You only need to have seen a few Hollywood movies in your life to guess right off the bat where Finch is heading. This ambitious production, scheduled for a theatrical release last year (the Universal studio sold the rights to Apple TV + during the pandemic), is indeed modeled on all those featuring a dog, a robot or… Tom Hanks .
Obviously intended more for a family audience, Finch, whose title evokes the first name of the only human protagonist in this story, draws on all the dramatic springs expected to try to draw the viewer’s tears, willingly or by force. On this level, the musical framework (signed Gustavo Santaolalla) is unbearably insistent and syrupy. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who mostly made his mark on TV (Game Of Thrones) since the release of the feature film Repo Men in 2010, and including Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away) among the team of executive producers, this sci-fi drama is dripping everywhere.
That said, the dog, called Goodyear, is adorable. Obviously, Tom Hanks is endearing. The veteran even manages to do well in a story where the slightest development is telegraphed in advance. And the robot, who christened himself Jeff, is lucky enough to benefit from the talent of Caleb Landry Jones. The young actor, winner this year of the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival thanks to his performance in Nitram (Justin Kurzel), knew how to give a real personality to the creature, without forcing the line too much. The two actors thus raise the quality of a film which otherwise would not have reached the passing mark.
On Apple TV +.
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Sci-fi drama
Finch
Miguel Sapochnik
With Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones, Lora Martinez-Cunningham
1 h 55