“Hamnet” tests tear ducts and patience

“Keep your heart open.” This is the request made of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley) — or, as she’s more commonly known, Anne Hathaway — in Chloé Zhao’s latest film, “Hamnet.” But in the case of this maudlin, overwrought drama, “keep your eyes open” would be a more fitting demand. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel of the same name, “Hamnet” spends all 126 of its protracted minutes mistaking tranquility for tension, meandering through the forest and its narrative at such a languid pace that it starts to feel like the film’s emotional resonance is playing hide-and-seek among the trees. Occasionally, a long-lost sense of gravity will emerge for a sweeping moment of gravitas. But this is merely a quick sucker punch to the gut, a cheap shot to draw as many tears from