With slowly-paced shots, the opening of “Here” sets the tone of the rest of the movie. A man, He Zhiyuan, suddenly snaps and strangles his wife. Then, he gets sent to Island Hospital where they specialize in a form of therapy called ‘videocure’. With multiple post-modern pokes at filmmaking, the film is a pseudo-documentary that slowly wears out its welcome because we are treated to more and more patients and less and less story points.

Excelling in the areas of mood, visuals and sounds of the medium, “Here” has many threads of subject matter. Hints of a social satire and humour about the craft of filmmaking were not developed and taken advantaged of. Characters are more like symbols or representations of something the movie is trying to say.

Despite scant hints of a love interest in fellow patient, Beatrice, “Here” is like its main character: elliptical and at times frustratingly emotionless. The film, however, fares slightly better than Zhiyuan’s speech impediment. “Here” has many things to say but why does it have to whisper?

Rating: 5/10