Film: Here Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwilym Lee, Ophelia Lovibond, David Fynn, Leslie Zemeckis, Jonathan Aris, Albie Salter,Lilly Aspell, Lauren McQueen, Billie Gadsdon, Harry Marcus, Joel Oulette, Dannie McCallum, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mohammed George Director: Robert Zemeckis Rating: 2.5/5 Runtime: 104 min A generational story based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire, about families sharing in love, loss, laughter over an extended period of time, this sentiment driven Robert Zemeckis film spreads rather thin as it adds on years and people to a story that has nowhere to go. It’s not a momentous film by any yardstick - just a film accumulating moments that don’t really leave any impact.
Of course Zemeckis isn’t on his best game ( Back to the future, Who framed Roger Rabbit, ) either. Using technology to augment his craft, Zemeckis makes gimmicky choices, vivid set-design and techno-brilliance to enhance the visual appeal. Zemeckis uses picture-in-picture panel inserts to show what was happening at various times in the same place and de-aging post-production techniques to turn Tom Hanks and Robin Wright into hormonal teenagers.
But the lack of a story to hold it all together, makes all the effortful effects rather trifling. Robert Zemeckis’ fifth directorial spans several years while the camera sits in one spot. The narrative encompasses the lives of 5 families and we see it all happening in the same house - same.
