Here: Moving Through Time Using A Camera that Stays Still
Powerful themes and undeniable charm are offset by underwhelming writing and lackluster technology.
A Zemeckis film through and through. Here is quirky and has some very charming moments, but suffers from a rather mundane plot, underdeveloped characters, and pretty dodgy de-aging technology.
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Legendary director Robert Zemeckis’ newest film, Here, is a Forest Gump reunion with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. A trio that is sure to excite many. I’ve been counting down the days because I am a simple man. If Hanks is in a new movie… I watch.
Unfortunately, I left underwhelmed. I found that both Hanks and Wright do not shine nearly as bright as they usually do.
That is through no fault of their own, however.
The film’s quirk is that it is shot on a single camera that never moves, depicting how the same space evolves over time. An undeniably cool concept, and one that makes this movie memorable, but, at the same time, also serves as its biggest hindrance.
(Un)Emotional Breakdown
With many of the scenes taking place back by the window and couch that you can see in the image above, some pretty pivotal moments are not captured up close. This creates the illusion that we, the audience, are merely flies on the wall in this ever-changing room. An interesting stylistic choice, sure, but one that often removes a necessary amount of emotion from the on-going story.
I found the lack of close-ups and natural restrictions on movement that come with shooting an entire movie in one room to be compelling at first, but eventually tiresome and unrealistic.
It felt as if something was missing. A something that is usually never missing when you have these two incredibly talented people on the big screen.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I never want to knock something for being creative. On the surface, an entire feature film shot on one camera that never moves is right up my ally. You add Tom Hanks and Robin Wright to that equation, and 9 times out of 10, you’re eating real good. I’ll be the first one to tell you that we need more abstract concepts in modern Hollywood.
But that is exactly why I left disappointed. Despite everything Here had going for it, It just didn’t work all together. There was a lot of nonlinear storytelling going on when it probably didn’t need to be. For all the time we spend with the families that lived in the home before and after Tom and Robin’s characters, that could’ve been more screen time dedicated to their romance, relationship, and family.
All that to say, the film had some very strong themes that I will always remember. Because you get to watch average people age in real time, the movie does an excellent job reminding you of the importance to live life in the moment and pursue the things you want to pursue. Otherwise, time will pass you by, literally.
De-Aging in Reverse
Speaking of aging, the de-aging technology in Here was very shotty. I get that it will never be perfect, especially when you are de-aging generational actors who’s younger faces are very recognizable, but I just couldn’t help comparing this to the exceptional work done with Luke Skywalker in the recent Star Wars tv shows.
Some shots were better than others depending on the angle of the actor’s face and lighting, but there was an undeniable waxiness to many of the de-aged scenes. Granted, in the Star Wars shows they got to compose their shots however they like and had the unlimited budget of Industrial Light & Magic at their disposal, but there is still no denying that this is another example of how the single camera concept hurt the movie instead of strengthening it.
I can get over all of that, however.
What I can’t get over and was far more jarring were the de-aged voices. 20-year old Tom Hanks sounded like 60-year old Tom Hanks. An unfortunate oversight that really takes you out of the moment. What made de-aged Mark Hamill so convincing in Star Wars was that he both looked and sounded like the Mark Hamill of yesterday. They took sound bites from his younger years to reconstruct his voice. Zemeckis had plenty of material to do the same for Hanks and Wright, but didn’t execute to the same level.
This technology mishap really hurts the younger scenes. I found the older scenes more emotional and lifelike, no doubt a result of the characters being the same age as the actors playing them.
Rating
Zemeckis definitely deserves his flowers for his boldness and willingness to take a risk. You’ll never see me fault anyone for doing that. Here has a lot going for it. Important lessons and themes about life are convincing and relatable. Unfortunately, the story and the characters are not as robust as they could be. Coupled with de-aging technology that can ruin the moment, the film is solid, but leaves more to be desired.
Here is in theaters today. What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments. I look forward to our discussion!
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