Movie The Tree of Life

[callas]

terrence malick's new movie. saw it yesterday and thought it quite baffling to say the least. Hardly any dialogue spoken throughout the two and a half hours and lacking any narrative throughout. Cinematography was excellent though and the 20 minute birth of the universe sequence (including dinosaurs !!) was very well done. See it for this alone and let the rest wash over you but dont expect any clear cut answers at the end though.

 

[Big Wilbur]

terrence malick's new movie. saw it yesterday and thought it quite baffling to say the least. Hardly any dialogue spoken throughout the two and a half hours and lacking any narrative throughout. Cinematography was excellent though and the 20 minute birth of the universe sequence (including dinosaurs !!) was very well done. See it for this alone and let the rest wash over you but dont expect any clear cut answers at the end though.

The Herald Sun's Leigh Paatch gave it 5 stars so i'm going to see it. He did warn however that you will walk out of the cinema either declaring it to be perhaps your greatest cinematic experience...or asking WTF was that?

I'm optimistic as my taste in movies tends to be in tune with Leigh's.

 

[RisingPhoenix]

First let me say this...

I love the cinematography of Malick's movies.....would go as far as to say I dont think there has ever been a director, including Kubrick, who has ever put as beautiful imagery on film as Terence Malick did with Days of Heaven.

I dont need a film to provide me with a resolution or an explanation of what it 'meant'. In fact, without exception, I prefer it when it doesnt.

I also dont need a film to have a conventional beginning/middle/end, three part narrative.

Just please, please, spare me the over used, heavy handed, wanky, existential bullshit 'narration'.

 

[callas]

if you like malick's work then you will love this movie and indeed probably declare it as a great cinematic experience. i walked out of it thinking what the hell just happened but hey after a day of viewing its still stuck in my head. Best to see it on the big screen though to take in all of the visuals.

 

[Hamon]

Recently i have watched it's trailer, that was really interesting.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Malik's 'The Thin Red Line' is one of the greatest films i have seen so i have high hopes i will be impressed with his new film.

 

[bucksisbest]

I love Malick films, 'The Thin Red line' is a masterpiece. I knew what I was in for with the 'Tree of Life', and I think it is the best film I've ever seen, or at least the most powerful.
Many I understand have walked out early or found it utterly confusing or and/or pretentious. One woman who was at the screening Thursday was loudly exclaiming after the film that she thought she was going to see a french film and it lost her within the first 5 minutes.

 

[djrossie16]

At the end of this movie today a woman sitting next to me exclaimed loudly "thank god it's over"

OP is right see it for that 20 minutes and also I thought the middle part of the movie was strong, when the kids are growing up (although that got a bit old)

All in all i'd give it 4/10 it was just not compelling enough. It was incredibly pretentious. Apart from the cinematography it didn't have much going for it.

I think i've lost a lillte bit of respect for Leigh Paatch. There is no was that movie deserved 5 stars.

The voice overs in Malicks movies usually don't annoy me but in this movie they annoyed me incredibly. Also the ending was boring.

 

[RisingPhoenix]

[YOUTUBE]1WvuJwMFPz4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[RisingPhoenix]

At the end of this movie today a woman sitting next to me exclaimed loudly "thank god it's over"

OP is right see it for that 20 minutes and also I thought the middle part of the movie was strong, when the kids are growing up (although that got a bit old)

All in all i'd give it 4/10 it was just not compelling enough. It was incredibly pretentious. Apart from the cinematography it didn't have much going for it.

I think i've lost a lillte bit of respect for Leigh Paatch. There is no was that movie deserved 5 stars.

The voice overs in Malicks movies usually don't annoy me but in this movie they annoyed me incredibly. Also the ending was boring.

Certainly didnt deserve the Palm D'or then?

 

[red+black]

Was keen on this, but left the cinema disappointed. What was the point of the dinosaurs, volcanos, celestial crap? And for so long? It was mind-numbing and overly long.

In summary, even if you're curious, don't be. Just leave it alone.

 

[djrossie16]

Certainly didnt deserve the Palm D'or then?

I agree, but then again awards are somewhat irrelevant to me.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-tree-of-life-20110701-1guk1.html

Jim Schembri doing what he does best.

Do they still hand out the black dog i've stopped reading the Age and EG for a while now?

 

[Big Wilbur]

At the end of this movie today a woman sitting next to me exclaimed loudly "thank god it's over"

OP is right see it for that 20 minutes and also I thought the middle part of the movie was strong, when the kids are growing up (although that got a bit old)

All in all i'd give it 4/10 it was just not compelling enough. It was incredibly pretentious. Apart from the cinematography it didn't have much going for it.

I think i've lost a lillte bit of respect for Leigh Paatch. There is no was that movie deserved 5 stars.

The voice overs in Malicks movies usually don't annoy me but in this movie they annoyed me incredibly. Also the ending was boring.

Clearly it is the sort of film that is going to divide opinion, which Paatch predicted. I tend to think he awarded it 5 stars, not because of how he rated it as a film but more for the impact it had on him and how it remained in his head for days to come.....if that makes any sense It obviously had a profound effect on Paatch.

 

[djrossie16]

Clearly it is the sort of film that is going to divide opinion, which Paatch predicted. I tend to think he awarded it 5 stars, not because of how he rated it as a film but more for the impact it had on him and how it remained in his head for days to come.....if that makes any sense It obviously had a profound effect on Paatch.

No doubt I should have chosen my words more carefullly 'losing respect' is too strong. I just saw the movie yesterday and was incredibly underwhelmed by it. I've liked other Malick movies much more.

I had a similar sort of reaction to David Stratton giving the film Bright Star 5 stars.

 

[djrossie16]

David gives it 3 stars prety much summed up my thoughts about the film's unquestionable vision, unorthodox narrative and the incohesive way Sean Penn is integrated into the film.

For him (like me) a previous enjoyer of Malick's work the execution wasn't there with this film.

Margeret surprise surprise drumroll please 5 stars

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

An amazing film. I thought it was a masterpiece.

The film's subject matter was the nature of life; the visuals in the middle sequence charting evolution were spell binding.

How anyone could walk out after that and not be contemplating their very existence astounds me.

 

[djrossie16]

An amazing film. I thought it was a masterpiece.

The film's subject matter was the nature of life; the visuals in the middle sequence charting evolution were spell binding.

How anyone could walk out after that and not be contemplating their very existence astounds me.

Is this a joke?

Seriously the last episode of Lost was better than this movie.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Is this a joke?

Absolutely not.

It was obviously a very personal film. Something about it clicked with me that didnt with other people. This is obviously why its either loved or hated; little in between.

Come on...using the evolution of life as a backdrop to one man's death didnt provoke any type of contemplation in you?

 

[djrossie16]

Absolutely not.

It was obviously a very personal film. Something about it clicked with me that didnt with other people. This is obviously why its either loved or hated; little in between.

Come on...using the evolution of life as a backdrop to one man's death didnt provoke any type of contemplation in you?

I don't think every person (as you put it) needs a film like that to evoke any contemplation. Without sounding arrogant I contemplate a lot of the things that were put to the screen in regards to the origins of life and the afterlife ect. I could see exactly what was trying to be achieved. It just seemed really pretentious, disconnected and apart from a strong beginning to middle part around when the children were babies to growing up the film just became boring and ended disappointingly.

The visuals were spectacular, Jessica Chastain was wonderful but half a decent movie doesn't make a masterpiece.

I was prepared to rate this film highly half way through but it just fell away in the latter half. I heard that Malick was meant to release this movie much earlier and maybe he over edited it.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

I don't think every person (as you put it) needs a film like that to evoke any contemplation. Without sounding arrogant I contemplate a lot of the things that were put to the screen in regards to the origins of life and the afterlife ect. I could see exactly what was trying to be achieved.

As do I. Maybe it just caught me on a good day. Or maybe I still had Transformers 3 infested in my veins.

I thought it was ballsy a filmaker could take on subject matter so large and with such disregard for those who call it pretentious. The dinosaur scene was almost him saying "**** you thing that was pretentious, how bout I throw in a dinosaur scene".

 

[djrossie16]

As do I. Maybe it just caught me on a good day. Or maybe I still had Transformers 3 infested in my veins.

I thought it was ballsy a filmaker could take on subject matter so large and with such disregard for those who call it pretentious. The dinosaur scene was almost him saying "**** you thing that was pretentious, how bout I throw in a dinosaur scene".

That's a good point.

Considering I had just seen Ran by Akira Kurosawa I maybe had the opposite effect.

I may actually like the Tree of Life one day

I also retract my comparing it to the lost finale. Dick move!

 

[kid_a]

First let me say this...

I love the cinematography of Malick's movies.....would go as far as to say I dont think there has ever been a director, including Kubrick, who has ever put as beautiful imagery on film as Terence Malick did with Days of Heaven.

I dont need a film to provide me with a resolution or an explanation of what it 'meant'. In fact, without exception, I prefer it when it doesnt.

I also dont need a film to have a conventional beginning/middle/end, three part narrative.

Just please, please, spare me the over used, heavy handed, wanky, existential bullshit 'narration'.

bing!!! we have a winner, i completely agree.

IMO the film looked and sounded fantastic but was very taxing at times and the narration eventually drives you mental