If we are being honest, sometimes we want to be shaken to our core with Oscar-worthy narratives that give us unexpected insight into humanity. Other times we are not looking for something quite so heavy. In a time when there is so much seriousness to contend with in the world, sometimes we just want to be comforted. Billy Crystal is a comforting presence. From his iconic role in one of the all-time great romantic comedies, When Harry Met Sally, to his voice work in favorites such as Monsters Inc., there is something about the man that you have to love. It has been a minute since he has had a starring role in a major studio film, and even longer – twenty years! – since he has directed anything. His new film Here Today is not going to win him any awards, but this heartfelt tale provides enough poignant moments that the softie inside of you should feel satiated. Being a fixture of decades past, his approach to storytelling and comedy can feel a bit dated but rarely wades into territory where you might feel embarrassed for those involved.
Crystal stays close to his wheelhouse as Charlie Burnz, a veteran writer of a Saturday Night Live-esque sketch comedy show. Written in conjunction with frequent collaborator Alan Zweibel based somewhat on real life events, Crystal thankfully does not go overboard in satirizing the comedic stylings of the show in a way that Hollywood tends to do. Charlie is respected amongst the cast and crew even during disagreements about what is funny and how certain lines should be delivered. This is not a film about how Charlie clashes with the new generations. He is satisfied with his life in every way except one; he has slowly been battling memory loss and it is starting to get too frequent to hide. This is illustrated early on by Charlie’s memorizing of instructions to get him from his home to his work. The Father this is not, but the subtle deterioration of memory is given the correct emotional weight for the story it is trying to tell.
Crystal plays Charlie as a man who has spent his life winning people over with his humor, and someone who has softened with age despite some residual unease with his adult children Rex (Penn Badgley) and the resentful Francine (Laura Benanti). The veneer of humor is cracked when he reflects back upon his vivid memories with his late wife Carrie (Louisa Krause). His life is in a weird state of flux as we meet up with him, and he finds a ray of light to hold on to in the form of Emma Payge (Tiffany Haddish). This bright figure is an aspiring singer who goes on a charity dinner with Charlie as a small act of revenge on her cheating boyfriend. Their “meet cute” goes from unconventional to disastrous upon the introduction of a severe allergy attack that lands Emma in the hospital with a concerned Charlie along for the ride emotionally and financially. As this scene showcases, this is not a movie readily built for subtlety, but it at least introduces a bit more nuance as the film continues along its journey.
The greatest decision this film makes is to not send this story down a romantic path – outside of a chaste spooning scene. This platonic friendship makes for some cheerful times as they help each other to appreciate life in small ways. The concept almost sounds trite, but you cannot help but be slightly moved by their dynamic. Those who are used to Haddish’s more outrageous performances may be taken by surprise that she plays things relatively reserved after a rather large introduction. The only part that really fails her is the script, which often painfully feels as if it was written by two older white men who have an idea of what they would want a woman such as this to act like. Emma does not always seem like a believable character, but Haddish does well to make her feel as genuine as she can.
The clearest thing you can say is that it feels like a film from twenty or thirty years ago. There are many funny gags throughout our time with Charlie and Emma, but the “unlikely friendship” angle is really played up in various cliche ways. At one point Emma plays the vibrant young person who “gets the party started” at a stodgy bat mitzvah with her rendition of a retro tune. Better are the scenes when Charlie and Emma are just trading jokes back and forth which finds these two performers the most in their element. Haddish is a fierce comedic presence and Crystal shows that he has not lost a step in his delivery, even when the material is nothing too groundbreaking. This is a perfectly satisfying movie that checks off all of the hallmarks of the genre but brings with it a comfort while doing so. You will laugh, but not in a way that will stick with you for weeks to come afterwards. The film showcases how you should enjoy the precious moments you have, and you will enjoy yourself while you are watching this film. For certain occasions, that is enough.
Video Quality
Here Today comes to DVD with a 480p transfer that is fine for the format. This DVD offers up a passable amount of detail in the production design and clothing. Compression artifacts are present without being too overwhelming. Black levels are not very strong with a fair amount of blocking in the darker scenes. Colors are nice and fairly vibrant, especially in the bright daytime scenes that serve as the primary setting for the film. The cinematography of the film is quite pleasing, but it is not represented to the best of its ability in this lesser format. Skin tones look natural, and there are some decent facial details present when our protagonists are in close-ups. This presentation is good enough for DVD, but those who care about video quality will want to go for the Blu-Ray that was not made available for review. This movie has a lovely aesthetic that would be worth checking out on that format.
Audio Quality
The DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio track that sounds pretty great. The film is mostly dialogue driven, but there is a surprising amount of environmental sounds that give the track some life. Dialogue is mixed well and comes through crystal clear without ever being stepped on by any music or any sound effects. Directionality is rendered accurately so that sounds originate from all the natural spots. Environmental sounds such as background chatter or various city sounds add a dynamic touch to the proceedings. There are moments where cars drive by and the sound pans across the room in a really immersive way. Although there is not constant activity in the track, it presents the movie exactly as it was intended and that is really all you can ask. The disc also includes optional English SDH and various other subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish & Alan Zweibel deliver a perfectly warm and entertaining commentary track in which they reflect back on the development of the story, real-life inspirations, fun times during production and more. Like the film, there are dated bits but overall serves as an enjoyable track.
- Interviews: The cast and crew discuss the themes of the film and their experiences making the film. This piece is not too in depth, but at least there are a few insightful moments.
Final Thoughts
Here Today feels like it would be more at home being released in the late 1990s rather than 2021, but it serves as an entertaining enough throwback. The charm of the movie mostly comes from the chemistry of the two leads who elevate the occasionally clunky narrative beats. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a DVD that is solid enough for the format, but we are living in an HD age and you owe it to yourself to pick up the Blu-Ray if you are going to pick it up at all. If you are a huge fan of Billy Crystal, you already know his comedic style and should be pleased to see him in a major role again.
Here Today is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
