I'm Not Here (2017) Reviews

• We've all been here.

  garypihl2018-01-12

  As a mature adult male, I saw so many parallels to my own life/loves/mistakes/regrets that it was hard to watch at some points. But isn't that what good films can do? Take you so deep into the character (J.K.Simmons is great!) that you feel their pain. A must see for anyone who's ever made a mistake in their life and felt alone.

• bravura Mr. Simmons

  ferguson-62019-03-07

  Greetings again from the darkness. So many are haunted by the past - unable to move beyond either having been dealt a bad hand or having created one through their own actions. The film opens on a gaunt Steve (JK Simmons), alone in his apartment, and seemingly barely functioning. He is contemplating suicide with a shiny gun he keeps on a coffee table in a home as unkempt as himself. His only breaks are to frantically search the house for another bottle of vodka, or to listen to a phone message that kicks off yet another painful memory. The film features three timelines for Steve: the despondent, suicidal elder; the twenties and thirties version (Sebastian Stan); and the 1960's childhood Stevie (Iain Armitage, "Young Sheldon"). Those young years for Stevie recall his always-annoyed mom (Mandy Moore) and his fun-loving dad (Max Greenfield), while the young adult years show us his romance and marriage with Karen (Maika Monroe). It's not long before we recognize the common thread that binds the timelines: alcoholism. First his dad's, then his own. Our memories tend to return in moments and flashes of events. This becomes more evident and the memories less reliable when years of alcohol abuse are in play. The flashes include the courtroom and judge of his parents' divorce, his dad drinking, his own courting of Karen and the booze that accompanied it, the dissolution of his own marriage, and an unspeakable tragedy that ruined his life without taking it ... something he is looking to remedy with that gun. JK Simmons is remarkable here. His Steve is mired in loneliness, depression, guilt, and regrets - each amplified through booze. Simmons' performance offers up not a single line of dialogue. He never leaves the apartment. He never has human interaction. Yet despite all of this, he never leaves our thoughts as he pinballs through his memories. Mr. Stan and Ms. Monroe provide the most telling scene outside of Simmons' segments. Notice the difference in demeanor as he tells her he heard the shot when his dad killed himself vs how she states her mother died from cancer. This is the contrast of moving on no matter what life serves up, or being burdened with that weight forever. The film was directed by Mr. Simmons' wife Michelle Schumacher, and she co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Cummings (son of Emmy winning actor Robert Cummings). Mr. Cummings also appears as the judge in the divorce hearing. The film was originally shown in 2017, but is only now getting released. For fans of JK Simmons, it's a must see.

• Excellent

  mikkiparker2019-03-08

  Excellent story showing struggles of an old drunk man who fights his addiction all his life, slowly ruining it till he's left alone. The storyline is short and filled with really touching moments. Definitely recommend.

• a headsmasher of bad conscience

  ops-525352019-03-09

  J.k.simons are the old man in this pretty heartbreaking, and spiritual filmmaking, and doing that without uttering one word through the whole film. its kind of final countdown ,and an alltime high on reminiscence with flashback that every elderly person goes through without remorse either the memories are good or bad,they will always turn up. the flashback of childhood and young adulthood are the real booster of this drama, and the acting are great all over the castline,but especially the childactors are good. the settings and timewise production design make everything believable. the score are just a sound in the background,but when the feature songs comes it is so darn perfect..the filmography are great, and the changing between light and dark, at times nearly black to colour are brilliantly done. slowpaced yes, but try to unwrap yourself from it , thats a difficult task... the grumpy old man,who are experiencing similar experiences of life like the main character, does recommend this, and with 8 to 10 stars awarded

• A motion picture study of the affects of alcoholism

  frackann19872019-03-10

  I'm Not Here is a movie that follows the lead character Steve throughout three time periods of his life in a journey through the affects that alcoholism has on a family and the alcoholic. JK Simmons plays the older version of Steve and gives a fantastic performance of an aging alcoholic without saying a single word in the entire movie. But his performance is also part of the movie's weaknesses. Too much time is spent of his older years where Sebastian Stan as a younger adult version and Ian Armitage as the child version of Steve carry the film. Seeing their interactions with his parents and later his wife and child carry the emotional weight of the film. It could have easily been a great picture if more was focused on those time periods. As the picture is, it still is a good film that makes you think of your choices throughout life.