Esquire Magazine recently commissioned a survey polling more than 600 twenty-something and fifty-something American men on their lifestyle choices and attitudes on life. One of the questions on this survey asked “Who is the coolest man in America?” Rather than going with the obvious guys like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, or President Barack Obama, the majority in both demographics went with Clint Eastwood. Yeah, Clint – the 80 year old legend!

Some of you may disagree but if I were one of those guys surveyed, I’d definitely be checking off Eastwood’s name as well because Eastwood is the man! – The ultimate man’s man. Not only has he created some of the most iconic movie characters in cinema history (The Man with No Name, Dirty Harry, Josey Wales) but he’s also succeeded in becoming perhaps the greatest actor-turned director in the history of the medium. His four Oscars say it all. While I wasn’t a fan of his last film "Invictus," the meditative and melancholy “Hereafter” is a return to form for the director and it’s arguably his best work since “Letters from Iwo Jima” in 2006.

“Hereafter” is split over three distinct inter-connecting storylines set San Francisco, London and Paris. It’s through these plots that Eastwood and screenwriter Peter Morgan (“The Queen,” “Frost/Nixon”) tackle the film’s main theme: the meaning of death and the existence of an afterlife. The first of these stories kicks off in the film’s jaw-dropping and terrifying opening sequence when the South Asian tsunami of 2004 devastates an island in Indonesia. One of the people on the island is a French television journalist named Marie LeLay (Cécile De France) who after miraculously surviving drowning starts to see death as only the beginning of a long journey ahead. The second centers on George (Matt Damon), a depressed American who once used to make a living as a psychic but has long given it up because of the toll it took on his life. Unfortunately, as much as he tries to get away from his gift (or curse as he defines it), he keeps being pulled back. The third and final story delves on twins Marcus and Jason (Frankie & George McLaren) who live with their drug-addicted mother in a run-down neighborhood in London. As the twins try to keep their mom sober and away from social services, tragedy strikes when one of twins is suddenly killed in an accident.

The question of what happens after death has always been one of life’s greatest unanswered mysteries and it’s something I’ve pondered on more than one occasion. Is there really something after life? Is it heaven? Perhaps hell? Or could it just be absolutely nothing? It’s tough stuff (not to mention, depressing!) and it’s no wonder we all approach it in different ways. Tackling such a subject was always going to be a difficult, even controversial because no one knows anything and throwing out a silly ghost and heavenly story would be ridiculous. Thankfully, Eastwood and Morgan never go about trying to answer the mystery of the great beyond. Instead they just focus on the meaning of life and how these three people cope with their close encounters and losses.  It’s a very interesting move and it’s what made the film for me. I understand what might interest me will not be for everyone. If you’re not into slow-paced, melancholy and moving character-driven dramas, then you’re probably going to fall asleep during "Hereafter." However, if this is a topic that captures your interest, you’ll see that there’s a lot to be gained from watching this beautiful low-key picture.

Of the three stories, I enjoyed the one focused on Matt Damon’s character and a lot of it has to do with the actor’s wonderful performance. I’ve always maintained Damon to be one of our most versatile actors and George is one of his best. All he wants to do is have a normal life with a girlfriend and a family but whenever he moves towards something even resembling a relationship, it all falls apart because of his psychic ability. This is exemplified when he begins a close friendship with Melanie (Bryce Dallas Howard) at an adult cooking class. Equally strong in a difficult role is Frankie McLaren who is heartbreaking as the young boy who’s devastated by the loss of his brother. De France on the other hand, while good, didn’t impress me much.

BOTTOM LINE: “Hereafter” is an immensely rewarding character-drama about coming to terms with death and loss. While it may be a bit slow-moving and less plot-driven for some, I would hardly classify it as boring. Like all of Clint Eastwood’s dramas, it’s wonderfully acted, beautifully written and extremely moving. Think of it as a reading a very good book.

GRADE: B+

HEREAFTER

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Written by: Peter Morgan

Starring: Matt Damon, Cécile De France, Frankie McLaren, Bryce Dallas Howard

Rated: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language).