Review: 'After Life' a Profound Piece of Cinema

When I first saw Hirokazu Kore-eda's breakthrough international feature, "After Life," I was simply spellbound. However, the film existed on a DVD with quality that left much to be desired, so what a relief it is to see this truly revelatory film restored and released by The Criterion Collection on a brand-new Blu-ray. This 2K restoration, approved by Kore-eda, brings new visual life to the filmmaker's masterpiece and adds to the work's thematic weight.

A beautiful meditation on life, memories, joys, regrets, human interconnectedness, and everything in between, "After Life" remains one of the most profound pieces of cinema I've ever witnessed. The premise is boldly ambitious, yet strikingly simple. Recently deceased individuals are transported to a purgatory of sorts, where they're interviewed and asked to select a single cherished memory from their life. This memory will then be re-created on film and viewed by them as something to take with them into the next world. This high-concept exploration of the hereafter has been echoed by far lesser works that never quite live up to the strength established by this 1998 Japanese masterwork, including the very recently released "Nine Days." The correlation between memory, life, and cinema is a powerful one that I firmly relate to, and "After Life" feels like a shining light amidst darkness in its poignancy.

Filmed with a documentary-like approach, there are no major aesthetic flourishes in Kore-eda's film, and its straightforward stature makes it all the more compelling. The Japanese filmmaker has gone on to make great films such as "Still Walking" and "Shoplifters," but even in those films' genius there's something missing that makes "After Life" so singular. I still haven't quite pinpointed the distinction, and that makes "After Life," and all of Kore-eda's work for that matter, all the more exciting.

The Criterion Collection deserves commendation for this restoration, but collectors and fans of the film alike may be disappointed at the lack of supplemental material. There's a new audio commentary featuring film scholar Linda C. Ehrlich, some deleted scenes, and new interviews with Kore-eda and cinematographers Masayoshi Sukita and Yutaka Yamazaki. An essay by novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen is included in the interior booklet included with the release, and is a worthy read indeed.

Scarce bonus features aside, "After Life" is worth it for the restoration alone, as well as the potentially life-altering experience this magical piece of philosophical fantasia manages to provide.

"After Life" is now available on Criterion Collection Blu-ray for the suggested retail price of $31.96