AFI FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! Few directors are willing to take innovative risks in filmmaking. However, Robert Zemeckis is one of those filmmakers who constantly does so. Does his latest effort, the drama Here, which he co-wrote with Eric Roth, elevate the cinematic arts?
The film tells the tale of several Pennsylvania families from the dawn of man to today. The conceit is that the camera is locked in a single location as we jump from time to time. Fortunately, by the 1800s, a house was built around the camera, which is nicely situated facing the large living room window. Transitions from period to period begin with the appearance of a rectangle revealing the new time period, and then the main image fades into the new location.
The earliest point in time features a Native American family. We then jump to a distant view of Benjamin Franklin’s home. The first home built belongs to the early days of air flight, with a husband who owns a plane and a nervous wife preparing to get bad news from her husband sometime in the near future. Next is an inventor couple on the verge of birthing the Laz-y-boy Chair.
The heart of Here is the Young family. Al (Paul Bettany) is a veteran with PTSD who barely makes ends meet as a salesman. He’s married to Rose (Kelly Reilly), and they have three children, including the eldest, Richard (Tom Hanks). Richard dreams of being an artist, but his dreams are derailed when he gets his girlfriend, Margaret (Robin Wright), pregnant. After their shotgun wedding, Richard and Margaret are forced to live with Al, Rose, and the rest of the family. Never being able to be alone in the house puts a great deal of strain on the couple. Richard says it’s the economy that prevents them from owning their own home, but it really isn’t. The final family is the Harris family, who are Black and forced to teach their son about how to stay safe and survive when being pulled over by the police.
I have a great appreciation for this film. Based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire, the storytelling gimmick is new and interesting. Going in, I was worried that never moving the camera would be stifling, but Zemeckis finds a way to keep the experience enjoyable, never feeling old or boring. Hanks, Wright, and Bettany give masterful performances, and the aging and de-aging technology has advanced quite a bit since The Irishman. It’s still weird to look at, but I got used to it. I get the feeling it will never not look creepy.
My real issue with Here is the the stories. The main problem is the stakes. For the Young family, the stakes aren’t that high. Their arc is very much the average story of working Americans and resolves (good or bad). We’ve seen these stories in film and television, and only the presentation elevates them here. Another thing is that all the B-stories, particularly the Harris family, are not given enough time to develop or feel important. They could have been taken out, but they are needed to be there for the gimmick to work.
Let’s face it. A movie about my life is not that interesting. Most of us want to see stories that present a challenge in our personal lives and see our heroes overcome them. In other words, the plot is fine, but we need more than fine if we’re going to shell out $20 for movie tickets.
In Here, Zemeckis blends a unique storytelling method with a slice-of-life approach that feels both innovative and grounded. While the visuals and performances elevate the material, the somewhat ordinary narrative may leave you for something more “dramatic.” This is a thoughtful, visually inventive film showcasing Zemeckis’ continued willingness to push cinematic boundaries.
Here screened at the 2024 AFI Film Festival.
"…the storytelling gimmick is new and interesting."
