12/19
Based on the comic “Here” by Richard McGuire
Scenario
A generational story about families and the special place they live in, and about sharing love, loss, laughter and life. The film first appeared as a strip in the comic magazine “Raw” in 1989, and was expanded into a 300-page graphic novel in 2014. [from trailer] Richard: You know, if you want, you could spend the rest of the night here.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie
Margaret: I could spend the rest of my life here. Quoted in close-up: Which is better – movies or series? (2024).
The advantage is that he has the courage to do it
However, there are some things that don’t go his way: Robin Wright’s fake laugh, superficial stories, contrived transitions, no real conclusion to the intertwined stories. Most disturbing, however, is the excessive use of CGI, which almost resembles an AI movie. The opening sequence, the sharp focus of the characters near the “camera”, the fake fire in the fireplace, how the opposite wall disappears so we can see the characters waving goodbye to each other.
The basic structure is there: sets, single camera view, monologues
If there are artificial intelligence feature films in our near future, how long will it be before our lives resemble Black Mirror’s “15,000,000 credits”? This would work well as a stage play told in linear order. After half an hour I was happy to watch the movies for free.
By the end, I cried three times and laughed twice
Still, it’s best to wait until you can watch this movie on a streaming service at no extra cost. Then again, I feel the same way about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, so…