The Tree of Life (2011)

This is Terence Mallick's magnus opus in my opinion- and yes, I am aware of the fact that this is Malick I speak of, a man who has made some masterpieces. Tree of Life encompasses everything- from the search of purpose and meaning to the beginning and end of time itself. Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and the kids all are more than competent and would have jumped at the chance of working with a master. Beautifully shot as only Malick can(the camera flows so smoothly) and containing what I consider one of the most important sequences(beginning of time) ever put on film The Tree of Life is a work of art.

The most pretentious movie ever made. Seriously, what in the heck was the director thinking. The film is nearly two and a half hours long but hardly has even 15 minutes of content. I was laughing at the screen multiple times for all the wrong reasons. I feel bad for whoever paid money to watch this, let alone anyone who watched the entire film in one setting. It took me three days to finish it - almost a fourth but I powered on through with freeing up DVR space as a motivator.

I'm just short of hating this movie. It is way, way, way too long for what it is trying to do. I might have appreciated like a 30 minute short of this style, pace, tempo, etc, but I just couldn't get through it without feeling bitter about wasting my time.If you saw 2001: A Space Odyssey, and loved the psychedelic space baby nonsense at the end, and feel that 2001's biggest fault was that it wasn't almost *entirely nonsense*, then consider watching Tree of Life. I don't think there was a single still video shot in the entire movie. Panning, sliding, zooming, steadycam running. Every. Single. Edit. Probably 50% of the movie is close-up shots of Jessica Chastain in perfect Magic-Hour lighting with birds chirping in the breeze. Oh, and whispering. So much whispering.

It's really hard to give Tree of Life a grade on IMDb, because this movie defies convention. It asks you to (metaphorically) stand on your head to watch it. How can you compare it to other films, when most films, even if they don't have a three-act structure, have a forward-moving narrative. Tree of Life is a film for people who thought 2001: a Space Odyssey was a little too on-the-nose. It feels like, at times, it's trying to bewilder its audience or spite them. For large portions of the movie, any semblance of narrative structure is thrown out. If you want a film to challenge you, this is it. This film will challenge you like there ain't no tomorrow.Maybe you have to watch this film for some reason or another. Well, if you're struggling to maintain interest, let me give you some keys to getting a new understanding. First off, this is just my interpretation, but just go with it. First off, consider the main boy's relationship with his father, and compare it to his relationship with God. Another thing, notice how bacteria in the beginning branch out to form a "Tree of Life," and trees hang overhead for most of the movie. Consider the use of water as a metaphor. Ask if the film is advocating belief in God or rejecting it. Ask the meaning of the mother, of the father's trip, or death, or the street. As you consider the film in new light, you may feel new emotions, and that's probably ultimately the goal of the film.If movies bore you pretty easily, stay away from this one. But if you like films that challenge you and eschew logic, this may be the film for you.