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It’s easy to live our lives—and to plan out our days—as if we have endless amounts of time left to achieve our goals or to make up for mistakes. But in Here and Now (previously known as Blue Night), everything changes for one woman when she gets the news that her time could be limited.
Here and Now stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Vivienne, a popular singer from New York City who’s preparing for the release of a new album, a series of anniversary concerts, and a new tour. But then, one morning, she gets a troubling diagnosis that could bring everything to a screeching halt. And as she goes through a regular day of rehearsals and interviews and appearances, she starts to see everything—her life, her family, her career, and even the city around her—from a completely new perspective.
Here and Now follows Vivienne for the first 24 hours after being told that she could have just months to live instead of decades. Though she keeps quiet about the news and her fears, attempting to put a smile on her face and go through life as usual, the changes are obvious as she attempts to process the diagnosis and what it could mean.
But while the film makes some obvious points through conversations with Vivienne’s ex (Simon Baker) and a chance encounter with an old friend (Renée Zellweger), it doesn’t offer a strong narrative about the things that happen during the day and how they lead her to a major breakthrough. Instead, it has more of an art house feel, focusing on atmosphere and environment and emotion. It’s about the life on the bustling city streets around Vivienne as she races from one appointment to another; it’s about goals and achievements and disappointments; it’s about the relationships that have fallen between the cracks; it’s about observing the little things; and it’s about appreciating the people who are always there.
Throughout it all, viewers will feel the weight of the situation—not just the character’s fears of what’s to come but also the pain of what she’s missed and what she’s losing. The story itself may be hazy and meandering, but the melancholy tone is undeniable.
Here and Now isn’t the kind of movie that you relax with on a Friday night. It’s a heavy—and sometimes heartbreaking—film about the choices we make and the lives we create. It offers some moving moments—and some beautiful ones, too—but it all comes together in a package that’s less than memorable.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
