Here Today - All Heart

 

Rent it on Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and YouTube. 

    One of the reasons I chose to become an independent film critic was to serve as a counterweight for the tomato meter. For those who don't know, one of the many strange yet liberating things to spawn from the internet is the website Rotton Tomatoes, where anyone can rank a movie from good to bad. While I admire and appreciate this website for its democratic nature, I find myself annoyed with how unnecessarily dominant it has become in ranking the quality of seemingly all films. I cannot tell you how many genuinely great movies I have seen and reviewed with a less-than-encouraging rating on their website, not to mention how nearly every digital rental and streaming service has a tomato rating, rather necessary or not. Incidentally, this is why I tend to ignore the tomato rating because it is too arbitrary and ignores the subjective nature of art, at least in my opinion. 

    Rotten Tomatoes, you may have good intentions, but I find your overall execution and unnecessary dominance of the world of cinematic criticism disturbing, to put it mildly. I bring this to your attention because today's subject, Here Today, stands at a mere 46% on the Tomatometer, a less-than-stellar rating for any given film and unjustifiable for this movie in particular. While I do not deny that aspects of the film could have been done differently, the overall presentation is far too stellar and heartfelt to warrant such an unjustifiable low rating. 

    Despite what some may say on the Tomatometer, Here Today is a better film than you might expect and worthy of more nuanced criticism than Rotton Tomatoes can provide. 

    Inspired by the short story, The Prize, penned by Alan Zweibel (who also co-wrote the screenplay), the story follows an aging comedy writer named Charlie Burnz (Billy Crystal), who was recently diagnosed with a rare and difficult-to-treat version of dementia. For the most part, he has found ways to work with and around it. However, he finds himself haunted by terrible memories of a traumatic past event. He finds solace in writing his book based on his experiences with his late wife with the help of his new friend, Emma (Tiffany Haddish), who eventually becomes more important to him and his life than Charlie might ever realize. As things begin to take a turn for the worse and Charlie's memories begin to fade, will he get to make things right before he loses himself forever? 

    This is an incredibly relevant, funny, and heartfelt movie, the likes of which we don't see very often anymore. It often reminded me of the film 50/50, where a fairly serious matter was treated with just the right amount of humor and light-hearted execution to feel genuine and well-intended without coming off as arrogant or mean-spirited. Both films succeed in discussing an often difficult-to-sympathized condition (cancer and/or mental illness as a result of old age) and present some of the best means of perseverance possible. They don't demand your pity; they ask for your empathy, and they both deserve it! 

    Billy Crystal, a proud member of comedy/cinema royalty, retains his signature humor that still zings to this day, along with his relatable humanity only found within the likes of the late George Carlin and Robin Williams. Although, the MVP award of the film goes straight to Tiffany Haddish for her successful venture from comedic performer to serious actor. She has the opportunity to showcase her talents as a versatile actor, and she shines like nobody's business, showcasing a fairly wide range of emotional range and conviction. 

    On the other hand, it's also where the film shows its not-so-tight seams. There are moments when Tiffany Haddish's over-the-top humor clashes with Billy Crystal's more subdued & sarcastic style (and not in a good way). It almost feels as if the studio thought they needed to sample what audiences normally expect from Tiffany Haddish, despite how much it doesn't really match the film's overall style. Even so, these moments of non-matching styles are few and far between and do not detract from the overall experience. 

    Here Today is the kind of film we need more of right now. A funny and heartfelt reminder of the finer & most important things in life delivered an entertaining and worthwhile experience. However you are able, I encourage you to give this film a chance. It will make you laugh and cry for all the right reasons. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.