Every Time We Say Goodbye

Starring: Tom Hanks, Cristina Marsillach, Benedict Taylor, Anat Atzmon
Directed by: Moshe Mizrahi
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: An American pilot (Tom Hanks) recovering from a war injury in Jerusalem falls in love with a woman (Cristina Marsillach) whose family does not condone their relationship.

Review:

Tim: As a huge Tom Hanks fan, I always enjoy seeing his early work. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a fairly forgettable film (I'd forgotten almost all of it after the first time I watched it). It's also fairly dull. It's not bad enough to be terrible, but there's certainly not a lot to like here. It's a movie that is better left on the shelf, a forgotten film.

The story is fine, but it's a little melodramatic. I did enjoy the look at different cultures clashing, especially when a romantic relationship is involved. Here, the biggest contrast is between the Western cultures (both American and British are depicted) and the Jewish culture in Jerusalem. The different cultures is what creates most of the drama in the film and is one of the more interesting aspects of it. If you're searching for a reason besides Hanks to see this film, that is likely your best bet.

As far as Tom Hanks, it's great fun to see him in this early role. His acting is still so raw and undeveloped. He's not bad in the role (I love when he yells, and he gets to yell several times in this film), but this isn't a performance I bet he ranks too highly. There may be some flashes of his future brilliance, but honestly, there's not a ton. While he is the most compelling actor in the cast, he seems to be giving a B or C level performance (the rest of the production seems to have brought him down to its level). It's fun seeing Hanks a bit uncomfortable and not yet sure of himself. Again, even without giving a great performance, he's the best part of the movie. Cristinia Marsillach was fine as his love interest. She had a few strong moments but will likely never wow anyone with her performance.

One of the most damning flaws with the movie is that it just feels slightly better than a made-for-television film. The budget couldn't have been much at all- the film doesn't have enough scale or scope. It feels like a small melodramatic romance that you might see on a cable channel on a Saturday morning. It's not actually quite that bad- the movie was made with some care and concern, without a doubt. It's just the impression the movie gives from its miniscule budget. It's really no surprise that the film did poorly at the box office.

I did want to mention that I thought the title was an odd one for a film- it's not memorable and it's a bit of a mouthful. I did not care for it. That being said, I kind of like where the title came from. There's a scene where Hanks says a variation of this line- something like, "Every time we see each other, it's just to say goodbye." He delivers it well and it made me warm up slightly to the title. One other interesting note- this is one of the few movies ever made where the Ladino language is spoken on screen. Apparently, that is exceptionally rare. It doesn't mean anything, but there is your interesting fact of the day.

I liked seeing Hanks in this early career role, but Every Time We Say Goodbye is a very forgettable film. It's not bad, but it's far too dull. I forgot most of the movie after the first time I saw it, and will likely soon forget it again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Splash