The cinema of Hirokazu Koreeda is profoundly wonderful. His masterful storytelling and his elegant direction make for some unforgettable viewing experiences. Koreeda understands the complexions of human beings and brings them to the forefront in the scenarios he establishes in his movies. It would be hard to decide what is the director's finest project. However, one thing is certain: his delicate feature “After Life” is a masterpiece.
Following the success of his film “Maborosi,” Hirokazu Koreeda proceeded with his next project. When constructing the concept for his next feature, the director took to his childhood memories of his grandfather, who gradually lost his memory during illness. These events would show the artist how important memory is to an individual's identity. In conjunction with this, he would interview hundreds of people to prepare for this uniquely artistic work. Upon release, “After Life” would become a big hit and boost Koreeda's popularity internationally.
“After Life” is screening on Friday, August 12 at 7 pm, at Japan Society
The recently deceased find themselves in a limbo-like realm in the form of a social service structure, a gateway to the afterlife. Upon arrival, these people are to stay for a week and are all individually interviewed by counselors on what their most cherished memory was, with a given deadline to share that memory. Once chosen, their remembrance is recreated on film for them to enjoy, and when they depart to the great beyond, they carry that one positive recollection for eternity. For some, it is easy, while for others, it is a challenge. While their daily work routines are in action, the structure workers begin to reflect on their most beautiful memories.
Hirokazu Koreeda does more than just create a high-concept premise. “After Life” is a meditative look at life and death while examining reflections of memories in a humanistic and tender manner. There is a raw nature to seeing these people reflect on which moments in their lives they cherished the most while also coming to terms with their existence as a whole, with a sense of nostalgia and accepting the fact they are no longer living. The documentary-style presentation also adds an authentic level to it all, especially with the interviews and the cinematic recreations of beloved recollections. Considering many of the interviews in the film were a mixture of reality, scripting, and improvisation, it feels all the more genuine. Balanced with this is a dreamlike and enchanting atmosphere. From beginning to end, Koreeda creates a powerful and unforgettable story.
Everyone here puts in a terrific performance. The two leads especially are exceptional. Arata Iura is great as Takashi Mochizuki, a skilled counselor, but would later go through an emotional development about his life and a memory near and dear to him. Erika Oda is also fantastic as Shiori Satonaka, who is new at her job but still proficient, and she similarly experiences an arc of tender reflection. Long-time fans of Japanese cinema will certainly enjoy the presence of established talents such as Kyoko Kagawa, Susumu Terajima, Kei Tani, and Taketoshi Naito. Also appearing in his first acting role is now popular talent Yusuke Iseya, playing a character of the same name who refuses to pick a cherished past reflection.
As highlighted before, the atmosphere is excellent, primarily created in the story's location. Visually, “After Life” is remarkable with Yutaka Yamazaki and Masayoshi Sukita's entrancing cinematography. The lighting and solid production values further enhance many beautiful compositions in the feature. The filmmaking sequences are not only fun for cinephiles to watch but are also endearing to experience. It's almost as if the audience has entered the production set recreating happy memories.
Emotionally gripping and original, “After Life” is a beautiful film that celebrates the gift of existence and the reflection of cherished memories. A unique concept is established and executed to complete perfection while being dramatically subtle. It is understandable why this was the feature that solidified Hirokazu Koreeda's international popularity. For many audiences, this is the most cherished memory of watching his filmography.
