Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely LOVED this movie
Review: Wonderful, Wonderful Wonderful. ONe of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: I wondered why I bought this
Review: And put off watching it for weeks. Finally did, and was charmed.It may be the kind of movie that makes more sense after 9-11. One of the neat things about it is that it has no problem whatsoever telling part of a story, making sure that we know that it may be part or all fiction. If you get sucked into it, as I did, you'll find yourself making back stories for lots of the characters. And I think it's right that the films that the company makes for the newly dead are kind of tacky--cotton wads hauled across the set on nylon lines--that the institution where they go has peeling paint and a moon-making man. And that the staff are important too.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Idea Behind This Movie
Review: This movie is the type that squeezes your brain while you watch it. And then squeezes it some more afterwards. It reminded me of Dead Poets' Society's theme of "Carpe Diem", in that it left me thinking about what I had done in my life so far, and it left me resolving to experience life to the fullest. And the thought lingered even after the movie ended. The story has a sober tone, and the characters are so believable that I found myself empathising with them. The story is a roller-coaster ride, though not in the mould of suspense, adventure, or horror thrillers. The basic premise of the movie is that you can bring one (and only one) memory with you to the afterlife after you die. I found myself getting immersed in the lives of the characters, as they sieved through their life experiences, looking for that gem in their life. I experienced their joy and sadness of recollection, their anguish at leaving some precious memories behind, their sense of satisfaction as a memory was re-constructed for them, etc. There was just such a myriad of feelings to experience as I sat through the movie, that moments of boredom were non-existent. I was constantly looking forward to what the next scene would bring. You will likely see in the characters someone you know, be it your neighbours, your relatives, or even yourself. All this contributed to the sense of empathy I felt. I found myself thinking, "What if this is what happens when I die?". It was sobering. Although the idea behind this movie is clever, and this movie is likely to get your brain juices flowing, I think the slow pace and limited action scenes would likely reduce the number of people who would actually sit through this. If you're not the type who occasionally sits back and thinks about what life actually is all about, this movie may not grab you like it grabbed me. Folks looking for a fast-paced Saturday night movie are better-served elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Probably one of the best movies I've ever seen
Review: It's filmed in such a realistic and thought-out fashion. It's especially touching how Kore-Eda deals with how we see ourselves through memories and how that can change from moment-to-moment. I loved this much more than Kore-Eda's first movie Maborosi.
Rating: 
Summary: After life -- overrated!
Review: I have seen plenty of japanese films which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunatly, After Life was not one of those. After you get over the unique plot, we have very few surprises, you will actually look forward to the end of the film. To me, this film had lots of potential but in the final analysis, they blew it.
Rating:
Summary: Careful!
Review: After this film you might not want to see any other movies at all! You might as well drop everything and just go travelling Tolstoi style looking for perfect memories. Absolutely brilliant! I realize that some of the people in the cast are not professional actors, which adds a unique flavor of reality into the world of fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful memories for eternity
Review: After death, everyone will be appointed a caseworker to help them reflect on their favorite memory. After the choice is made, they go to heaven with only that memory to relive for eternity. This is the concept of After Life. This film is stunning from beginning to end. It follows a handful of the caseworkers and their assignments. It seems like a simple plot, and easy to wrap up, but goes much deeper. The deceased have to think of their most cherished memory, but what memory is that? A young girl wants to choose her trip to Disneyland, and her caseworker cautions her and asks if that is her fondest memory. That scene in the film is heartbreaking, because the young girl hadn't experienced much in life, and must now make a decision that will be eternal. There is a man who seems rebelious, and will not choose a favorite memory. I don't think it is because of the resentment of his own death, but a fear of eternity. Riding home from school on the bus, with a breeze flowing through the open windows is another great memory from a middle aged man, and is my favorite scene in the film. This film also deals with the struggle of a couple of the caseworkers themselves. The toll they pay for helping many people, and the actual reinvolvement with one of the workers past life. Everyone should watch this film. You will probably reflect on your own past memories, and this film days after viewing. I have seen hundreds of films, and I am certain this is the best film I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This movie makes you think about those magical moments in life (sometimes too short in time but extraordinary powerfuls) in which one is actually shaked, amused, amazed, impressed, joyed, by something or someone. The best part is that what is most important to you is very unique htat not even your wife or best friend can match because they have their own,,,,this made me think a lot about the loneliness of the human spirit.
Rating:
Summary: omoshiroi yo
Review: it:s quite strange that most japanese haven:t heard of this movie. though i rarely can stand to watch a movie more than once, i:ve seen this a few times; pretty amazing i think, though it:s best not to know anything about it before you see it. it:s the people in it that make it so good, and important. there is so much compassion and real feeling here, without sentimentality--none of the emotion is not earned. well i could go on but you get the point. questions were raised in a previous review about technology formats and the creation of a believable (!) halfway world. i suppose my answer to that would be to say that kore-eda had a formidable task in creating a world with fantastic rules that is flesh-and-blood concrete for the viewer. this is why, i think, he set it in a typical japanese school, with very typical maintenance people, school songs adn ceremonies, etc. hence videotape. yeah there:s a suspension of reality here but if you can make the jump the world is more real than the real world of most movies. try it anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Witty but suffers from tedious pace
Review: Pick one memory from your entire life, and spend eternity reliving it over and over...it's the sublimely simple idea that forms both the solid foundation and quiet joys of After Life, Hirokazu Kore-eda's thoughtful meditation on spirituality, humanity, and the changing nature of both. Although the action of After Life is set in an otherworldly processing center for the souls of the recently deceased, the film is actually a gentle introspective journey for each and every viewer. Watching Hirokazu's beautifully austere work, one can only ruminate on one's own life, asking the questions the persons are asking on screen. What is your most treasured memory? Has your life had meaning? Will you be remembered, or did your life pass by without the world's notice? The cast, made up of professional and novice actors, is one of the film's greatest joys. Many of the non-actors, in fact, used their actual lives and memories in coming up with their unscripted, improvised answers to the questions. Especially memorable are an almost silent old lady who collects pretty things from the garden, the little girl who chooses Disneyland as her best memory and then changes her mind, and Iseya, a street tough who refuses to choose any memory at all. Unfortunately, despite a sometimes witty script and solid premise, After Life suffers from a tediously dull pace. As the film continues on, it becomes a series of notable moments. Further on, the moments come further apart, until finally the idea has played itself out. The ending drags on with an unnecessary after-thought that adds a spirit-killing half hour to the running time. It's a shame that such an admirable effort bogs down into a disappointing, meandering whole.
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