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Hereafter
Release Date: March 15, 2011
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray "ECO-BOX"
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2:09:02
MSRP: $35.99
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
1080p high definition 16x9 2.40:1
Standard definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: French 5.1
Various
Subtitles
English SDH, Spanish, French
Various
The Feature: 3.5/5
French television journalist Marie Lelay (Cécile De France) almost drowns in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and is compelled to learn the truth behind what she experienced in those moments of near death. Once known for her hard-hitting investigative work on politics and social issues, she turns her attention to the metaphysical, much to the consternation of her colleagues.
American George Lonegan (Matt Damon) possesses a powerful psychic ability to connect with those in the afterlife, but is unable to cope with the mental and emotional toll. Despite efforts to abandon that part of his life, he can't seem to avoid what his brother Billy (Jay Mohr) says is his calling, but that he considers a curse.
London schoolboy Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren) experiences a tragic loss when his twin brother Jason is killed in a traffic accident. In a constant state of grief, he looks for ways to re-connect with the person who was not just his brother, but his best friend.
In their search for understanding about death and the afterlife, Marie, George and Marcus's paths will eventually cross. But in that moment will they be able to help each other, and ultimately find the answers they've been looking for?
For all its flaws, Clint Eastwood's meditative exploration of the hereafter is a bold piece of work, something that in the hands of a less confident filmmaker would have turned into a disposable, supernatural genre piece. Instead, things like Marie's life changing, white light experience and George's psychic burden are treated with absolute seriousness, to the point it draws out viewers' own beliefs on the matter. Indeed, the palatability of the final act will be determined by one's level of life-after-death skepticism. As mostly a skeptic, my initial reaction was to call the closing scenes an upending of what preceded them, and a perfect example of Hollywood's inability to forsake a happy ending. While things are still tied up too neatly at the conclusion for my taste, the film was never presenting the afterlife as some great unknown. It was defining it in pretty concrete terms, so the ending is really only guilty of overstating its case, not contradicting it. While that still makes for a less-than-perfect piece of storytelling, compounded by an overemphasis on George's unhappy love life, "Hereafter" remains a thought-provoking examination of what might happen when we move on from this world.
Video Quality: 4.5/5
The film is accurately framed at 2.40:1 and presented in 1080p with the AVC codec. Black levels, contrast, color and sharpness are excellent across the board, showing off the depth and mood of Tom Stern's beautiful cinematography to great effect. Viewers should also be impressed by the transfer's level of detail in areas like skin, hair and fabrics, all without signs of digital sharpening or noise reduction. Some might notice spots of distortion or softness to the image, but this appears inherent to the source and the method in which the movie was filmed (i.e. anamorphic scope).
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Dialogue in the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is consistently clear and intelligible, though some may need to enable the subtitles to make out what's said in the London settings. Deep and powerful LFE cues are present whenever George makes a psychic connection, and will rattle the room to its foundation. Surround effects - both atmospheric and environmental - are seamless and exceptionally balanced throughout.
Special Features: 3/5
The Focus Points featurettes don't dig in too deeply, but the documentary on Eastwood's long running work with Warner Brothers should appeal to most. A DVD and digital copy provide a measure of convenience for those looking for a more portable viewing option.
Focus Points (42:26, HD)
Featurettes highlight various aspects of the production, viewable concurrent with the feature or independently.
Tsunami! Recreating A Disaster (6:33): Digital compositing methods used to recreate 2004's Indian Ocean tsunami.
Is There Life After Death? (3:58): Cast and crew give their two cents about the afterlife.
Clint on Casting (7:23): Cast and crew talk about their experiences with the various actors.
Delving Into the Hereafter (6:00): Cast and crew share their thoughts about psychics and mediums. Real life medium Allison DuBois (who inspired the series "Medium") also describes her work.
Twin Bonding (5:53): A look at the personal and psychological connection between identical twins, with anecdotes from Producer Kathleen Kennedy and her twin sister Connie.
French Speaking French (1:45): The reasons for having French characters speak their native language instead of English.
Why the White Light (3:29): Details of the near death experience.
Hereafter's Locations - Casting the Silent Characters (3:03): Visits to San Francisco, London, Paris, and Hawaii.
The Eastwood Experience (4:17): Cast and crew talk about how much they enjoyed working with the director.
The Eastwood Factor - Extended Version (1:28:27, HD): Directed by Richard Schickel and previously included in the "Clint Eastwood: 35 Films, 35 Years at Warner Brothers" DVD collection (though apparently in a much shorter 30-minute cut), the documentary traces Eastwood's work with Warner Brothers starting with 1971's "Dirty Harry" and ending with 2009's "Invictus." Though it doesn't offer many insights, it does make for an extremely well made career highlights reel, enhanced by interviews with Eastwood himself, visits to the Warner Brothers lot, and narration by Morgan Freeman. Presented in high definition with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio and subtitles in English and French.
DVD: Watch the feature in standard definition 2.40:1 anamorphic video and Dolby Digital 5.1 at 384 kbps audio.
Digital Copy: Incorporated into the DVD "Combo Disc" and compatible with Mac and Windows. Offer expires March 13, 2012.
Trailers: Skippable, pre-menu trailers for new theatrical releases "Hall Pass" and "Red Riding Hood."
Recap
The Feature: 3.5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Special Features: 3/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Warner Home Video turns in an excellent presentation of Clint Eastwood's thought-provoking, but flawed, meditation on life after death. The highlight of the special features is undoubtedly the high definition presentation of "The Eastwood Factor," making the title worth consideration if only for ownership of that retrospective documentary piece once only available in a much larger and expensive release.