There's no worry that the film would be heavy due to subject matter."Hereafter" is a comfortably-paced film experience from veterandirector Clint Eastwood (at wondrous prime age of 80). Peter ("TheQueen") Morgan's screenplay on 'life after close encounter with death'is seemingly simple yet full of spirited (pardon the pun) ingredients.There are vignettes depicting different social strata of lifesituations: rich and famous in the French television media and Europeanpublishing world as we follow a career-driven female journalist;quietly solo 'blue-collar worker' shying away from exposure of his'possessed gift' in San Francisco; struggling addict, London single momdealing with custody of her boys and the lone twin attachment to hislost brother. Morgan skillfully scripted three intersecting story linesinclusive of contemporary social elements and events: natural disaster,bomb attack, fatal accident, culinary classes, corporate meetings,company layoffs, foster care, book fair.

As in most of Eastwood directed films, there's never hurriedness orpush for emphasis of themes. We are watching and experiencing atcomfortable pace the development of the characters as the storiesunfold. The characters, we care. Not just the three main ones, but thesupporting roles are just as interesting and touching - fine acting allround. Bryce Dallas Howard as Melanie - sensual-sensory moments at thefood tasting segment with Damon reminds me of the flavorful w-d SandraNettelbeck's 2001 German gem "Bella Martha". Brief appearance by MartheKeller as reassuring Dr. Rousseau at the Swiss hospice institutereminds me of her 'terminal' role in d Sydney Pollack's 1977 "BobbyDeerfield" opposite Al Pacino. Derek Jacobi as himself fondly recitingDickens is always a welcoming interlude.

Matt Damon, second time round collaboration with Eastwood (he wasfantastic in his South African Rugby team captain role in Eastwood's2009 "Invictus" opposite Morgan Freeman), once again delivered a subtlyconvincing and sensitive George Lonegan, the reluctant psychic who felttrapped by his not so hidden gift. Cécile De France as Marie Lelay letus share her anguish and determined pursuit for true understanding,recognition of her near-death experience. Marcus at such a young age,quite pensive and resolute in his search for connection with hisbrother, is well-portrayed by the McLaren twins.

Besides being director and producer to "Hereafter," Eastwood is alsothe composer of the film score. I appreciate the palpable energy andloving care contributed to the accompanying music as the scenes revealand the stories evolve - the guitar strains and the piano rhythm soaptly integrated to the movie experience.

Along with screenwriter Peter Morgan, Steven Spielberg is one of theexecutive producers and it was said that he actually introduced theoriginal draft to Eastwood, who promptly bought the rights to the book'Hereafter.' There's an insightful article titled "Eastwood BreaksAnother Mold" (by C. McGrath) which provided background notes to howthe script and film came to be. Almost as fate plays a hand and the twoimportant players (Eastwood-Morgan) 'intersect', we are fortunate toget to enjoy the remarkable film production of 'Hereafter': aperceptive study of life after death on the sly, dramaticallyrewarding.

I've been to several movies where the audience clapped or cheered whenit was over. This was the first one that I've ever been in where at theending there were indignant and confused cries throughout the audienceof "what??" and several people saying "I want a refund!" My ownresponse was, "that's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back" (Ithought I was underestimating how long it dragged on, but apparently itwas only 2 hours).

Personally, I was just plain bored. Halfway through, when I realized itwasn't going to get any better, I was very tempted to break out myphone and start checking Facebook. I think we were all expecting thingsto come together at the end and get that "aha" moment when all themundane, meaningless events suddenly make sense in a larger context. Itdidn't happen, thus the "what?" cries from the audience.

As for the acting, the kid and the woman were fine, but Matt Damon wasjust Matt Damon. There was just enough of those facial expressions,body movements, habits, and other quirks to break that all-importantsuspension of disbelief and remind me that this is Matt Damon, notGeorge whoever.

One might think that a movie that stars Matt Damon, is about theafterlife, and directed by Clint Eastwood would be worth seeing...notso much. I had such great expectations for this film but left feelingcheated...and sleepy. Unfortunately after the first ten minutes of themovie (and what has to be the most fantastic and realistic tsunamiscene ever filmed)it was just plain dull. Because of the shift instoryline to include the on-going lives of the three main characters,there was not enough character development to make me care one way oranother about what happens to these people. Yes, the acting wastop-notch, but that just wasn't enough to keep me interested. I keptthinking it would get better and then the credits ran (thankfully).Clint Eastwood has more than proved himself; this movie amounts to twosteps backwards.

Somber and thought-provoking as usual, "Hereafter" is a very seriousstory providing no answers but a lot of "what if." This film is evenmore interesting for people who have wondered what really happens afterthe death. Nowadays it is a spiritual flick, counter-programming toother Hollywood horror movies and it is made for those liking a kind ofentertainment more cerebral than visceral. Hereafter by Peter Morgan(The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and directed by Clint Eastwood tells separatestories revealing hidden connections, but eventually winding their waystoward a common theme. In this case the chance that something iswaiting for us on the other side. Though never too too spiritual themovie is of course interested in exploring the idea that one's soulcontinues after death. We are shown three compelling characters, eachinhabiting a compelling story. All the three lead actors, especiallyMatt Damon, create sympathetic characters the viewer will enjoyspending time with. Any one of them could have sustained an entiremovie but Eastwood tries to balance three separate plots, never delvingvery deeply into any of them. I enjoyed the movie and think it's reallyworth seeing, thanks to the appropriate thoughtful tone and the severalemotionally powerful moments. Hereafter is very entertaining, and notsurprisingly, as we have to do with Clint Eastwood.

Perhaps my favourite director of mainstream American cinema, ClintEastwood is a man in whom I have the greatest faith. His distinctvisual style; the subject matters he chooses; the emotional impacts hisfilms engender: all distinct threads running through Eastwood's moviesof the decade just gone by. Hereafter, as such, was one of the filmsmost looked forward to on my cinematic calendar.

Cursed by a strange psychic ability which has haunted his life, GeorgeLonnegan is attempting to move on and put his dark past behind him.Marie Lelay is a French broadcaster, inspired by a near-deathexperience to examine what might await on the other side. Left alonefollowing his twin brother's death, young Marcus is desperate to havehis best friend back.

Few films I have seen open with more shocking, startling, andsurprising a scene than Hereafter. If you happen to be ignorant of whatexactly I'm referring to here, maintain your ignorance and rush to seeit at once. As I sat in the cinema, eagerly awaiting my belovedEastwood/Tom Stern cinematography, I was blown away by the astoundingsuddenness of the film's opening setpiece, the phenomenally impressivenature of its execution a fantastic, albeit entirely unexpected,beginning to the film. One of the most impressive utilisations ofspecial effects for dramatic reasons I can recall to have witnessed,and a fitting introduction to this, a film which takes Eastwood to newand unfamiliar territory. The kind of theme which, in more hands thannot, would be mishandled and misused, the great question of death andthe afterlife makes for a veritable minefield, threatening at anymoment to explode and destroy any trace of notability which a narrativemight otherwise deserve. Eastwood's pacing is fittingly slow, slow,slow, taking us through an approximate year in the lives of each ofthese characters. Many have complained about this, but it is functionaland appropriate, as well as finely supported by the film'sperformances. Damon, an actor whom I rarely have cause to praise, isreally wonderful, the tragedy he imbues in his character entirelybelievable, and supported beautifully by the characteristiccinematography I have praised here and otherwhere times innumerable.Sorry about that, incidentally, but I really do adore it so. WithEastwood behind him, Damon churns out a fantastic performance that doesmuch to highlight just what a fine actor the man can be. De France isquite near mesmeric as the strong yet sympathetic reporter, a characterwhom we follow closely on her steps to discovering exactly what she hasexperienced. The brothers McLaren (no distinction is made between whoplays whom) let the film down a touch, their performances genuinelypoor, as though they are reading from the script for the first time.Eastwood, it seems, does not work well with child actors, Gran Torino'syouths sharing this trait of unbelievability. The McLaren twins,however, are given such a compellingly emotional story— the mostengaging of the three, an achievement—to work with that it almostdoesn't matter so much. As films of this format must, Hereaftereventually converges its three stories, the manner of which being thesource of most of the film's criticism. Such narrative convergences areby very definition unlikely, as Roger Ebert discussed, and mildlyunsatisfactory though one of the three stories' explanation may be, Icompletely bought it, bringing to a close a film that, for me,continues a fine tradition in the career of a legend.

Entirely undeserving of much of the criticism that has been heaped uponit, Hereafter is a powerful character drama which utilises subtleemotion and human empathy to explore its theme. Though it hints atquestions rather than actually posing them, suffers from a terrible setof performances, and asks you to suspend enough disbelief to allow itits chance to conclude, it is a very fine film from a director whoknows exactly what he is doing, expertly combining superb performances(I forgot Richard Kind!), special effects I am delighted to seenominated for an Oscar, and the beautiful cinematography which soendears me to the master of mainstream American cinema.