The idea of a reunion between writer/director Robert Zemeckis reuniting with Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright is what makes his new film, Here, instantly enticing. It’s a reunion fans could only dream of and there are times where this trio recaptures their magic and spins it into a touching viewing experience.
Hanks and Wright star as Richard and Margaret — a married couple who watch grow and struggle through various decades. The Forrest Gump alum connect on-screen like no time has passed at all. Together, they instantly wrap themselves around your heart with their romantic chemistry and the grounded nature of their journey. Since you follow these two throughout their entire relationship, it’s so easy to find connective moments. Whether it’s Richard staying conservative with money or Margaret yearning for something more, there’s always a situation or feeling that audiences will gravitate towards. Hanks and Wright take all of that relatability and put it into two performances that are so charming and fun that they’re honestly worth the price of admission alone.
Wright is especially excellent when it comes to Margaret’s heartbreaking realizations. She has some really raw moments that dig into Margaret’s struggles with time passing by without warning and finding independence — a concept that touches on universal fears. Here allows Wright to flex her range she can be heartfelt and warm as well as absolutely crushing. Not to mention, Wright and Hanks easily capture the energy Zemeckis attempts to bring to this story – which is why its themes can hit so hard. Here is all about what it means to endure in life and how much can happen in one place. Richard and Margaret’s story is the heart of that and there’s something special about their arc that leaves viewers misty-eyed.
Unfortunately, Here never overcomes its egregious flaws, despite the combined power of Hanks and Wright. The central concept of the film focuses on a specific location in time and captures all the life that exists in it – from the dinosaurs roaming to various people living in the house that’s eventually built there. The camera is fixed to a specific angle and rarely moves to act as a window throughout history and time. It’s an undeniably ambitious feat for Zemekis that’s admirable but it rarely works out. Here is a victim of too many ideas being thrown in at once and none of them shining enough to keep the film consistently engaging or enjoyable.
One of the biggest issues this film is it overplays its hand on non-linear storytelling. The time jumps constantly break the momentum of the experience as the shifts tend to be at random. Often the film impedes any story or character arc from developing to a satisfying extent — leading to narratives outside of Richard and Margaret being choppy and subpar. Not even the thematic connections between different times and characters land well, so it’s simply a rough watch from start to finish. Here is an example of a film that could’ve thrived on one great narrative but has six or seven faulty ones instead. The non-linear storytelling especially impacts this script and Zemekis’ direction since the tonal changes are just as unpredictable and make character interaction unintentionallu goofy and unrealistic.
Even worse, the way Zemeckis moves throughout the narrative is just plain terrible. Generally, he transitions through different points in time by placing a white-outlined box in the frame to initiate a change in style, tone, or plot that’s horrifically cheap and distracting. It’s an absolute eye-sore when it comes to storytelling, and is a focal point of the film’s crummy effects. The de-aging of certain actors looks cartoony and unbelievable, and there are CGI animals that stick out like sore thumbs. It’s hard to remember a time where someone’s ambition or storytelling approach nerfs an experience so hard that it’s frustrating to sit through. But Here does just that, and it nearly tarnishes the great elements Hanks and Wright bring to this film.
For some, Here will be the Forrest Gump reunion that fans will find just enough enjoyment out of since Hanks and Wright are as great as ever. But, for most, it’s a messy endeavor that gets in its own way too much and never reaches even the basics of its ambitions to be anything special, memorable, or remotely interesting.
