Run away with me

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The Tree of Life

I became particularly curious about Terrence Malick's new film, The Tree of Life, when it was booed at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It has a solid cast of actors, and the trailer seemed pretty straightforward, so I didn't understand what made it boo-worthy. I had heard that a few dinosaurs passed through one of the scenes (which didn't quite seem to fit into the plot of a family grieving for the untimely loss of their son), so I thought that might be one of the clues. And if I hadn't been prepared for them, I would have definitely broken into a fit of giggles when they appeared during the 'birth of a planet' sequence. No doubt, The Tree of Life is visually lush and a treat for those of us who like to stop and smell the roses. In fact, I particularly enjoyed the 'birth of a planet' sequence, despite the goofy dinosaurs, and found the main body of the movie to contain many beautiful and poignant life moments. I even indulged in a chuckle or two. But ultimately I found the movie disappointing.

Despite its weightiness, The Tree of Life failed to pull me in and engage my sympathy for the characters. I did not walk out questioning our place in this world and the meaning of existence, and I had really wanted to. I was hoping to walk out feeling like I did after Sean Penn's Into the Wild which left me in an existential quandry for days. The Tree of Life has all the elements to do the same, yet it doesn't. The intro is lumbering and confusing so instead of engaging the viewer, it leaves you asking 'huh'? Two people actually walked out of the theatre during the intro. Apparently they felt they got their $20 worth in the first half hour.

The 'birth of a planet' sequence is quite gorgeous, and for people like me who retain information better through visual explanations, it really brought to life, well, the beginning of life. The middle of the film is an enjoyable 'coming of age' story. It's a bit drawn out and contains several images which lose their poignancy due to repetition, but it's still a pleasure to watch. Unfortunately once that story line ends, the film goes back to the same confusing structure of the intro - shifting between past and present, throwing in images of random landscapes and cliché ladders reaching into the sky. It's almost as if this film is a music video, a science documentary and a coming of age movie rolled into 138 minutes.

The Tree of Life would be much more impactful if a little more time had been spent in the editing room. The intro sequence is completely unnecessary and detracts from engaging the viewer because it is so confusing. And the concluding sequence can be thrown out the window along with it. I give this film props for effort, but won't be adding it to my 'must own' list.

Image by kittenpants. Do not use without permission, please.