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After Life
ワンダフルライフ
1999 118 min Japan 16+
★7.7
Fantasy, Drama
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Trailers
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Description
On a cold Monday morning, a group of counselors clock in at an old-fashioned social services office. Their task is to interview the recently deceased, record their personal details, then, over the course of the week, assist them in choosing a single memory to keep for eternity.
US Gross:
$801,985
Starring
Arata Iura
Actor
Erika Oda
Actor
Susumu Terajima
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 1998
— FIPRESCI Prize
San Sebastián International Film Festival 1998
— Golden Shell
Key opinion
Kore-eda’s 'After Life' is widely celebrated for its profound, meditative exploration of memory and the essential components of a meaningful existence. While most viewers find its premise emotionally resonant and life-affirming, a dissenting minority finds the execution too slow and documentarian in its approach.
| Theme | The film’s central premise forces a deeply personal reflection on which single memory best defines a human life. | |
| Production | The documentary-style cinematography and understated production design lend the afterlife setting a grounded, authentic feeling. | |
| Screenplay | The absence of melodramatic moralizing allows the character monologues to function as genuine mirrors for the viewer's own values. | |
| Pacing | The patient, methodical pacing creates a contemplative atmosphere for some, while others find the two-hour runtime tedious and lacking in narrative drive. | |
| Direction | The detached, observational direction is praised by some for its honest restraint, yet criticized by others as being too flat and reminiscent of an unpolished documentary. |