a journalist in France and a young pair of twin brothers (Frankie and George McLaren) in England. All of these peoples' lives are in one way or another affected by different aspects of death, whether that be a near-death experience or the passing of someone very dear. Or, in Damons case, the ability to establish a certain connection with those who are no longer with us. Eastwood has decided on a particularly art house-like approach, which, like I mentioned earlier, will certainly back off a large amount of potential viewers. However, I personally very much appreciate his decision. He has obviously chosen not to make this some big, hyped-up monster movie about all things paranormal. Instead, Hereafter deals with its subject with great integrity and subtlety. Although, despite said subtlety, it features a few moments which are, by contrast, incredibly intense and shocking (in a non-scary way). In fact, I would even go so far as to say it is not for the faint of heart, but I mean that mostly in an emotional sense, rather than a spectacular one. On a side note, I would actually not recommend this film to anyone who has, in any way, shape or form been confronted with the 2004 tsunami, or even the London terrorist attacks. It might be really confronting, so be advised.

I personally think the film's rating of 6.7 is a bit low, but on the other hand I do somewhat understand why this film has not received the appreciation it deserves. Simply put, not everyone (actually, many people) will not understand it. It is a small story, for a small audience. Also, anyone watching this because they think it's all about Matt Damon will be somewhat deceived. I fully understand why they put his name and picture on the poster, since he is the only big name on the payroll. But this is really not 'his' film, he just plays a part in it. And he does it well, but the rest of the cast actually deserves a great deal of credit, because they are quite simply phenomenal. And I mean *all* of them. Cécile de France is really impressive, she plays her part with great dignity and empathy. She truly carries every scene she's in, and she will definitely do her country proud. Personally, I was most affected (both story- and acting wise) by the 'London segment' of the film. The story of the two young brothers is absolutely heartbreaking, and the McLaren boys do a superb job at translating this onto the screen. Anyone who doesn't at least feel a shudder of emotion when watching their story unfold, well... honestly doesn't have a lot of heart. I refuse to give away any plot points at all, other than what I already have. This is really the kind of story you just need to surrender to in order to really appreciate it. The pacing demands some patience, but if this is your kind of film it really won't be too much trouble and you will be greatly rewarded.

The way the story unfolds (the three-way structure, which doesn't come together until the very end), inevitably evokes comparison to 'Babel', but honestly, that one cost me a far greater deal of effort to sit through than Hereafter. But that is entirely personal of course, and the structure is really the only similarity between the two; the stories are completely different. And I also think Hereafter is actually far more accessible than Babel, despite its subject matter. The stories are told with such tenderness that it didn't actually bother me at all that they were three separate stories which, until the end, had nothing to do with each other. They all intrigued me in their own personal way.

Actually, I could go on and on...

It's been a long time since a film has really touched my heart, but this one has. I've been thinking about what rating I should give it, but honestly, I can't think of a single reason why I wouldn't give this film a 10. Hereafter is a film of true beauty, a real gem. Which, unfortunately, won't be understood by many people, but who knows... Perhaps someday, its time will come.