The reunion of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright with director Robert Zemeckis in the new film Here promises an intriguing cinematic journey through time.
Here is not your typical period drama. Rather than shifting scenes or locations, the film’s perspective remains fixed within a single American living room, with time moving swiftly across more than a century in just 104 minutes. Zemeckis elaborates, The single perspective never changes, but everything around it does
, emphasizing the novelty of this approach.
This method is reminiscent of early silent films before the advent of montage and editing techniques. For the audience, it means watching as the living room evolves from the early 20th century to the present day, each era meticulously crafted with detailed props and costumes.
An Ensemble Cast Traverses Decades
Tom Hanks portrays Richard, a baby boomer who ages from his teenage years in the 1960s into his 80s. Traditional makeup and cutting-edge digital de-aging are deployed to facilitate these transformations. Joining him is Wright as Margaret, Richard’s spirited girlfriend and eventual wife who navigates their shared life amidst changing cultural landscapes.
Tackling Time’s Passage Through Technique
Adapting Richard McGuire’s graphic novel, Zemeckis employs innovative panel transitions to guide viewers through different moments seamlessly. We’re [easing] into the next scene… bringing us into the next moment in a way that allows us to actually overlap stories,
Zemeckis explains. These transitions allow glimpses into intersecting lifetimes that all shared this one space.
A Domestic Focal Point
The joining characters include Paul Bettany as Al, a WWII veteran turned salesman, and Kelly Reilly as Rose, his wife. The dynamics within this house reflect historical tensions and family evolutions over decades. Bettany’s portrayal shows a man struggling against societal norms while guiding his son through life.
A Storied Past Brought to Life
Additionally, the film delves into earlier eras of the house’s history, featuring Michelle Dockery and Gwilym Lee. Their presence marks the earliest residents of the home at the dawn of the 20th century. Each character layer adds depth to the narrative’s rich tapestry.
The Roots of an Ambitious Project
Zemeckis’s process began over conversations with Hanks during their work on Disney’s Pinnochio. The idea of adapting McGuire’s graphic novel quickly captured their imaginations.This is what we have to do…
. What follows is a compilation of over three decades worth of storytelling experience being funneled into something visually ground-breaking.
A Leap forward Through Technology and Performance
The development history includes state-of-the-art technology, blending de-aging effects with profound performances. Critics have mixed feelings about such techniques; even so, Zemeckis believes good acting anchors its success: The performances are so good… we have to go back and channel what we were like 50 years ago or 40 years ago…
.
A Dedicated Study on Change and Resilience
The transitions between eras don’t use sharp cuts but let one scene bleed into another via overlapping imagery – from decades-old televisions morphing into radios of prior generations. This serves both as an aesthetic choice and narrative technique reflecting enduring human elements amid change.
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