Rating: ★★½☆☆ (2.5/5 Stars)
Released 11-01-2024
Watched 12-06-2024
Reviewed 01-08-2024
Rented from Apple TV
"This was our home. We lived here."
Robert Zemeckis’s Here (2024), based on Richard McGuire’s graphic novel, is undeniably ambitious. It explores a fascinating concept—tracing the lives, emotions, and events that occupy a single room over centuries. The film boasts stunning visuals and an impressive ensemble cast, including Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Paul Bettany, who each deliver nuanced performances. However, the movie’s execution struggles to balance its intriguing premise with a coherent narrative, ultimately making it a challenging watch.
The film’s strength lies in its unique storytelling approach. Here seamlessly transitions across time, jumping from the 1700s to the 2000s and beyond. These shifts are visually captivating, with Zemeckis’s signature blend of CGI and live-action creating a dreamlike quality that highlights the passage of time. This artistry gives the audience a tangible sense of how a single space can witness so much history and change.
Unfortunately, this very strength becomes the movie’s greatest weakness. The constant shifts between timelines, while innovative, make the plot difficult to follow. Viewers are thrown between eras so frequently and abruptly that it becomes nearly impossible to form an emotional connection with the characters or their stories. Just as one begins to invest in a particular moment or storyline, the film leaps to another time, leaving behind untapped potential.
The lack of a central narrative thread to ground the audience further adds to the confusion. While the vignettes are beautifully crafted, they often feel disjointed. Instead of weaving together a tapestry of shared human experiences, the movie comes across as fragmented, with each piece competing for attention rather than complementing the others.
That said, the performances deserve praise. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright bring depth to their roles, even with limited screen time per character. Paul Bettany, in particular, shines as a man grappling with loss across different points in time. Their portrayals add emotional weight to an otherwise scattered story.
Despite its flaws, Here is worth watching for its conceptual brilliance and visual artistry. Fans of experimental storytelling and Zemeckis’s previous works may appreciate the film's ambition, even if its execution falters. However, casual viewers might find it hard to stay engaged due to its fragmented structure.
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