30/39

Features Toast of the Town (1948)

Scenario

A generational story about families and the special place they inhabit, sharing in love, loss, laughter, and life.. Based on the comic book "Here" by Richard McGuire. It was first published as a strip in the comics magazine "Raw" in 1989, and was expanded into a 300-page graphic novel in 2014.. [from trailer] Richard: You know, if you like, you could spend the rest of the night here.Margaret: I could spend the rest of my life here..

Zemeckis has accomplished this task on many levels and managed to utilize the space well and keep the shot dynamic despite being so static

LIKES:Good ActingRealistic On Many Facets Of LifeDynamic use of Set/SettingCreative TransitionsDe Aging TechnologySome Fascinating Connections At TimesI loved the Artistic Angle At the TimesRelevant/RelatableEmotionalSummary: The movie's advertising has not lied to you, Here is a film that is truly one of the most unique concepts we've seen in a while. The movie relies on one to enjoy the single-camera/location fixation and tell a story about time's impact on life and the people moving through it. Dynamic set changes help make this piece fascinating, with the idea of furniture changes being a characteristic of the house itself that is impressive and serves as a metaphorical window to life. I loved seeing this room lived in and the families who each called the villa home, seeing their interactions, auras, and personalities give a different light to the scene and tell their own micro-stories.

Here is a film that relies heavily on being relevant and the cast to make that relevance come to life

Transitions occurred via outlines of photographs, drawing attention before rippling into a new scene, the technique is smooth and seldom overdone for me. It held many facets that were creative but never lost the anchor to realism to make this a nice, balanced piece.As for the story and acting, an A-list of talent has helped bring this movie to life and achieve the goal of being a look at life. In regards to the story, it seldom bleeds away from people living life, taking snippets of various periods and reflecting them in the times. The ups and downs are beautifully captured on screen, and Zemeckis' vision helps drive the concepts home and hit you with that emotional punch this movie promised.

The acting is there to give words to the visions, with much of the dialog poetic without being too Shakespearean in its delivery

When the relevant tales hit me, it only further strengthened my connection to the film, and I found my inner self reflecting on what this movie had to teach me. Bettany was a surprise to see, and though not quite as engaging or dynamic as his Disney films, it still manages to impress me with a stellar performance of the Boomer generation facing the fast changes befalling the world. Wright's return to the screen is fierce as her character is torn between fun and frenzy, a brilliant portrayal of struggles that befell so many in her spot during the great decades of change. Hanks is, of course, just as talented as he has been, incorporating elements of his other characters into each moment of his life and doing it with that same class and vigor he almost always brings to the screen.

It's a chemistry that works, this family atmosphere appearing so natural and almost authentic with strong leads to guide the characters and never fall too much into the Hollywood portrayals

The age portrayal technology also gets props for the work it did to make the impossible possible, and though I'm not the biggest fan of the use of such tactics, this was the right movie to use it.DISLIKES:Incoherent Story AnglesVery Ambiguous ConnectionsBoring At TimesDifficult to Connect To Most TalesSad And DepressingPerhaps Too ArtisticSummary: Yet, an artistic movie comes with a potential risk in modern commodities of movie making, and this film amplifies those costs that come with such a unique approach.