The narrative of 'Here' encompasses the lives of 5 families and we see it all happening in the same house - same living room to be precise. This might have worked better as a play though
Still from Here
Film: Here
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwilym Lee, Ophelia Lovibond, David Fynn, Leslie Zemeckis, Jonathan Aris, Albie Salter,Lilly Aspell, Lauren McQueen, Billie Gadsdon, Harry Marcus, Joel Oulette, Dannie McCallum, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mohammed George
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 104 min
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A generational story based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire, about families sharing in love, loss, laughter over an extended period of time, this sentiment driven Robert Zemeckis film spreads rather thin as it adds on years and people to a story that has nowhere to go. It’s not a momentous film by any yardstick - just a film accumulating moments that don’t really leave any impact. Of course Zemeckis isn’t on his best game ( Back to the future, Who framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump) either.
Using technology to augment his craft, Zemeckis makes gimmicky choices, vivid set-design and techno-brilliance to enhance the visual appeal. Zemeckis uses picture-in-picture panel inserts to show what was happening at various times in the same place and de-aging post-production techniques to turn Tom Hanks and Robin Wright into hormonal teenagers. But the lack of a story to hold it all together, makes all the effortful effects rather trifling.
Robert Zemeckis’ fifth directorial spans several years while the camera sits in one spot. The narrative encompasses the lives of 5 families and we see it all happening in the same house - same living room to be precise. This might have worked better as a play though. As a cinema it feels rather constricted and contrived. There’s quite a bit of back and forth. The main storyline follows Al (Bettany) and Rose (Reilly) after they buy the house following WWII - where they raise their 4 kids including the eldest, Richard (a 16 yr old de-aged Hanks). He then meets de-aged Margaret (Wright), and its their lives together that takes center-stage thereafter.
The narrative concentrates on Richard and Margaret’s growth from exuberant youth to ageing adults wrecked by the realities of ‘real’ life. The parallel stories of Benjamin Franklin’s son, an early aviator, the inventor of Laz-e-boy, a black family and a Native American,- who all happened to have lived in the same location at different time periods, doesn’t provide for any great dramatic arc. All the add-on tech enhancements feel gimmicky and serve as distractions. The use of AI to create ancient times and animals doesn’t add any great worth either. The set design and background score are excellent but they don’t enhance the experience.
A few well-crafted moments, some nascent comedy and stray emotion fail to lend import to this distracting and forgettable experience. The narrative may not be long but it feels that way nevertheless. The editing fails to provide any relief either in pacing or in its use of judicious cuts. Zemeckis’ direction feels static. The lack of emotional depth, uneventful plot lines, unbalanced structure, and underdeveloped characters is likely to put you to sleep. This may be Robert Zemeckis’ most ambitious and technologically advanced film but its also his least gravitating, uninteresting creation. There’s no tempo in this telling and the overall effort feels altogether underwhelming. Despite its intriguing concept, Zemeckis’ experiment with contrasting life experiences using time as a barometer of change, fails to curry favor.
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