HERE – “As ambitious as it is completely uneven”

here

RATING

DIRECTOR

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

MAIN CAST

Tom Hanks as Richard Young
Robin Wright as Margaret
Paul Bettany as Al Young
Kelly Reilly as Rose Young
Michelle Dockery as Mrs Harter
Gwilym Lee as John Harter
Ophelia Lovibond as Stella Beekman
David Fynn as Leo

SYNOPSIS

Multiple generations of couples and families inhabit the same home over the course of a century.

REVIEW SUMMARY

As ambitious as it is completely uneven, Robert Zemeckis’ Here stands as an interesting experiment, but sadly little else. You see, the movie’s gimmick is that it holds one single frame for its entire runtime (well, until the last minute, that is). And from this one single frame, we flip flop between generations, following the lives of everyone who has inhabited the space. From a technical perspective, it’s pulled off quite well. The editors of the film in particular do an exceptional job. When it comes to a concept like this however, you run the risk of everything feeling overly stagey - this due to the limited space to work in. And, frankly, that’s what happens. It becomes reminiscent of a stage play more times than not. The other issue that this film has, is its over-stuffed narrative. The movie has an alarming lack of focus, as we are meant to invest in an abundance of different stories throughout time. There’s one about a guy who invents the La-Z-Boy chair. Another about one of the first men to fly an airplane. Can’t forget about the whole Benjamin Franklin’s illegitimate son storyline (I’m not joking). Unfortunately, none of these side stories are especially engaging. Luckily then, the most winning storyline is the one we get the most of. Of course, that would be the one involving Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Those are the characters audiences will truly care for. As for their young-to-old CGI-ed appearances, it’s a bit of mixed bag. You see, the film employs a new generative AI technology which allows actors' faces to be swapped and de-aged in real time as they perform. It mostly works – although there are instances of the dreaded “dead eyes.” Plus, they may have (mostly) worked out the physical de-aging, but they haven’t nailed the vocal de-aging. 18-year-old Tom Hanks sounds very much like a 65-year-old Tom Hanks. But, thanks to universal themes of love, loss, and the preciousness of time, Here still manages to resonate – proving its heart is very much in the right place.

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