THE DISCOVERY 2017- The Afterlife Nonsense


The Discovery 2017
by
Charlie Mcdowell




If there is Afterlife, then death loses its sting. Philip Larkin would not have been so gloomy, and John Donne not been as lethal. Suicides would have been actually painless, and even karma would have meant something quite different. Afterlife might have altered human consciousness in ways that can't be imagined.

The Discovery dares to imagine a scenario in which Robert Redford develops the concept of afterlife. This results in a spurt in the number of suicides. Strangely enough, murders have not yet begun, under the premise of sending the victims to a better place. Robert’s son, Jason Segal, arrives at his facility, all grimness and dourness, weighed down by the burden of his dad’s discovery, perhaps, or maybe by his own inconsequence. There is a girl, Isla (Rooney Mara) who warms up to the concept, and Jason seems inclined towards her.

During the course of experiments, plagued by sabotage, it is established that experiments are successful, and that Afterlife is an alternate plane of existence. It is a real place where one can visualize different versions of life. This discovery could result in a massive rise in number of suicides, assisted deaths and murders. Hence the father and his two sons attempt to destroy the machines they have constructed.

It’s a great metaphysical concept. But the execution is shoddy, and shallow, as if the director is almost reluctant and apologetic of having delved deep into the idea. He falls back on traditional themes of family, love and hope to extricate himself out of the existential mess he has created. This is the undoing of the film, as are the humorless and almost constipated performances by all and sundry. It is a tough film to watch, and one can't be sure what to make out of this effort.



#afterall #robertredford #jasonsegal #thediscovery #rooneymara 

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