Formula can be a dirty word in the film industry, being thrown around all over the place whenever any project comes out that has even the slightest bit of a repeated plot. Yet, even for films that are truly following a formula, if the people behind and in front of the camera are bringing their A game, it doesn’t matter how formulaic a film is, it can still be a blast.
Such is the case with “Finch,” a post-apocalyptic drama film starring Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump,” “Captain Phillips”) as robotics engineer Finch Weinberg who builds a humanoid robot named Jeff, motion captured and voiced by Caleby Landry Jones (“Get Out,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), to take care of his dog in the post-apocalyptic world after he passes away. With a small cast and very pointed emotional moments, “Finch” is treading some well worn ground before with an incredibly focused perspective. This is not a film about the fate of humanity or trying to save the world, rather it is firmly about Finch and Jeff and their relationship as it evolves throughout the film.
Hanks continues to prove why he’s one of the best actors the industry has ever seen. Even with material as well worn as this, he’s giving it his all, delivering some tough emotions and genuine hurt and care throughout this road trip adventure. There are numerous moments that seem tailor made to make you cry, and Hanks nails all of them, bringing an honesty to the film that helps ground it all. Landry Jones is also pulling some impressive vocal work here as well, embracing the oddball nature that marked so many of his in-person roles. His motion capture work brings an unmistakable physicality to Jeff that helps to sell his realism. It helps that the effects on Jeff are jaw-droppingly impressive, blurring the line between the puppeteered moments and the digitally created ones.
For a film based almost entirely around a humanoid robot, those effects are crucial to sell everything, especially if they’re meant to be as emotionally wrought as they are here. It’s impossible to tell what’s digitally created and what isn’t, or if there even was any physical puppetry at all in the film. It’s so ridiculously impressive, watching Jeff interact with the world and seeing how lifelike and realistic the closeups on his fingers and face are. It’s the kind of effect that makes you sit back and go “wow” and easily the most impressive looking digital creature since Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” or Ceaser from the prequel “Planet of the Apes” trilogy.
Director Miguel Sapochnik (“Repo Men,” “Game of Thrones”) and writers Craig Luck and Ivor Powell (“Blade Runner,” “Alien”) have crafted a small, quiet movie that smartly focuses on the relationship between Finch and Jeff. It's not a bold statement to say that there’s a father and son quality to their relationship, and watching Finch reveal more about himself and the world to Jeff, who embraces everything with a wide-eyed (or wide-lensed) glee is genuinely heartwarming.
It’s playing with some tried and true stuff, but there’s a reason it’s tried and true. When executed well, which it is here, it creates some moments of genuine heartbreak and emotion. A lot of time is spent establishing who Finch and Jeff are by allowing the pair to bounce off of each other. It’s a fabulous dynamic with some amazing chemistry between Hanks and Landry Jones. It’s the kind of movie that just makes you sit back and smile because, no matter the plot, you feel like you got to know two characters by the end of it.
And that’s all there really is to say, honestly. “Finch” is a quiet, emotional movie tampered with some excellent performances and effects. The direction is unobtrusive, the script is serviceable, and the events are nothing new. But it’s all just a showpiece for two remarkably charming characters that you want to spend more and more time with as the film progresses. Can you really ask for more than that? 4/5
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