Finch (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Written by: Craig Luck, Ivor Powell
Starring: Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones, Samira Wiley, Laura Harrier, Skeet Ulrich
Runtime: 115 min
Synopsis: Tom Hanks is Finch, a man who embarks on a moving and powerful journey to find a new home for his unlikely family - his beloved dog and a newly created robot - in a dangerous and ravaged world.
When people think about films with robots, massive action blockbusters like Transformers or Pacific Rim come to mind. Ex Machina, Alita: Battle Angel, and a few others may also fit the description if we extend the definition of robots to hybrid humanoids of some sort. However, if you scale it down to a more simplistic, even personal level, it seems that cinema lacks a compelling narrative in this area. Yes, I'm ignoring Chappie. Don't let the visually similar robot mislead you into believing Finch will be another huge disappointment because it's actually quite a moving story.
Without seeing the trailer and looking at the director's name, audiences might expect incredible action sequences since Miguel Sapochnik directed some of the best battles in Game of Thrones. Fortunately, both the premise and the main trailer clarify that this movie focuses on more profound themes. In an admittedly generic, unimaginative post-apocalyptic world, Tom Hanks (Greyhound) interprets Finch, one of the few survivors to a solar flare that wiped out most of Earth's living things. A man who finds companionship in a cute dog named Goodyear and in a robot created by himself, Jeff.
The core of Craig Luck and Ivor Powell's screenplay is the emotionally powerful personal journey that Finch and his team go through. From the importance of friendship and human connection to the perseverance of love and life, Sapochnik travels through America in a slow yet rich manner. As a person who absolutely loves dogs more than the ordinary human, I couldn't help but deeply connect to Finch's relationship with his dog. In a world where kindness and loyalty are nowhere to be found, Goodyear proves to be more trustworthy than everyone else.
Nevertheless, all three characters boast loving personalities, and the evolution of each friendship is something quite entertaining to behold. Jeff is a surprise across the board. I didn't expect it to be such a hilarious robot, and Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out) offers a perfect voice performance. Finch's interactions with Jeff are incredibly captivating. Learning the basics of survival and everyday tasks is fun and all, but it's the stories told by a phenomenal Hanks that steal the spotlight. Some might look at the "once upon a time" tales as lazy exposition, but I didn't find their origin to be forced at all.
The actor has that iconic ability to grab the viewer's attention as soon as he begins to talk, and Sapochnik employs long, unbroken takes to let Hanks take the audience on an imaginary ride through his past. The sumptuous cinematography from Jo Willems (His House) offers some of the simplest yet most beautiful shots of the year. Obviously, the robot looks astonishingly realistic, although this type of VFX has been around for a while. However, that doesn't detract from the fact that it's still impressive work from the artists involved in bringing the robot to life, especially when Jeff interacts with Goodyear and Finch.
In the end, it's actually Gustavo Santaolalla's memorable score that conquers my heart. The composer might be recently known for his work in video games such as The Last of Us, but Santaolalla already won an Academy Award for Best Score with Brokeback Mountain and Babel. In this film, the music elevates almost every single scene, making the emotions rise to the viewers' skin and eyes. It's simply one of those scores that transform an already beautiful-looking movie into an even more pleasant viewing experience.
Final Thoughts
Finch is far from being the most impressive, imaginative post-apocalyptic, survival film, but it's still a captivating, character-driven story that boasts an emotionally resonant, meaningful personal journey. Tom Hanks proves to still be in shape by delivering a genuine performance as a man who teaches and learns about companionship, human bonding, and perseverance of love and life. Focusing on the relationships between Finch, the adorable dog, and the witty robot (excellently voiced by Caleb Landry Jones), Miguel Sapochnik takes good advantage of stunning cinematography, exceptional VFX, and one of the year's best scores to elevate an otherwise generic, somewhat slow movie. Despite some world-building elements being foreshadowed and not receiving a satisfactory outcome, I still highly recommend watching this subversive take on the world's ending.
