Here Today

This is more indulgent, and the more it goes on the more mawkish it unfortunately becomes. It's clearly a very personal project, but it just loses its way very badly.

A film with a big heart and more zingers than actual laughs.

A glossily disingenuous piece of work.

A very heavy and indigestible meal of emotional correctness.

Sure, there is a fair bit of whimsy and jarring dialogue, but Crystal is able to bring his usual self-deprecating style to an otherwise unoriginal story. Haddish is hugely likeable.

The handling is soggy and often tone-deaf, the kernel of mournful humanity the closest thing to a saving grace.

From a film perspective, it takes a master manipulator to make us feel genuine care and loss and sadly, Crystal is not even close to this level.

Crystal directs, co-writes, co-produces and stars in this well-intended yet strangely uneven dramedy.

Though "Here Today" starts off strong with a comedic lens, there are awkward tonal shifts and overly dramatic moments throughout that will likely leave audiences wondering if they're meant to be watching a comedy, drama, or something else.

Here Today struggles to convince when it kicks into a more emotional gear and, ultimately, the weighty issues overwhelm a film that seems more comfortable in a minor key.