AfterLife movie review (2010)

After.Life (2010)

"After.Life" tells the story of Anna, who after a horrific car accident, wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. While lacking in execution, Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo's "After.Life" is a smart, dark and twisted story, that forces you to think and guess while watching it. It's actually so smart, you might struggle to figure it all out, and you'll find yourself think even harder, after you leave the theater. The point of "After.Life" is to provoke conversations and debates, and it certainly succeeds. Much of the clues they put in the movie were illogical and misleading, but they were there for just that reason - to make you wonder if Eliot Deacon was a crazy psycho killer, or if he really could talk to dead people; and to make you question, if Anna Taylor was actually dead or alive?! Another important question concerned is "Do we really deserve this life?", as most of the people just waste away their days on monotonous and pleasureless tasks, and don't spend enough time with people they love care for, and things they like to do. The acting in "After.Life" was top-notch. Liam Neeson did a good job as the funeral director, and Christina Ricci was excllent in her role as the terrified and largely confused Anna. Justin Long gave his all as Paul - he acted with such care and passion, and showed so much emotion, he managed to outshine both Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. Technically, "After.Life" was nothing special. The atmosphere was mysterious and creepy, but the low budget was noticable, at times obvious, and the CGI effects, while minimally used, looked poor and cheap. Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo's direction was average at best. Perhaps in different hands, this film might have been a masterpiece. Although, it has its flaws, "After.Life" is nicely-acted, smartly-scripted, unpredictable and thought-provoking psychological thriller, that will tease your brain. Solve this mysterious puzzle yourself!

• My Rating: 6.50/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 26% (4.5/10)
• IMDb: 6.4/10

Absentia movie review (2011)

Absentia (2011)

QuickRating: Probably with a stronger script, bigger budget and more capable director, it could have been a great little indie horror flick, but for what it is, "Absentia" is just mediocre at best. The lackluster execution doesn't live up to the ambitious premise, Mike Flanagan's direction is weak and incompetent, the acting is completely amateurish, and the cinematography is plain and dull. On the top of that, the film is nowhere nearly as scary and original as it thinks it is.

We Bought a Zoo movie review (2011)

We Bought a Zoo (2011)

QuickRating: It's predictable, quite straightforward, and it lacks depth, but "We Bought a Zoo" is still sweet, pleasant to watch and even moving at times, plus, it showcases love and respect for both animals and humans, and it's full of likable characters and adorable creatures. Matt Damon delivers a pretty engaging performance as the kind and determined father, and Scarlett Johansson proves everyone who thinks she can't act wrong.