ironhorse_iv Set in a dreary Japanese brick school-building, the film tells the story of the recently deceased, having one week to choose, one of their most cherished memories in order to replay that life experience for the rest of their eternity with the help of civil servants who will recreate the memory on film. Without spoiling this existential insight film, too much, I just had to say, I didn't felt the out-of-body experience as I should had. Don't get me wrong, 'Afterlife' AKA 'Wonderful Life' does have a great movie concept, but I though the execution from director Hirokazu Koreeda, and his crew just didn't click. I think, one of the problems with this film, is the fact that Korreda doesn't do enough to make the characters seem like they're dead. Don't get me wrong, the acting is fine, but it's weird to see, these souls, being able to drink tea and eat food, sleep, and leave the compound for location scouting. It's not very convincing that they are indeed passed on. Honestly, if I was able to do all that, as a civil servant, I wouldn't choose a memory, too!! Also, the school building location wasn't a good choice. For a place that supposed to represented 'limbo', it had too much life, there. The background sounds of birds chirping, dogs barking and trains moving, was very distracting. For me, a very white clean underground hospital or lab, with little to no background sound, would be a better choice. It would be, more appealing to the story tones. Also, it really doesn't really make sense that the counselors have to recreate the memory in seven days, if they already have the video footage of all the demise in VCR tapes. Why not, play the video with the memory, in a loop!? I get the God built the world in seven days, reference, but honestly, if you put logic in this illogical movie, it really does take you out of the movie, when they were able to build sets, make costumes, and film in only a few days (3 days at the most). Also, are we supposed to believe that the crew and cast that the counselors, brought in to help; are also dead, because it really didn't seem, so. How are they able to return, but not the dead family of the recently demises for this recreation!? Plus, there is way, too many characters to follow. Even with the film telling a few backstories on who they were, I still had trouble, figuring out, which character's story is which person. Also, it really sucks, the movie never shows the final film footage for those characters. It was less, 'flash before their eyes' and more 'flash in a pan'. Nevertheless, I did like the semi-fake documentary interview style filmmaking that Korreda does, even if the film cuts were very noticeable. Much of the entertaining parts in this movie is shown, through interviews conducted with the recently deceased regarding their lives. Some of these interviews were scripted, but many were done impromptu, with real people, not actors reminiscing about their own lives. It really does add an extra layer of truth behind the images. Still, it wasn't as emotional as it should had. Maybe, it's the Nihonjinron pride that Japanese culture has, not to show, weakness, but I really thought, some of them, were a little laidback, when talking about, some really heavy stuff. I really wanted to see, some more yelling, crying, and fight in them. Instead, it seems like, everybody there, was alright with the fact that they're dead, and not living. Still, those parts of the film, weren't that boring. I just wish, they were a little more philosophic in their talk, rather than spilling out mostly forgettable dialogue. While, they talk a little about Japanese's moral dilemma on traditions about life, the film really miss the boat on talking about the Bushido code that the old guard establishment believes in, and YOLO (You only live once) lifestyle of the shrinking percentage of young people. It really could had been an eye-opener. Still, I like the twist, toward the end of the film, even if it's a bit unclear, what's happening. In the end, I have to say, this movie really needed much better production values. The low budget really kill the mood for this film. It's sad, because I like the reexamining of our lives, through the use of our afterlife, idea. Sadly, it didn't really leave an impact on me, as it should had. I'd love to see this concept remade with a high budget, with a more visionary director, one day. Overall: I can still highly recommended, seeing this movie. Just note, it's not as good as the cult-followers think, it is.

Christopher Galasso Every so often, a film is made that allows the viewer to take his or her own life and experiences into consideration while watching. After Life, a film about a place beyond death where the recently deceased are tasked with choosing a memory in which to spend the rest of eternity, is that kind of film. Shot in pseudo-documentary style with actors and non-actors alike, many of the film's characters spend a lot of time thinking about the best and worst times of their lives.Simple, almost beautifully drab visuals never pull from the movie's main focus, figuring out what experience had the most meaning in one's life. These stories are sometimes scripted and sometimes real memories told by real people, ranging from a fun trip to Disney Land to dancing as a little girl. The simplicity of this film won't knock your socks off with visual appeal, but the weight of its message will surely stick with you long after viewing, while you think about what memory you might choose to spend the rest of time reliving.

Desertman84 After Life is a film by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda that features Arata, Oda Erika and Terajima Susumu.After Life is a brilliant meditation on death and memory. The premise of the movie is simple: over the span of a week, twenty-two souls arrive at a way station (which looks like an old junior high school) between life and death, where they are asked to choose just one memory to take into the afterlife. The new arrivals include an elderly woman, a rebellious dropout, a teenage girl, and a 70-year-old war veteran. Once they have chosen a memory, it is recreated and filmed by the staff of the way station, using all the tricks and illusions of cinema: cotton balls are used to mimic clouds, a fan is used for a summer breeze.The movie is set in a building resembling a decrepit travel lodge or social services institution. Every Monday, a new group of recently deceased people check in, and the "social workers" in the lodge explain to each guest their situation. The newly-dead have until Wednesday to identify the single happiest memory. For the rest of the week, the workers at the institution work to design and replicate each person's chosen memory, thereby replicating the single happiest moment of that person's life, and it is filmed.At the end of the week, the recently deceased watch the films of their recreated happiest memories in a screening room. As soon as each person sees his or her own memory, he or she vanishes to whatever unknown state of existence lies beyond and takes only that single memory with them, to live and relive for eternity.The story revolves around two of the counselors, Takashi and Shiori . Takashi has been assigned to help an old man, Ichiro,select his memory. Takashi reviews videotape of Ichiro's life and learns that Ichiro had married Takashi's former fiancée after Takashi had been killed during World War II. Takashi has Ichiro assigned to another counselor, but is still troubled by his memories, causing both him and his quasi-romantic interest Shiori to re-examine their afterlivesThis film is not a typical Hollywood feel-good film; but its unhurried pace and lack of melodrama, like its subject, may linger in the memory long afterwards that viewers may engage in a discussion about this movie.With its meditative, humanistic tone, it is the cinematic reminiscence of limbo itself, this transitional space of contemplation and nostalgia.Finally,it is an affecting and unpredictable film that lingers on one's mind long after viewing.In short,it is one special film.

dwpollar 1st watched 2/6/2010 – 6 out of 10 (Dir:Kore-eda Hirokazu): Absorbing yet slow-moving drama about a station between death and everlasting life where people go to choose one memory from their past to forever be presented to them in the rest of their existence. The movie is kind of filmed in a realistic documentary style as we are shown the workplace, the workers and then the 22 people who have recently died and have to choose their one memory this week. The way it works is they have three days to choose and work with a counselor who helps them. The workers then recreate the scene with the person from the memory kind of directing the piece that they will forever see. Once they are shown the final cut they miraculously disappear and are sent to their final resting place. The movie is initially about the deceased and the process they go thru, but then we learn about the workers and why they are there also. They are there because they were unable or chose not to choose themselves when they died -- so they are kind of sentenced to help others choose until they figure it out. OK, so the process is complicated but the power of the movie is what it does inside you while watching it. You start thinking about what you'd choose (if anything). The slow pace almost kills the movie's effectiveness despite it's message though as you wait patiently for an ending. This is definitely a unique movie but it would be hard to watch more than once – but it would be worth the one watch.