Up There (Zam Salim) 2011 UK

Reviewed by Rosanna Lapinski. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Martin  (Burn Gorman) is stuck in the afterlife in Zam Salim’s film, Up There (2011). Martin’s interior dialogue delivers the film’s narrative. Martin is matter-of-factly reporting the events leading up to the moment the film begins: Martin was hit by a car at a busy intersection in the city center. He died from his injuries. Martin didn’t attend his funeral, it was too soon after his accident. He couldn’t get his head around it. It was a shame though, as he could have said good-bye to his family and friends. Martin’s wife moved on quite quickly after Martin’s departure, and took up with Martin’s best friend. Martin was devastated. Up There, written and directed by Zam Salim, received the Paranavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film’s subtle, dark humor is hilarious. Burn Gorman delivers an exceptional performance as the anxious apparition awaiting his turn to go Up There.

Martin tells us those first few months after the accident were tough. He asks himself, “Why am I still here?” Martin contemplates and muses on this quite a lot. Martin has been dead for awhile. Some people move on straight away, others take years. Martin feels he has kept his nose clean, served his time, and deserves to go up there.  Instead, his partner is chosen and Martin is left behind. Martin says, “If people like him are going to get up there, maybe I don’t want to go–”

Martin must attend bereavement counseling sessions. Here, he tells us,  “There’s only two places ago. Either you go up, or the other place and you don’t want to go there.”

Martin’s second partner, Rash (Aymen Hamdouchi), is an obnoxious, fast-talking young guy who is easily distracted from his work assignments by women and fast cars. Rash is very proud of the fact that he was run over by an expensive vehicle. He tells the story of his death over and over.

Martin and Rash wait for their next victim when the ambulance arrives. Their new charge takes one look at Rash and runs. Martin and Rash follow in pursuit. On the journey to recover the newly deceased, Martin meets Liz (Kate O’Flynn). Liz is a murder/suicide victim, but the audience does not know what her role was in the events that led to her demise.

Up There’s genesis can be found in Salim’s earlier short film, Laid Off, a mocumentary about the travails of being dead. Both films are darkly comical reflections on the ironies of being dead.

Burn Gorman’s businessman-in-purgatory role is reminiscent of Albert Brooks’ character, Daniel Miller in Defending Your Life, “the first true story of what happens after you die.” In both movies, the afterlife is depicted as being very similar to the workaday world that the recently deceased just left. It is the small differences that make being in the afterlife difficult. For instance, Martin reveals that “Some people are under the impression that when you die you get certain powers. Like being able to walk through walls, etc. Well, let me just tell you. You are completely powerless. Closing time is a big worry. If you get trapped inside, you can’t get out until the next morning when somebody opens the door.”

 Up There is a dark comedy that will have you chuckling and relieved when Martin finally steps onto the flight of stairs, with his fate to be determined.