Parents' Guide to A Matter of Life and Death

Visually striking, full of philosophical ideas, and with a sharp, witty script, this fantasy drama from writer-director duo Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is one of their most enjoyable films. From the racks of angel wings waiting for their hosts to the almost Kafka-esque bureaucracy of the afterlife, there's a playfulness to A Matter of Life and Death that's difficult not to like. The cinematography and production design are impressive in setting the scene, and the choice to show the afterlife parts in black and white and the Earthly sections in vivid technicolor was another stroke of genius. There may be a lighthearted air to proceedings, but the movie doesn't shy away from making points and raising questions—the sheer number of dead soldiers arriving on the other side makes an impact, a jury of American citizens of different ethnicities and walks of life seems to celebrate diversity and the balance that comes with it, and there's a central theme about the rights and powers of the individual versus the system. But the movie never feels heavy-handed. Instead, there's a sense of something surreal, intriguing, and—given the subject matter—unexpectedly fun.