19/45
Clarinet Concerto, Pts
A generational story about families and the special place they live, sharing love, loss, laughter and life. Based on the comic book “Here”; by Richard McGuire. It was first published as a strip in the comic book magazine “Raw”; in 1989 and was expanded into a 300-page graphic novel in 2014. Richard’s father, at one point early in the film, names several towns that he claims are along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, when in fact these are all towns that are along Interstate 80 in PA, which had not yet been built at the time. [from the trailer] Richard: You know, if you want, you could spend the rest of the night here. Margaret: I-I could spend the rest of my life here. Features They Stooge to Conga (1943).
First, I haven’t followed director Robert Zemeckis’ recent filmography closely
1 & 2Written by Artie ShawPerformed by Artie Shaw & His OrchestraCourtesy of RCA RecordsBy arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment. I didn’t know what to expect from “Here” for two reasons. We’ve seen his timeless classics in “Back to the Future”; trilogy, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”; and “Forrest Gump” and underrated gems like “Death Becomes Her”; “What Lies Beneath” and “The Polar Express”; so I haven’t experienced any disappointment from him yet. Second, we knew in advance that they were going to use artificial intelligence to take out Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. In a year of remarkable advances in artificial intelligence and nearly a year after the SAG-AFTRA strikes, “Here” appears to be the first major Hollywood film to make extensive use of this technology. However, I was willing to go in with an open mind. After watching it, there is one essential element that keeps it from being considered a classic, but it is still a good film.
First, the actors supported it
Thirty years after their union in “Forrest Gump,” Tom Hanks and Robin Wright give captivating performances as Richard and Margaret Young, as their story, that of the central house, is the focus of the narrative. Among other notable characters, Paul Bettany plays Richard’s father, Al. Robert Zemeckis directs this incredibly ambitious film in a way that feels distinctly Zemeckis. The story is unique, the film follows (mostly) seamlessly the history of a house over the centuries, and it deserves a director who knows how to make it special. Every Zemeckis film I’ve seen and reviewed has been magical, and “Here” is no exception. I found the opening scene of the film to be beautiful and a flawless way to open it. It previews what the film will offer over the next hour and 45 minutes, making it one of the most significant scenes.
I liked the main story revolving around the Young family
I have mixed and positive opinions about the use of artificial intelligence in the film. Aside from a few brief moments, the de-aging was extremely convincing and it felt like Hanks and Wright were much younger than they are now. I say more or less mixed because I’m not a big fan of the use of artificial intelligence in media and I’m one of the many who believe that creativity in Hollywood is only human. On to the negative that’s worth mentioning: the time division and use of film is not optimal. However, they occasionally jumped to other time periods, which felt like an excuse to further sell the fixed-frame gimmick. The extra lines contained emotional moments, but the characters lacked development. Any sense of sadness worked during the time spent with the Youngs.
Overall, “Here”; It was mostly a success
This may be a necessary annoyance, as the main plot may not have filled much of the 1:45 runtime. It won’t be an awards season, because “Conclave” and “Anora” are also in theaters. However, as a fan of the film who enjoyed Hanks and Zemeckis and was intrigued by the experimental nature of this film, I enjoyed the film.
