Clint Eastwood
Hereafter

The End: end credits, actors' names, director's name, music, screenwriter, photography... You arrived a bit early, peeking into the theater that is still shrouded in semi-darkness; several people are seated and exchanging comments. Since I don't know how to read lips, I don't know what they are saying, but the way they do it strikes me: quiet, almost timid and at the same time relaxed!

People leave the theater but linger in small groups, commenting on the film that left an... indefinable sensation: emotion, hope, unfulfilled curiosity, disappointment with the ending, enthusiasm for the special effects... all normal in short!!!

You don't want to know more: you look for a good spot and wait for the darkness with a bit of weariness... it's the last show. Here's the first mistake: you're tired and you're there also to relax. You know Clint's previous films both as an actor and director: you adore "The Bridges of Madison County," "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," "Gran Torino"... you don't yet know you've picked the wrong movie!

You suddenly find yourself overwhelmed by a tsunami, leaving you breathless, in apnea, and like a classic bucket of water to the face, it wakes you up completely and... badly, like a nightmare! Here's the second mistake: you have to stay calm, have a bit of trust, and you'll see that our master of ceremonies won't disappoint you, he'll tell you a story—actually three—with the rhythms, timing, and photography you already know and settings in a special London and Paris!

The story unfolds in a simple, delicate, never intrusive way, drawing inspiration from dramatic events we all know, and leads us, as the protagonists' stories intertwine, into the core ... Excellent acting, perhaps Matt Damon is too somber, but...

Here's the third mistake: you think you've understood it; someone was supposed to explain something about the afterlife, but more than 120 minutes after entering the theater, you discover that's not the case; it is you who has been invited to provide yourself with the ending you like the most, obviously not talking about the film's ending. Then you start to relax, to feel yourself also as an invisible actor in a film that involves all of us, whether we like it or not!

The End: end credits, actors' names, name... sorry, I've already described this scene! I shouldn't say it, but maybe it isn't "a masterpiece," it is perhaps one of the most introspective of the old gunslinger, said with affection and gratitude; it is definitely the most felt theme when your finish line is approaching, and your horizon becomes increasingly flat!