Graphic novel doesn’t transition well

If you are looking for experiences akin to ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘The Polar Express’ and ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Here’ is not the place to be. This Robert Zemeckis directorial feels like a long-running sentimentalised commercial selling life insurance. The happy, the sad and the in-between moments are all there, but they are put-together in an unappetising form that may well put you to sleep.

The narrative, spanning several centuries, is defined by setting the camera in one spot, where you get a ringside view of the living room of a house. Several families come and go, but the focal point never changes. The experiment sounds interesting, but in reality, it’s a recipe for boredom.

This film, based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire, illustrates history as it occurs in one place over several centuries. Technically, this is done by using frame-to-frame transitions. From open land to Native Americans, from the built-up home of Benjamin Franklin’s estranged son to a 20th century duplex living room, we become privy to the lives of those living in that space.

‘Here’ takes place in Philadelphia, from 1503 to 2022. In the 1910s, Pauline Harter (Michelle Dockery) frets over her risk-taking husband John’s (Gwilym Lee) obsession with airplanes. In the 1940s, a happy couple (David Flynn and Ophelia Lovibond) invents one of the most noteworthy creations of the century. Then, it is the turn of World War-II soldier Al Young (Paul Bettany) and his wife Rose (Kelly Reilly) to raise three children there. Thereafter, Richard (Tom Hanks), their oldest child, becomes the prime focus. A young man with dreams of making it big as an artist, he gets sidetracked by circumstances. He marries his high school sweetheart Margaret (Robin Wright). Thereafter, he has to sell insurance to provide for his family. And life plays on…

Everyday happenings, landmark events, infidelity, ageing parents — all make their presence felt. In a graphic novel, this storytelling might have seemed impressive, but on screen, it feels stagey and unfulfilling. The computerised de-ageing process, while beautifully rendered, feels unnecessary. ‘Here’ fails to move you because it is emotionally stunted by poor writing and half-baked characterisations.

Robert Zemeckis has screenwriter Eric Roth, composer Alan Silvestri and cinematographer Don Burgess, from his ‘Forrest Gump’ team, helping him, but to no avail. The narrative spiel is neither compelling nor poignant. There’s no darkly humorous undertone to balance out the overwhelming sentimentality either.

The editing tries to compile the human experience by showcasing the small moments of life, but it’s not interesting in the least. Shallow stories, uneventful segues and intertwined stories without resolutions, don’t amount to any great experience. The dialogues and performances fail to evoke feeling. ‘Here’ is flat and listless. It fails to explore deeper issues. Eric Roth’s script feels underdeveloped.

Zemeckis is known to use cutting-edge technology to frame exceptional experiences. Despite the high-tech gloss, this movie feels lacking and concertedly underwhelming. This ‘home’ is definitely not a stable place!