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Friday, January 6, 2012

[7.75/10] The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

QuickRating: Poetic, exquisitely surreal, at times philosophical, but also heavily pretentious, Malick's bizarrely-captivating film, "The Tree of Life" is an incoherent mixture of the director's vision of birth of the universe, and a story about the domestic struggles of a 50s Texas family, that impresses with unusual directing choices, an outstanding performance by Brad Pitt, and a dazzling cinematography, featuring tons of mesmerizing cosmic shots, dreamy images, and stunning, beautifully-captured landscapes.


14 comments:

Unknown said...

I have been loath to watch this as I usually have to be in the mood for such a film. Otherwise, it totally turns me off no matter how beautiful it looks. I've been hearing a lot of "it's pretty, but what did I just watch" type of criticism so that makes me want to put it off even more. Terence Malick is a director that is very daunting to watch for me so yeah, I'm gonna wait and see for this. Vivid summation, though. I like your style, hon. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, you know what, I had this film on my computer since summer, and I wasn't sure if I want to see it, until yesterday, when I decided to give it a shot, regardless of my concerns, which were same as yours.
Some slow and tedious parts aside, I loved it! It's a visual storytelling at its best, and the entire cast is terrific. Check it out when you're in the right mood for it.

Thanks, hon! :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this one. I guess you like it or you really don't.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're in the right mood, you'll like it. I was and I did. :)

Maynard Morrissey said...

There are 2 voices in my head.

The first one tells me: Come on watch it, you know you want to. This could be interesting!

The Second one says: No, don't do it! You'll regret it!

What do you think? I mean, one of my Top 5 favorite movies of all time is "2001: A Space Odyssey", a slow but visually mindblowing masterpiece. I heard the same about "Tree Of Life"...

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maynard, I perfectly understand how you feel about this film. I've been feeling the same way since I have it on my pc. Saw it last night and didn't regret it. :)

Haven't seen "2001: A Space Odyssey" and I doubt I ever will, but it sounds as the same type of movie as TTOL, in terms of visual concept.

Maynard Morrissey said...

Hm, I guess I will give it a try then. Thanx, George!

Never seen 2001? Highly recommended. Wonderful movie!

farawayeyes said...

I've been pretty sure I wanted to see this one and you did nothing to dissuade me. I love visual storytelling. On the list.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

No, never. I'm familiar with it, but since I'm not very into old movies I don't think I'll give it a shot. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

farawayeyes, very few parts of this film I didn't like. As long as you love visual storytelling, the Tree of Life is the perfect movie for you. :)

✗✗ said...

I'm SOOOO glad you liked this film--actually glad that you decided to even watch it!! It is such a splendid film that is so captivating on various levels. But you are right, you have to be in the right mood. Nice review!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

I'm glad I decide to watch it too. :) I wasn't sure I could stand it, because I knew it would be a pretentious artsy film, but I ended up mesmerized by it by its beauty.

Lesya said...

We agree on that. Your quick review is my thoughts exactly.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Lesya, glad we share the same opinion about this one. I liked it a lot, but wasn't necessarily blown away by it.