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Movies / Upcoming / After the Life
After the Life

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After the Life (2002)

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Reviews Counted:32

Fresh:30

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.2/10

Rated: R

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Feb 13, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: A cinematic gamble without precedent, this ambitious project comprises three films, in three disparate genres, that provide not so much the same action from different perspectives, but rather,... A cinematic gamble without precedent, this ambitious project comprises three films, in three disparate genres, that provide not so much the same action from different perspectives, but rather, different pieces, consequences, and results of the combined actions of all the films. Structurally reminiscent in certain ways to Krzystzof Kieslowski's Three Colors Trilogy and Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, (its literary inspiration was Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet) it takes the idea of ever-expanding narrative webs to an exciting new level. The first film is a fast-paced thriller, the second a romantic comedy, and the third a melodrama; each of the feature length films can be seen alone, but each feature narrative gaps that can only be filled by viewing the other films. Seen together they're a remarkably cohesive and satisfying achievement that has the effect of creating a fourth film that exists only in the viewer's mind. Director Lucas Belvaux himself plays one of the lead roles, accompanied brilliantly by Dominique Blanc, Catherine Frot, Ornella Muti, Gilbert Melki, and François Morel AFTER THE LIFE (APRÈS LA VIE) - The final installment in Belvaux's masterful trilogy is a melodrama that follows Pascal, a cop who seeks a redemption of credibility in the capture of escaped convict Bruno, who in turn is harbored by Pascal's morphine-addicted wife Agnes. Pascal's already precarious ties to Agnes are strained further when he meets and falls for her fellow schoolteacher friend Cecile. With Pascal focused on Bruno and Cecile, Agnes is forced to find a fix on her own. -- © Magnolia Pictures [More]

Starring: Lucas Belvaux, Ornella Muti, Francois Morel, Catherine Frot

Starring: Lucas Belvaux, Ornella Muti, Francois Morel, Catherine Frot, Dominique Blanc

Director: Lucas Belvaux

Director: Lucas Belvaux
Screenwriter: Lucas Belvaux
Composer: Ricardo del Fra
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

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Reviews for After the Life

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]

It's enjoyably messy, melodramatic entertainment.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
04/16/04
E! Online
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/09/06
Film Threat

The most somber installment in Lucas Belvaux's Trilogy, this melodrama of addiction and marital malaise is also the most successful.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
02/12/04
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The most intimate and moving of the three films. What’s most compelling about this installment is its frank exploration of a couple mired in co-dependency.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
04/10/04
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
FilmStew.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
08/01/04
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker

A compelling drama which forms an essential part of Lucas Belvaux's audacious series.

Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
11/29/03
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette

Each movie casts light on the others. And after watching all three, a profound blending of the stories percolates in your head.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/18/04
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even if you refuse to play Belvaux’s Choose Your Own Adventure, do not ignore these performances.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
01/16/04
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Well-calibrated tensions make this cop story eminently watchable.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/08/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

We're treated to two smashing performances from Morel and Blanc.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
01/30/04
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A rich and compelling work in its own right, as well as an integral part of Belvaux's grander project, this brings the trilogy to a moving conclusion.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/05/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

While it functions independently as a sad, ultimately moving portrait of a deeply codependent couple, the film also emerges as the most richly resonant of The Trilogy.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
05/07/04
Jeff Shannon
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
07/01/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The fine performances by Blanc and Melki give Belvaux' whole clever undertaking some needed weight.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
02/13/04
Jonathan Foreman
Jonathan Foreman
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

To get the desired effect, you have to see all three films, none of which is much worth seeing by itself.

Full Review Source: Offoffoff | comment Comment
01/30/04
Joshua Tanzer
Joshua Tanzer
Offoffoff

Belvaux is no Douglas Sirk, but the film is an admirable, if uneven, conclusion to an audacious project.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/13/04
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The Trilogy’s narrative structure may be considered a gimmick, but it’s one that is thoroughly compelling... as all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
04/09/04
Kent Turner
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com
 
 
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