It's a Wonderful Afterlife (2010)

It might be a Wonderful Afterlife but it was even better when the movie ended. The story was basic and average and it didn't really hit you from the start. Sure the movie started off all good and well but when the spirits appeared, there were one or two funny scenes but it started becoming boring after a while and before you knew it, it started to drag on for too long. The characters weren't really well written and you just simply didn't care what happened to them. The acting wasn't good either as the actors could have done a little better in playing as their characters, although the actors who played the spirits were amusing from time to time. The writing is hit-and-miss because even though there were some okay scenes in the movie, sometimes it could drag on for too long. The directing isn't really bad and the script wasn't either but the movie just felt too rushed and unnecessary. There were quite a few scenes you could have taken out and you wouldn't have missed anything from the story.It was good for the first half an hour however, slowly but surely, it started to become tedious and boring. The acting wasn't bad but I have seen miles better from some of the cast such as Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays Mohinder in Heroes. However, Sally Hawkins was great as Linda and she really lit up the movie. The movie's humour felt like it was trying to force itself to be funny too many times and, I admit, there were times when I laughed a little at the movie but there were some scenes that felt way too forced when it came to the humour department. There was one scene that just felt totally thrown in and random, I can't say much without spoiling the movie but you'll know what I mean if you decide to watch the movie, the scene involves Sally Hawkins. I was also disappointed with the fact that Preeya Kalidas, better known as Amira in Eastenders, was only in the movie for ten seconds. They should have used her more in the movie, as she is a great actress. Overall, if you want a movie that's hysterical, don't choose this one but if you want a comedy that is mildly entertaining, doesn't take itself seriously and will kill time, then this is perfect.Read more reviews at: www.dudedazzmoviereviews.wordpress.com

One of the funniest movies in a while! The director gets the whole Indians abroad thing to absolute perfection. One felt like one had met everyone on screen before! All the actors except Shabhana Azmi were really good. OK...the actor who plays her daughter wasn't brilliant either but at least she wasn't full of herself. The plot itself was rather cute and the editing is very well done. Only issue with it is that the target audience is rather limited. You need to either be an Indian living abroad or know enough Indians living abroad to get most of the jokes. The whole thing is not to be taken seriously for even a moment of course! This one gives Bend it like Beckham a serious run for its money.

Granted the expectations were high because of Shabana Azmi but then again, what can one expect from Gurinder Chaddha. With the exception of her segment in 'Paris, Je T'Aime', I haven't been impressed by any of her work. That said, 'It's a Wonderful Afterlife' isn't that bad. I prefer it over the boring 'Bride and Brejudice'.The minus points are that Chaddha relies on too many Indian British clichés which have been done to death in many other films. I thought Azmi would have more screen time but was disappointed in that respect. The title is misleading. The story had so much potential but Chaddha messes it up. I didn't find the sequences with the ghosts to be amusing.Now the plus is that most of the jokes work. I was laughing out loud especially at the sequences with Sally Hawkins. The 'Carrie' homage, though out of place, had me laughing out loud. I thought Shabana Azmi was great with what she was given. she's mostly let down by the poor script. Goldy Notay is quite likable. Sendhil Ramamurthy is limited to playing the typical love interest. Zoe Wanamaker is wasted. Sally Hawkins is a scene stealer.Overall, I didn't mind 'It's a Wonderful Afterlife' for a one-time-watch. It made me laugh even though it could have easily been a much better movie.

First of all let's talk about the inspiration angle behind the title of the movie, "Its A Wonderful Afterlife". Gurinder Chadha undoubtedly thought of this name to take advantage of the huge popularity of an Old English Classic called "Its A Wonderful Life" featuring James Stewart. The Black & White gem released in 1946 is considered to be one of Top 100 movies of All Time directed by the renowned director, Frank Capra.Incidentally the story of this Capra gem also revolves around a person who becomes a spirit after his death and then meets an angel, who shows him how people loved him while he was living and now how they all are missing him after his death.Taking hints from the title and the film, it seems Gurinder got an idea to write a script, revolving around some spirits and a concerned mother worried about the marriage of her overage obese daughter. As a mandatory clause, the mother had to be from a punjabi family in order to incorporate all the other essential north Indian elements into the screenplay, as required to justify the famous Gurinder Chaddha trademark. Now till here, everything seems nice and cool since the main theme of the movie sounds interesting having much scope of including all those emotions, comedy and drama, mixed with bhangra beats playing at the background. But after watching the whole movie, you are just left with only one expression on the face, which goes like "What is this?"……. Is this really a Gurinder Chaddha movie, who gave us "Bhaji On the Beach"and "Bend It Like Beckham"? or She has just made this project to show some losses in her current balance sheet.Strictly speaking, after her below average "Bride & Prejudice" which was a big disaster, this is another completely unexpected, silly and awful dud delivered by the director, who once had a good name in both parts of the world due to her highly entertaining and successful films. The movie is a big letdown, right from the word go, when you are made to witness some highly absurd sequences displaying few serial murders happening in England. The murders are illogically related with eating Indian food and the manner in which the people die is definitely not hilarious from any angle. What's more irritating is that all these murdered people become spirits in the exact condition as they were in their last moments. So we have 5 highly annoying ghosts walking with Shabana Azmi throughout the movie, which never seem to be comical in any way. Further as a disgusting torture, one of the five ghosts even has an open stomach with all the intestines and internal stuff falling out of it every time he walks. Just imagine! Now talking about my first hand experience in the theater, quite understandably, most of the fellow audiences were not able to suffer it anymore and they walked out of the hall even before the interval saying nasty things about the movie. Still few of us remained seated may be due to the reputed brand name of Gurinder Chaddha. But the director never bounced back. Moreover the second half even came with another strange and irrational sequence depicting some sort of cult powers possessed by a soon to be married girl. This particular part was undeniably one of the most disastrous and weirdest thought put in by a director ever.So, as all the expectations from the movie were being shattered badly left and right, I was just sitting on my seat in a lazy posture, thinking about, why Shabana Azmi had to be there in this terrible project and what she may have imagined while signing the movie, after reading the final draft of the script.Returning to the review, due to my dreadful experience with the film, I frankly don't wish to write anything more about its direction, performances, script, music or cinematography. But I really want to request Shabana Azmi, to please don't waste your precious efforts and valuable time in such intolerable projects. The movie simply doesn't deserve to be there in your resume at all as it's a big black spot on the name of another masterpiece with a similar title.May be it's a clear example of a creative block being faced by the director and may she return back with a bang soon. But as far as her "It's a Wonderful AfterLife" is concerned, it's one of the worst movies I have ever seen.