Sunday, July 3, 2011

MOVIE REVIEW ... THE TREE OF LIFE

 

Mise en page 1While comparing someone to others is sometimes good, occasionally is can be a dis-service.  Take the latest directorial effort from Terence Malick for example who has taken his time in making films – he’s only made five in the last thirty years. His latest has been compared to the works of Stanley Kubrick most specifically Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is an unfair and lazy comparison.  The Tree of Life may share its same visual style, but it has a stronger story-telling flair setting Malick apart from others.

Jack (Sean Penn) is the eldest son of the O’Brien family.  Living in 1950’s Texas, his family is ruled over by his father (Brad Pitt) and mother (Jessica Chastain).  Often having a strained relationship with his father, Jack goes through life searching for meaning to his existence forging a future where he lives by his rules and not others.

The Tree of Life can best be summed up as an ‘experience’.   Whilst there isn’t much in terms of plot, it attempts to explore the mechanics of life via some extraordinary visions.  Not just with humans but also the plant and animal kingdom which co-exist on earth and have their own rituals and frailties.  In this context the small drama of an ‘ordinary’ family in suburbia is played out and through them we see every emotion life forces us to convey.

Pitt and Chastain are superb as parents attempting to project their own personal outlooks onto their children.  Pitt especially has grown to be a fine actor willing to take on challenging roles with skill.  Whilst certain aspects don’t make much sense and seem somewhat self-indulgent, it’s certainly a refreshing change from the banal product a majority of theatres show. It’s a brave film-maker these days asking viewers to engage with what they’re seeing and kudos to Malick for allowing them to create their own interpretation of events.

One could almost call it a work of art and The Tree of Life certainly engages.  Filled with Malick’s unique observational style, this study of all forms of life makes one hope he doesn’t take too long to produce another quality production.

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Movie Review Rating  7 : 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

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