Tweet
'HERE' MOVIE REVIEW: ENTRANCINGLY ROMANTIC
David Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/10/DDHO1ODPF1.DTL
May 11 2012
CA
Romantic road-trip drama. Directed by Braden King. With Ben Foster,
Lubna Azabal. (Not rated. In English and Armenian. 126 minutes. At
Bay Area theaters.)
"Here," an entrancing, meticulously crafted film about a solitary
American cartographer whose life gets re-mapped when he meets
a spirited Armenian artist, doesn't offer up a ton of narrative
surprises, but there is plenty going on the screen to keep you engaged
- and visually stimulated.
That's because the makers of this romantic road-trip drama have such
a keen eye for landscapes and subtle human emotions. The scenery
alone would be worth the price of admission, but this is not just a
series of pretty pictures. Director Braden King and cinematographer
Lol Crowley have a special way of making Armenia palpable, dream-like
and inviting, yet un-chartered and mysterious.
Ben Foster (excellent) and Lubna Azabal (luminous) inhabit their
characters with such a natural grace that they could be mistaken for
documentary subjects. Whether the role is small or large, the acting
across the board is utterly convincing.
The film features several hypnotic, experimental set-pieces (many
narrated by Peter Coyote). Most of these brief, "explorer" interludes
are more visually arresting than intellectually forthcoming, but the
point here is not to wrap things up in a nice, little package.
Truth, as they say, is all conjecture.
Director Braden King will conduct a Q&A following the 6:30 p.m.
screening Friday at the San Francisco Film Society Cinema, 1746
Post St.
David Lewis is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
[email protected]
David Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/10/DDHO1ODPF1.DTL
May 11 2012
CA
Romantic road-trip drama. Directed by Braden King. With Ben Foster,
Lubna Azabal. (Not rated. In English and Armenian. 126 minutes. At
Bay Area theaters.)
"Here," an entrancing, meticulously crafted film about a solitary
American cartographer whose life gets re-mapped when he meets
a spirited Armenian artist, doesn't offer up a ton of narrative
surprises, but there is plenty going on the screen to keep you engaged
- and visually stimulated.
That's because the makers of this romantic road-trip drama have such
a keen eye for landscapes and subtle human emotions. The scenery
alone would be worth the price of admission, but this is not just a
series of pretty pictures. Director Braden King and cinematographer
Lol Crowley have a special way of making Armenia palpable, dream-like
and inviting, yet un-chartered and mysterious.
Ben Foster (excellent) and Lubna Azabal (luminous) inhabit their
characters with such a natural grace that they could be mistaken for
documentary subjects. Whether the role is small or large, the acting
across the board is utterly convincing.
The film features several hypnotic, experimental set-pieces (many
narrated by Peter Coyote). Most of these brief, "explorer" interludes
are more visually arresting than intellectually forthcoming, but the
point here is not to wrap things up in a nice, little package.
Truth, as they say, is all conjecture.
Director Braden King will conduct a Q&A following the 6:30 p.m.
screening Friday at the San Francisco Film Society Cinema, 1746
Post St.
David Lewis is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
[email protected]