Up There (Zam Salim, 2011): UK

Reviewed by Truman Kewley. Viewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The film Up There was a fun look at what might happen after someone dies.  I am a big fan of British comedies such as Shawn of the Dead and many others.  This film was not as funny as I hoped but I definitely had a good time getting sucked into this afterlife world.  The film was interesting because it was a new look at what could possibly happen after we die and the shock it must be to find out that you are dead.  The supporting character Rash really made the film interesting and is definitely the reason that kept my attention.

I watched the film Up There at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.  The director of the film, Zam Salim, who is also the writer did a great job creating a story unlike really another film.  The actors did a great job at feeling real and they all seemed to stay true to there characters.  The main character was a bit boring and had minimal expressions yet the supporting actor had a huge mouth and definitely kept things interesting.

The film Up There fallows a man who recently died and his soul was transferred to a world in between heaven and the world of the living.  Once a person dies they must live in this world coping with there death before they can transfer to heaven, and to get into heaven you must be given an OK from a therapist like character.  The main character soon becomes a death officer greeting the recently deceased and explaining to them what there next step closer to getting into heaven is.  Once his partner is permitted into heaven he really begins to get depressed.  The main character must realize what is really important and what his values are before he can enter heaven.

The acting in the film is well done especially the supporting character Rash.  Rash’s character really brings humor to a dark subject but stays relevant to the message being given.  The music in the film creates moods that the characters are feeling and helps us know whether to laugh or cry.  The editing of the film was done well and flowed perfectly with each cut.

This film did have similar UK humor seen in films such as Shawn of the Dead and the British TV show The Office but was not quite as funny as I was hoping it would be.  I would consider this film to be more of a drama rather a comedy.

I would recommend anyone who likes UK movies to watch Up There.  This film had many interesting aspects and a different story line.  I enjoyed this film from beginning to end, even though I was expecting more of a comedy.