Veteran comedy writer Charlie Burnz (Billy Crystal) meets singer Emma Payge (Tiffany Haddish) when she attends an auction prize to have a lunch date with him. The resulting friendship is the conduit to which we get to see Charlie’s past and future. 

Here Today is a charming and old fashioned slice of life. Co-written, directed and starring Billy Crystal it feels like a very personal story. Initially I thought the film was going to be about an ageing comedy writer ousted from the “Saturday Night Live” TV show that he works on. Then I thought it was going to be about how Payge might be a grifter preying on an older man. In fact it is about a man diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of dementia forming a friendship that helps him face the past he regrets in order to face the short future he has left. 

It is the sort of film Crystal might have made in the 1990’s. Something that seems knowingly referred to in the way the younger writers in the comedy room consider him old fashioned. He clearly knows the comedy writing room inside out and this facet of the story felt fantastic. Crystal has always been fantastic as the world weary put upon funny man. I remember watching City Slickers with great joy as a young boy on the television many times and it was fun to see him back on form. 

Crystal has great rapport with Haddish and whilst her character does not have much to do they both generate a lot of laughs. There are also some really interesting point of view flashbacks to when he met his wife played by Louisa Krause. 

There are of course flaws. It has some really clunky dramatic moments and a race to the finish ending that feels completely unearned. But whilst it is focusing on gentle feel good comedy it works. 

Perhaps not an essential watch and one that may not stick long in the memory. But it is enjoyable and a reminder of just how good Crystal is as a comedian.