Review: "here" Requires Sentimentality

Oscar-winner Robert Zemeckis’ distinctive new project, “Here,” contains abstract elements and unique approaches that are worthy of the word “familiar.” A filmmaker never afraid of lofty concepts, Zemeckis has proven himself to be one to boldly purvey artistic gimmicks designed to advance and improve the medium. Moreover, as a cinematic storyteller, Robert has long had a penchant for tales steeped in extravagant memories. All of these attempts to combine skill and wistfulness have met with varying degrees of success throughout his career, and “Here” joins this provocative collection. “

” “Here” begins with a standing-level, single-camera perspective, firmly set in the corner of the living room of a modest home in the eastern United States. An open entry from the front door is visible on the far left of the screen, the right is dominated by the brick trunk of the fireplace, a huge bay window at the front fills the central recess, and what should be the kitchen lies beyond the view. The camera never moves from this position or from the selected angle, satisfying the curiosity of those who want to turn around and take a look until the very end, about 100 minutes in. From this stationary perspective, "here" relies on active elements in the foreground and background to generate activity. Such a limited stunt requires patience.

If this isn't enough of a conceptual challenge, here's a simple, highly nonlinear strategy for abstract time: Apart from some echoes of Terrence Malick's ambitious and horrifying CGI animation in The Tree of Life, Zemeckis quickly realises that this exact geographic location hasn't always been home. Here he turns back the clock to show prehistoric times before the arrival of humans, and the ever-changing ownership of this particular Earth ever since. For example, in the bottom right corner of the image, a large, distinctive rock deposited by a volcanic eruption at the end of the Cretaceous period survived millions of years of ash, ice, moss and forests before being broken up and used by a pickaxe. In the 17th century, it was used as a driveway to a colonial house, and then completely covered by this central house. To jump and dissolve back and forth between decades and centuries, Here uses a system of split-screen sections with overlays surrounded by white polygons of various sizes that highlight, reveal, transfer and merge. These layers are communicated in an orderly way, so it also requires patience, concentration and attention to maintain orientation. Watch Hollywood movies on Afdah live.