sterlingfactory

Anna, played by Christina Ricci, wakes up in the mortuary of the local funeral director, Liam Neeson. He tells her she's dead and he's preparing her body for her burial. What follows is thought-provoking and almost unbearably macabre. The actors were amazing, even Justin Long, and the directing stylish with a very distinctive look.

This movie is not for everyone. People will either love it, or despise it with all their heart. But I'd recommend it to anyone who has a taste for dark humor and enjoys putting the pieces of the puzzle together over and over, long after the movie's ended.

That said the movie never had a chance commercially. Combine the fact that most people are just going to find it unbearably weird with the fact that the ending is not tied up in a neat bow, and it's clear that this movie will stay underground. However, if you're looking for a beautiful experience with a unique film, After.Life is just about as good as it gets.

The novel was exceptional and the love story devastatingly sad, but the film had so little chemistry between Rebecca Hall and Richard Madden that I felt nothing. Really didn't care about them at all. Not one bit. Nada.

Alan Rickman was extraordinary as usual (and so weird watching this film knowing this was one of his last films), but even he couldn't save this movie.

I've always been a big fan of Patrice Leconte, especially Man on a Train, a film that had a quiet haunting beauty about it. If only he had been able to suffuse A Promise with that same emotional weight.