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Here we have a movie that didn't do well at all in the box office, to some surprise considering the triple team-up of Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Robert Zemeckis. This was the trio who brought us the wonderful 'Forest Gump,' which has gone down in cinematic history as one of the "greats" of the 90s. So when I read almost nothing but bad about it, my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to see what the big problem was. After watching it, I think the biggest problems with it are... hard to narrow down because there's so many.

To begin with, get ready for some confusion, as this movie consists of a bunch of stories through the course of time, piled together, consisting of several different people and families. So right away I was sort of thrown off, thinking characters Richard (Hanks) and Margaret (Wright) were going to be the only focus, not just the main focus. And as these stories are told completely out of order, one kinda has to pay close attention to the setting within the house to figure out when they are in the timeline.

If the timeline isn't convoluted enough, two or three separate times might show themselves in a single scene. These scenes transition, fading in and out by using bits and pieces of the screen at a time. For example while a scene is changing, one square on the screen may focus on a lamp that completely changes while the rest stays the same, then again with a chair, again with the wallpaper, and it keeps going like that. Eventually it will all dissolve into the next scene. With that, I'd almost say luckily, it's all shot from one, steady perspective.

The film is essentially an art project in which the filmmakers set up a single camera, and see how time in that particular spot changes over time. It even starts in the age of the dinosaurs, and carries through to the Lenni-Lenape people, and eventually part of the estate of William Franklin (Daniel Betts), son to Benjamin Franklin (Keith Bartlett). This bit of info, along with eventual tenants, Lee (David Fynn) and Stella Beekman (Ophelia Lovibond) do feel like a bit of a shark-jump, being that Lee Beekman eventually invents the La-Z-Boy recliner as well (credit to Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch for that one)

We also get a story taking place in what is presumably around World War I, when the house's first tenants, John (Gwilym Lee) and Pauline Harter (Michelle Dockery) move in. We follow these families as they face their lives together, whether they lead to positive outcomes or not. But the main focus here is the Young family, which is where Richard and Margaret come into the picture, and much of it is about watching Richard grow up, and eventually age, all within the same spot. To be very simple about the film, it's the movie adaptation of the phrase "if these walls could talk."

I can admit that I do like this concept quite a bit. It's done artfully, and it's actually kind of interesting to think about how much a single spot can experience over time. This one's for those who love to walk into a room, and then talk about all the memories had within that room. However, even though the film is done with a lot of heart, it's hard not to see how forced a lot of the emotion is here. Tragedy befalls every family, I know, but there really does seem to be a certain focus on it here, and I wouldn't suggest there's just as many happy moments either. There's a lot of vary purposeful tugs on the heartstrings here.

Having said that, I can at least give the film credit for trying something new and different. But it does give me 'Tree of Life' vibes, in that while the cinematography is beautifully done (if a little confusing at times), things get convoluted, and in some ways, I might personally consider it almost too artsy for my taste. There's definitely a certain beauty to this movie that some people will find and enjoy, but if you're looking for a Zemeckis movie comparable to 'Forest Gump,' unfortunately, you won't find it here.

2/5

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