Here

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Beau Gadsdon, Michelle Dockery, Gwilym Lee, David Flynn, Ophelia Lovibond, Nicholas Pinnock, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Tony Way, Jemima Rooper, Dannie McCallum
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Focuses on one specific place and the many inhabitants over hundreds of years.

Review:

Tim: Robert Zemeckis' Here is definitely focused on its unique gimmick- the entire film takes place in one location, with a fixed camera, over hundreds (technically, thousands) of years. The idea is definitely one worth exploring- that the location is the true main character, and everyone else is supporting, as they enter the space for a long time, or a little. I admit, I love when films try something new, so the movie gets credit for this interesting, original concept. However, that concept itself limits the emotional impact of the film, blunts is overall message. I found Here to be a good film, but one severely limited by its concept.

The positive is that you've never seen a film like this- we see brief flashes of one location hundreds of thousands of years ago, as the Earth forms. We see dinosaurs, then see them wiped out in a cataclysmic explosion. We see an ice age. Eventually, we see plant life return, and then, Indigenous people inhabit this place. From there, we get flashes of different families occupying this house- in Revolutionary War times, and then much later. The film truly centers on one family, although we do spend time with several. It's a cool concept and interesting to explore through the medium of film.

However, there's big downsides as well. The film does feel so narrow- the camera never moves. We get no close-ups of the characters, which keeps them all at a distance. The nonlinear storytelling was an interesting choice- I'm not sure it helped matters. We spend little snippets with multiple different families. The main family has enough time in the space for us to feel at least a tiny connection with them. The Indigenous family has some nice moments, but we don't see them enough. We never learn their names. The family with the inventor had a couple of nice scenes, but we never really feel anything for them. The same can be said for the pilot's family. There is a funeral that might touch your heart a tiny bit, but we never spend much time with them. The one black family that inhabits the house could have been powerful, and indeed, the conversation they have with their son about the police is devastating- yet, the family as a whole is so underdeveloped, you wonder why they were included at all. The mechanism for telling this story prevents us from establishing much of a connection with most of these characters. They flutter through the space, but make no lasting impression on us.

The main family gets most of the time (as expected), but the distance of the camera prevents the film from establishing a deep emotional connection. This makes the whole film feel oddly cold, removed. To truly care about these people, we needed to be closer, to feel like we were in their midst, verses watching from a distance. To fit their story in this one space, the movie asks a lot of us. We're supposed to believe weddings, funerals, medical emergencies, conceiving of a baby, and so much more all takes place in this one space. I know it's not a ludicrous ask, as many living spaces serve multiple purposes, but it felt forced. Only seeing these characters in one space limits their effectiveness.

This approach also makes the film feel very much like a stage play. And, sadly, often, the acting felt like stage performing. It routinely felt like we were watching actors on a stage performing, not watching actual moments from people's lives. This stagey feeling hurts the film, limiting its effectiveness. I recognize this was a trade off of the concept, but the movie has to live with the result.

The cast certainly works hard to turn the film's fortunes around. I admit, I loved seeing Tom Hanks in this role. The visual effects to de-age him were impressive- as a younger man here, he looks exactly like I remember him from his films in the 1980s. Hanks is such a fantastic actor that he delivers multiple exceptional moments. But, he too, occasionally succumbs to the stage-related limitations. I was so happy to see him reunite with Robin Wright, decades after their iconic performances in Forrest Gump. They work well together, and Wright gives a memorable performance of her own. She works well in the role and was enjoyable. Paul Bettany is a terrific actor and he does great work here. It's so funny to consider we were able to see Bettany play Hanks' dad here. Bettany's performance feels limited because he doesn't get many close-ups (that only occurs when a character walks right in front of the camera). But, as a whole, Bettany improves the film immensely. The same can be said for Kelly Reilly, who gives a restrained and refined performance that anchors the family. This is the main appeal of the film- we get to see Hanks, Wright, Bettany, and Reilly perform in a weird, unique manner. There's definitely an appeal there.

For the supporting cast, they are all so limited. Michelle Dockery is a strong actress, but she gets so little to do here. David Fynn had a few nice moments. Ophelia Lovibond seemed great in her small role- I've only seen her once before, in Mr. Popper's Penguins over a decade ago. I thought she brought a lot of charisma to the film and I wish she had more screen time. Nicholas Pinnock and Nikki Amuka-Bird were solid, but it was a shame how little they were given to do. The supporting cast is effective, but they aren't given enough opportunities to shine. I don't think the film could have gone much longer than it did (1 hour, 44 minutes is appropriate), so the only answer would have been cutting one family and dividing up their time among the others.

In the end, I liked Here. I like that it took a big chance to do something that I haven't seen before. It's a fascinating concept that makes you think about time and space differently. To focus on the place before the characters was certainly unique. Unfortunately, the downside to this innovation is a film that feels stagey and cold. The characters feel a bit too distant. So, while I enjoyed the film and consider it a good movie, it's more of a curiosity than a powerful success.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Being John Malkovich, Bicentennial Man, Forrest Gump, The Terminal