Here is likely one of the most real movies I've seen lately. Therefore, despite having an extremely slow pace and a really thin plot, its captivating storytelling and true relationships make you feel as if you were watching a true reality show, without the fireworks and unnecessary commentary.
It doesn't offer much in terms of the story itself. It's a simple tale of a simple man, Stefan, who's living an ordinary life and looking for some purpose in his everyday struggles. We know that doing so isn't as easy as it sounds, and is actually a quite complicated goal amidst all the troubles of life. The director Bas Devos knows it all too well and sticks true to the movie's concept.
During the film, Stefan stumbles across Shuxiu. At first sight, they don't really have any connections, yet, in a typical human manner, it blossoms from the simplest of things and conversations. Their relationship slowly develops throughout the film, and is both complex and simple, which is quite paradoxical, but we get it. In the end, each of us had similar interactions in our lives as well.
The movie puts a strong emphasis on visual storytelling, focusing on nature and how it springs to life despite harsh conditions. I believe it's a metaphor for Stefan and Shuxiu's relationship, which, in the face of early contradictory essence, somehow begins to work as well.
On top of that, both Stefan and Shuxiu's relationships with other people are almost too natural for cinema.
Unfortunately, Here doesn't have much else to offer besides stunning visuals that feel right to have in a story like this. It may be enough for slow cinema fans, who are keen on simple stories. I personally wanted to get hooked on it, but there wasn't enough for me to hold onto. Still, you leave the cinema pretty moved, with a tiny smile on your face, due to the movie's sweet ending, which feels as if we've lived it ourselves, at least once in our lives.
