As November brings colder weather that has us reaching for all things cozy, Robert Zemeckis’s “Here” arrives just in time to provide a heartwarming experience for the fall season.
Starring Tom Hanks, “Here” is a captivating adaptation of Richard McGuire’s graphic novel. The story revolves around a single room – showing us the lives, memories and emotions that accumulate within its walls over generations.
We’re taken on a journey across decades, witnessing moments of joy, loss and change as different characters pass through the house. The film’s quiet intimacy of one room combined with its unique exploration of time and memory is sure to resonate with audiences who appreciate reflective storytelling.
For me, Francine, one of the film’s standout aspects is Hanks’ performance, which grounds the story as he ages within the room. Each phase of his character’s life is special yet has a sense of familiarity, as if each version of himself has left a fragment behind to be carried forward. Hanks’ portrayal of his character Richard brings subtle, yet powerful, shifts in demeanor and emotion throughout his history living in the space. This continuity makes the room feel almost alive, holding pieces of his aging character within it.
Speaking of the space coming to life, I, Hayley, felt the use of one angle and set to be incredibly charming and endearing. It created the sense of watching something similar to a theater production or blackbox play performance and less of a film. This choice served well to not oversell anything, but instead allow the natural unfolding of every storyline that happened “here” to come to life speaking for itself.
No need for extravagant imagery or movie magic, just raw, genuine storytelling. This largely left the audience feeling like a fly on the wall, watching as various historical events and family developments grew, shrank and changed over time. I believe this also allowed for a lot more personal connection to be made from audience members to the families we were observing organically live out their lives.
Although the film only uses one angle, other cinematic choices enhance its depth. The cinematography captures the flow of time through the eras with subtle shifts in color and light: warm sepia hues for the nostalgic glow set in the early 1900s, while the cooler tones mark the shift to modernity and its sharper aesthetic. The score and sound design also evolve with each time period, moving from the rich tones of jazz to the soft hum of a minimalist soundscape of recent decades, immersing viewers in the emotional resonance of each era.
The only gripe we had was the use of CGI effects. The effects for Hanks and his co-star Robin Wright were done very well; their youthful years were just as believable as their seniors. However, scenes that explored nature and the prehistoric age could have been done a bit better. This didn’t detract thankfully too much from the film, as the story it was telling far outweighed this minor detail.
Hitting close to home for many of its audience members, no matter one’s age this film truly had something everyone could resonate with and go home reflecting on. A cozy tear-jerker, full of not-so-subtle moments of reflection– we give this one a three and a half out of five stars. Encouraging those interested to not race to the theater to watch it, but instead cozy up with a good blanket and an open mind as they dive into this film from their sofas in their own versions of “here” at home.