Time - something we are all constantly made aware of. Some fear it, others embrace it, but we all have to face it. In 1989, Richard McGuire developed a 6-page comic strip that documented what the same space looked like from 500,957,406 BC all the way to future. Panels overlapped various events from a huge span of years with that central idea of time being framed in every drawing. It has been hailed as a groundbreaking experiment in the world of comics and has influenced the art form for decades. In 2014 McGuire expanded the comic strip into a 304-page graphic novel, and that book is the basis for the film 'Here'.
It follows the same spot of land from when it was roamed by dinosaurs to all who inhabit the house built on that spot. The film follows a few different couples and their lives in the home, but primarily the Young family - Rose (Kelly Reilly, 'A Haunting in Venice', 'Sherlock Holmes') and Al Young (Paul Bettany, 'Avengers: Infinity War', 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'), who move into the property and raise their three children. Their oldest, Richard (Tom Hanks, 'Elvis', 'Toy Story' franchise), falls in love with Margaret (Robin Wright, 'Wonder Woman', 'Blade Runner 2049'), and in turn the two raise their own daughter in the house Richard grew up in.
'HERE' TRAILER
'Here' does get points for its creative filmmaking, but ultimately comes across as boring. For the entire run time, we are static on the same location; the camera never moves. The editing with the comic book-like panelling showing different decades shows promise, but it falls flat. There is no substance here, the story is void, and any emotion is lost because we are situated so far away from the actors' faces. Cinema has close-ups for a reason: so we can see and relate to what the characters are going through. But because of the unmoving camera here, it's hard to connect with anything that's shown on screen. The gimmick of the film wears off instantly, and you're left with 100 minutes of emptiness. The film also struggles to flesh out any of the characters we meet, even the main family. There are at least 4 different couples we follow during 'Here's' run time, and none of them are engaging.
Cinema has close-ups for a reason: so we can see and relate to what the characters are going through. But because of the unmoving camera here, it's hard to connect with anything that's shown on screen. The gimmick of the film wears off instantly, and you're left with 100 minutes of emptiness.
'Here' is the reunion of 'Forrest Gump' actors Tom Hanks and Robin Wright with the film's director Robert Zemeckis. This is a reunion 30 years in the making - and what a disappointing event it is. The two actors have very little to do and their reunion is purely a marketing ploy.
'Here' also features de-aging effects and instead of post-production CGI effects uses real-time AI. Firstly, it never looks good; Paul Bettany plays Tom Hanks' father and there is never a moment where Bettany does not look like the younger of the two. Secondly, we are just coming out of an actors' strike that was largely centred around the use of AI, and this is just a prime example of why we shouldn't use AI in motion pictures.
For a graphic novel so acclaimed and a 'Forrest Gump' reunion, 'Here' should not have turned out this bland and forgettable. There are some good ideas here, but it appears the filmmakers didn't look past those ideas to give us a compelling story.