Wandâfuru raifu (After Life) (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tsubaki S

  
  Good performances and the proper direction for the material, but it's one of those films that feels more like an essay than an actual exploration of the subject. You're suppose to think a lot about what life means to you, and your memories and what not, but at the end you… More
  Good performances and the proper direction for the material, but it's one of those films that feels more like an essay than an actual exploration of the subject. You're suppose to think a lot about what life means to you, and your memories and what not, but at the end you will not remember much about this film. Strong questions require strong statements, plain and simple.

• Stella D

  
  a humorous, imaginative and poignant film about a way station between life and death where the newly deceased are asked to review their lives and choose one memory to keep. these memories are then recreated on film by the staff! it's all done in a simple and matter-of-fact way… More
  a humorous, imaginative and poignant film about a way station between life and death where the newly deceased are asked to review their lives and choose one memory to keep. these memories are then recreated on film by the staff! it's all done in a simple and matter-of-fact way and the interesting mix of characters keeps your attention through the interview process, which plays almost documentary style. the recreation scenes are most charming. it's quite moving watching the characters make their peace and try to move on

• El Hombre I

  
  After Life is without doubt one of my new favorite Japanese films ever made and always a pleasure to see Susumu Terajima in anything. Simplistic in its execution, it is a moving experience that dwells not with death but in its' examination and, more importantly, a celebration of… More
  After Life is without doubt one of my new favorite Japanese films ever made and always a pleasure to see Susumu Terajima in anything. Simplistic in its execution, it is a moving experience that dwells not with death but in its' examination and, more importantly, a celebration of life. It is very difficult to pin-point just what it is about After Life that is so great, but I loved the attention to detail that Kore'eda invests in each character, in each memory and within the often heartbreaking events that the characters have lived through. After Life is a film that urges you to reflect upon your life, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. If you could only pick one memory for eternity, which would it be? <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=afterlife.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/afterlife.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Luke B

  
  Stunning look at the importance of emmories and the beauty of film making. Expertly crafted and always moving it offers a number of different views and emotions throughout its running time. Wonderful dialogue delivered in an ad-libbed manner.

• Lanning :

  
  <b>Wandâfuru raifu </b> <p> Between death and eternity, there is a one week stopover. Here, assisted by counselors who have passed on themselves, you may choose one memory from your life to carry with you. If you had to choose, what would that memory be? <p>… More
  <b>Wandâfuru raifu </b> <p> Between death and eternity, there is a one week stopover. Here, assisted by counselors who have passed on themselves, you may choose one memory from your life to carry with you. If you had to choose, what would that memory be? <p> A beautiful examination of what memories mean, what they can stand for, and why they might be good candidates for a "best" memory. Particularly good are the performances by Arata, and Erika Oda, two people who become counselors because they cannot choose a single memory. <p> What is your own earliest memory from childhood? Is it a memory because you truly do remember it, because you've seen pictures of the moment, or because someone has told you about it? I love the scene where Oda tries the bathtub submersion technique in order to recall memories from the womb. <p>By the way, you surely do not need to be fluent in Japanese to understand what the original title means: <i>Wonderful Life.</i> I wonder why the English version is not called that? The fine parallels with <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i> are not hard to find, and the tribute to the Frank Capra classic is heartfelt.

• Lesley N

  
  So exactly what does happen once you're dead? Do you get guided to a place of twinkly lights by a grim reaper moments after they've pinched the soul right out of your body? Or do you get to pop up in front of your loved ones at inconvenient moments to remind them what… More
  So exactly what does happen once you're dead? Do you get guided to a place of twinkly lights by a grim reaper moments after they've pinched the soul right out of your body? Or do you get to pop up in front of your loved ones at inconvenient moments to remind them what they're missing? Or do you come back to scare little boys with your rotting flesh until they finish your unfinished business? Or maybe you'll be out playing baseball every night in Kevin Costners field. This film plumps for none of these and instead suggests that after your numbers up, you go to live in a college residiential hall for a week while you drum up your most precious memory to take with you to the great hereafter. A gentle beautiful film that just might make you re-evaluate how you see your life. After all, what memory would YOU take with you for all eternity?

• Anthony V

  
  I can't stress how wonderful this movie is. One of my first DVD purchases.

• deb .

  
  This is my favorite movie!

Read all 8 featured audience ratings