Hereafter

In more than half a century of making movies, Clint Eastwood, 80, has sent many a varmint to his maker. Hereafter is the first time hes showed any curiosity about what lies on the other side. Its typical of Eastwoods mastery as a director that his approach to the topic is introspective, not inflammatory. Though Hereafter begins with a stunningly staged tsunami, its the quiet moments that draw us in. Matt Damon excels as George Lonegan, a San Francisco construction worker who has turned his back on his psychic gifts. George doesnt want to talk to the dead. But even the babe (Bryce Dallas Howard) he meets in cooking class pushes him. So does Marcus, a London lad who wants to commune with his dead twin, Jason (both twins are played by George and Frankie McLaren). Then theres Paris TV journalist Marie LeLay (the excellent Ccile De France), whose near-death experience in the tsunami provides a link to George. Eastwood hits narrative bumps on this atypical spiritual journey, as does politics-obsessed screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon). No worries. Its exhilarating to watch these two talents explore new ground without bias or trendy cynicism. Hereafter, set to a resonant Eastwood score, truly is haunting.