Includes They Stooge to Conga (1943)
Story
A generational story about families and the special place they live, where they share love, loss, laughter and life. Based on the comic book “Here” by Richard McGuire. First published as a strip in the comic magazine “Raw” in 1989, the comic was expanded into a 300-page graphic novel in 2014. Richard’s father names several towns early in the film that he says are on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, when in reality they are towns along Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania, which wasn’t even built yet. [from trailer] Richard: You know, if you wanted to, you could spend the rest of the night here. Margaret: I could spend the rest of my life here.
Concerto for Clarinet, Pts
1 and 2Written by Artie ShawPerformed by Artie Shaw and His OrchestraCourtesy of RCA RecordsIn arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment. I didn’t know what to expect from “Here” for two reasons. First, I haven’t been following director Robert Zemeckis’ filmography closely lately. I’ve seen absolute classics from him like the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Forrest Gump, and underrated gems like Death Becomes Her, Shades of Truth, and The Polar Express, so I haven’t been disappointed by him yet. Second, I knew beforehand that they used artificial intelligence to make Tom Hanks and Robin Wright younger. In a year of remarkable advances in AI, and almost a year after the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Here appears to be the first major Hollywood film to make extensive use of this technology.
First of all, the actors delivered
Still, I was prepared to approach the film with an open mind. After seeing it, there is one important element that keeps it from being a classic, but it is good. Thirty years after they were paired up in Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright deliver compelling performances as Richard and Margaret Young, as their story of life in the central house makes up the bulk of the narrative. Another highlight is Paul Bettany as Richard’s father Al. Robert Zemeckis directs this incredibly ambitious film in a way that sounds distinctly Zemeckis. The story is unique in that the film follows a (largely) unbroken shot of a house through the centuries, and it deserves a director who can make it special.
I liked the main plot revolving around the Young family
Every Zemeckis film I’ve covered has been magical, and Here is no exception. I thought the film’s opening scene was beautiful and a flawless start. It sets the tone for what the film has to offer over the next 1 hour and 45 minutes, making it one of its defining scenes.I have mixed to positive feelings about the film’s use of AI. Aside from a few moments, the rejuvenation was incredibly convincing and it felt like Hanks and Wright were much younger than they are today. I say more or less mixed because I’m not a huge fan of the use of AI in media and am one of the many who believe creativity in Hollywood is only human.On to the negatives worth mentioning: The film’s timing and use of time aren’t great. However, there were occasional cuts to other time periods that felt like excuses to further sell the fixed-frame gimmick.
Overall, “Here” was a huge success
The additional storylines had emotional moments, but the characters lacked development. Any feelings of sadness worked during the time we spent with the Youngs. That’s perhaps a necessary nuisance because the main plot wouldn’t have served the 1:45 runtime nearly as well. It won’t be an awards favorite, as “Conclave” and “Anora” are also in theaters. However, as a film fan who appreciates Hanks and Zemeckis and is intrigued by the experimental nature of this film, the film was entertaining.
