Monday, February 13, 2012

THE TREE OF LIFE (B+)

Bottom Line: Before we get started please know that very few people will actually enjoy this movie…or, for that matter, make it through to the end – understandably, because it’s a pretty whacked out piece of cinema and, for most (the 99%) would make for a frustrating sit. That being said, this cosmically breathtaking, spiritually guided, hauntingly majestic, as well as narratively scattershot and pretentiously distant cinematic examination of grace vs. nature and the meaning of life had me fairly riveted. The scope is immense, the imagery magnificent and the message – yeah, I’m not even really sure what the answer to that one is… For me, the rewatchability factor for this lies in direct contrast to a movie like, say, THE MUPPETS - but if you’re up to the challenge of watching a bold, mesmerizing, symbolic, self-absorbed, inert, abstract, showy, disjointed and meandering piece of pure art – then branch out and give THE TREE OF LIFE a go. You have been warned.


Starring: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn
Directed by: Terrence Mallick
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 138 minutes
Story: The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick's signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Trailer: www.foxsearchlight.com/thetreeoflife/  

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