Robin Wright and Tom Hanks star in Here as a married couple whose lives unfold in the one living room over many decades. Photo: Supplied.
How often have we said: “If only these walls could talk”? Envisage this … what if the walls could actually serve as witnesses to what happened within? Imagination runs riot thinking of the sorts of things (though most have probably been lost to antiquity) that have probably happened in a particular place.
Well, wonder no more as you escape to the distant past, far into the future and each period in between with Here. It’s not a historical event (as such), but a drama, thanks to advanced cinematic technology utilised by Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis.
Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Contact, Back to the Future trilogy) adds a new twist on that question and explores the likelihood of what could happen if those walls could actually see. They talk (of sorts) as the award winner at the helm takes us through generations to create just such a scenario, a quest down memory lane and time.
Viewed from a single viewpoint over thousands of years, this production jumps through the history of one piece of land. The main part, though, is about the decades when the area is part of an American house owned by a couple played by Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Sleepless in Seattle) and Robin Wright (Forrest Gump, Message in a Bottle, Unbreakable).
It’s an exploration that unravels the interwoven lives and accounts of families across various age groups in a New England setting. These generational stories are special, occupying an exceptional place where they dwell, sharing in laughter, love, loss and life, capturing the most relevant of human experiences.
We see Richard Young (Hanks) introducing his girlfriend, Margaret (Wright), to his father, ‘’Mr Young’’ (Paul Bettany). In another scene, Richard tells Margaret, “Time sure does fly”, to which she replies, “It sure does”.
Different timelines are showcased through family photos. We see a young Richard, his wife and their children, capturing beautiful moments of connection, affection and grief. We then see an older Margaret, who no longer remembers that she was in the home she once shared with Richard.
Later inhabitants of the house include the bohemian couple Leo, an inventor, and Stella Beekman, a pin-up model, who live there before and during World War II. The Young family – originally led by parents Al and Rose Young (played by Bettany and Kelly Reilly) – buys the house in 1945 after the conclusion of WWII.
The Youngs raise three children in the house: Richard, Elizabeth and Jimmy. After an 18-year-old Richard gets his girlfriend Margaret pregnant, they get married and raise their daughter Vanessa in the house, eventually taking it over from Al and Rose.
In the early 2000s, Richard and Margaret divorce, and Richard ends up selling the house. Later inhabitants include Devon and Helen Harris and their son Justin. As an elderly man, Richard takes Margaret – who now has dementia – to the empty house in 2024. He reminds her of the time Vanessa, as a child, lost a ribbon from school, which triggers her memories of their shared life at the house.
The film has been produced and directed by Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune, A Star is Born), based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire. Zemeckis, who is known for producing a range of winning and dominant movies, often blends effective storytelling with cutting-edge visual effects.
The iconic Forrest Gump team (Zemeckis, Hanks and Wright) reunites after three decades to give us yet another moving human story on the circle of life and evolution. Not always do we look ahead, but this story urges us to live in the present, live ‘’here’’, where every beginning is the finish and contrariwise.
While Here is an ambitious and innovative film, it is confined by cliches. Zemeckis uses a unique storytelling technique in which the camera stays in the one room, all through, even as days turn into years, years to decades and decades to a century, as the vignettes of other people roll on.
Fresh, imaginative and sincere it may be, but visual technology at the expense of heart may raise some eyebrows. As far as execution is concerned, Here is a game-changer, especially with the de-ageing aspects. Its exclusive selling points lie in its narration, line of thinking and deliberation. Emotionally, it doesn’t miss a beat. Performances captivate, but the film’s non-linear and unconventional style may not be to everyone’s liking.
Here, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is streaming on digital platforms
