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After the Life (2002)
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Reviews Counted:12
Fresh:12
Rotten:0
Average Rating:7.7/10
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
Each movie casts light on the others. And after watching all three, a profound blending of the stories percolates in your head.
If On the Run is the most riveting and shocking of the three, and An Amazing Couple the funniest and most engaging, After the Life is the most touching and dramatic.
[Blanc's] performance is as chilling as Lee Remick's in Days of Wine and Roses.
The Trilogy's amazing partnership is Agnès and Pascal's. With After the Life's tango of enabler and addict, Belvaux finally delivers emotional resonance.
If you have committed to the entire project ... this chapter leaves you not only with a sense of completion but of an ascension to a hard-won grace.
Watching junkies screaming for their fix tends to get very tired very quickly, but Blanc holds the screen with furtive intensity.
The fine performances by Blanc and Melki give Belvaux' whole clever undertaking some needed weight.
The most somber installment in Lucas Belvaux's Trilogy, this melodrama of addiction and marital malaise is also the most successful.
Each film stands satisfyingly on its own as a genre piece, but the triplex provides added understanding of character and consequence.
Movies, particularly post-Spielbergian Hollywood product, tend to steer your frame of reference with fascistic discipline. Here, delivered in a shiftable tripartite sequence, is a movie experience you can shape yourself.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 90% 90% | The White Ribbon | 12/30 |
| 100% 100% | Daybreakers | 1/8 |
| | Leap Year | 1/8 |
| 83% 83% | Youth in Revolt | 1/8 |
| | The Book of Eli | 1/15 |
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