Brad Pitt and Sean Penn star in Terrence Malick's 1950s adventure about a confused man named Jack, who sets off on a journey to understand the true nature of the world. Growing up in the Midwest with two brothers, Jack has always been torn between his mother's guidance to approach everything he encounters with an open heart and his father's advice to look after his own interests. Now, Jack must find a way to regain purpose and perspective.
The Tree of Life is a film that should have been easy to fall in love with. One part hardcore family drama and the other filled with beautiful shots of the universe and how it evolved into what it has become. Individually, both were stellar to watch, but when combined, you feel a bit lost at what you’re watching. They both showcase similar themes, but the giant scale the film jumps feels too big a gap to feel like a natural flow. If handled a little better, it might have been the masterpiece some have touted it to be.
The O’Brien family is where the film spends its focus upon, specifically from the point of view of the eldest son Jack. We witness how a child can be formed through rules and punishment and through love and kindness. The latter given a lot less attention. The sons live in fear and hatred of their father. He is a man of discipline. Brad Pitt turns in a dynamite performance. He can flip a switch and go from gentle to disastrous in a second.
The relationship he shares with his son feels like the real deal of one that was considered “normal” back in the 1950s. The mother, given little screen time compared to the father, is supposed to represent the soft spoken portion of the boys lives, but feels to have far less of an impact on their lives than their father. I want to say it’s an entertaining watch just to see this family interact with one another, but that wouldn’t be the right word. It’s slow, quiet, and sometimes boring, but you cannot help but keep your eyes focused upon them; almost as if it has you in a trance. It all seems lost toward its finale though, as it passes on multiple spots to end it and eventually overlies its stay.
When we jump away from the family we are taken to shots of the universe and how it can to be in existence. Are these scenes beautiful? Yes. Would I want to watch them again? No. I found myself wanting to get back to the family because it was easier to follow and contained a flow that seemed be much smoother than these portions of the film. If I wanted to watch great shots of the universe I’d go to actual science documentaries for that. These sections nearly ruined what was a great film otherwise. I don’t mind artsy material, but Malick seemed to get lost in himself a bit and went overboard.
It may seem as if I didn’t enjoy The Tree of Life, but I really did, just it seemed to be a tale of two stories. On one hand this could be easy to recommend to someone, but on the other, I know for a fact the dialogue free shots of the universe will instantly turn away most of its viewers that are not die hard film fans. So despite its score, I am telling you to pass on this film. It most likely isn’t in your area of comfort. That may be the only time you ever hear me say that, but it remains to be true.
Overall Score: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment