Hereafter [2010]

Hereafter’s opening scene (the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami) is incredibly stunning. This is the sequence that earned the film an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Visual Effects’. There’s not much use for them in the rest of the picture, although it is splendidly shot. This Clint Eastwood-directed supernatural drama comes the same year as Biutiful, a far superior film dealing with similar themes. As opposed to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s modern masterpiece, Hereafter is cold, rigid, and emotionless. The cast offers nothing extraordinary, except for the McLaren twins’ utter lack of acting ability. An unsatisfying experience.