You will love it. Or hate it. I promise.
Just finished it.
Just finished it.
Movie Alert: Tree of Life
- Thread starter passedpawn
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android
Well-Known Member
what you state is true.
Allen55330
Member
How did you finish that!
WTF is this movie about? I have not heard of it.
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Looks interesting enough, but what's it about? The trailer is pretty vague. Bah, DVD only on Netflix.
Allen55330
Member
Yeah and the movie is vague as well. If you want to punish yourself watch it.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
Sorry PP, that is the worst movie review EVER.
At the very least, did the OP love it or hate it?
At the very least, did the OP love it or hate it?
passedpawn said:
I saw it in theaters with a friend. I go to the movies almost weekly, but that was the first time I've ever been in an otherwise COMPLETELY empty theater. Which turned out great, because it allowed us to discuss the movie as it was playing.
It was decent, but I didn't have such a polarized opinion of the flick. On the one hand, it was an incredible sensory experience. And I think "experience" is a better way to describe the film than, say, "story."
But at the same time it had a pretentious sort of dishonesty about itself that turned me off. As if it was pretending to be something more than it really was. It was all far more literal than it wanted to admit, and what metaphor that there was lacked any sort of depth and was surprisingly simplistic. It was as if convincing the audience that it was hugely insightful and transcendent was more important than actually being so (though it seemed to mostly succeed, anyways). The superficiality and pretentiousness of it all was unfortunately too much to ignore.
But still... it is a gorgeous film, and worth seeing. So maybe I was wrong about not having such polarized feelings about it as "love" or "hate". After a bit of reflection, I think it's actually both, and to a large degree. And I suppose that's a huge achievement in and of itself.
WhineinAlbany
Well-Known Member
I liked it, because it didn't tell you everything. I get sick of Hollywood spoon feeding the audience all the time. And it was sci fi so that's a bonus too.
OP
OP
Hah! I agree!
I'm pretty sure if you like it, you'll LOVE it. If you don't like it, you'll HATE it.
It's a series of memories from Sean Penn, as an adult. In the course of a short work day, he flashes back to his childhood. He relives a complex relationship with his dominant but caring father (Brad Pitt), caring (foxy) mother, and siblings. These flashbacks convey Penn's tense relationship with his father, and the sadness and regret over the death of one brother (spoiler alert, possibly, but you'll need some spoilers to get through this movie).
Another odd thread throughout the movie is Penn's constant struggle with the existence of god. Raised christian, he often questions god about the turmoil in his life. A very long set of images describing the creation of the universe, including a dinosaur, leave no question of the religion of the director.
I liked it, a lot, but you'll need to get your chill on, perhaps have a few brrs, and prepare yourself for about 3 hours of really beautiful photography, soundtrack, and a lot of odd seemingly meaningless plot. Best viewed alone.
Sounds pretty good.
Especially the few brrs part.
Especially the few brrs part.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
I'll have to now.....did Penn direct it? Semi biographical or totally fictional?
OP
OP
No idea. I don't research them, I just watch em.
Make sure you read the review in Post #1. Don't say I didn't warn you.
And again, I'd watch this alone. The probability of your viewing being enjoyable is inversely proportional to the square of the number of viewers.
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
emjay said:
Didn't you set the world record for Titanic or something like that?
WhineinAlbany
Well-Known Member
And I just realized I'm mixing this one up with The Fountain with Hugh Jackson that actually has the tree of life in it. I haven't seen this one.
OP
OP
Nope, not that one, but it has similar aspirations.
No doubt the greatest question in the mind of man since his cogs were cognitive were "where did we come from". Every thinking man has coped with this, every prophet attempted to answer. This movie itches that scratch. With music (watch Pitt get spiritual with Brahms) to the gothic operatic vocal sequences. Odd scenes of life (babies and children everywhere, watch the camera get lowered to their viewpoint, ala Wells' Citizen Kane) and men dieing (there's an odd scene were mama's walking away with the boy, from the front yard, and a man is writhing in the yard, seemingly from a heart attack). Other scenes depicting the state of humanity ( handicapped man, prisoner getting shoved into patrol car), kids ask god if it can happen to them, where does he live, is he watching them, they want to know what he is, what he sees. "I want to know what you are" sums up the theme.
Pitt hits the organ hard 1 hour into the movie, and it's powerful. He's a church man, disciplined, and engineer. and a pious one. Penn's character shows a lot of suppressed anger and impatience at old dad. I think this movie lays bare the inadequacies of the church in the presence of profound human sadness, such as the loss of a child. In the middle of the movie, Job is quoted by clergy. "But no, misfortune befalls the good as well." "We can't protect our children". "We vanish as a cloud." "Is there some fraud in the scheme of the universe, nothing that is deathless, nothing that does not pass away?"
This movie is a tough look at the juxtaposition of the loss of a child in in the presence of god's grace. I think
downreactor
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen the movie but I would like to. It was filmed in the town that I live in (Smithville TX).
it should have came with a warning that it was NOT a movie but an art piece. if you appreciate art on any level you would like it. just dont go thinking it's going to be like a movie.
Just watched his other movie last night "The Thin Red Line", very similar. He probably has the best cinematography of any director out there
Just watched his other movie last night "The Thin Red Line", very similar. He probably has the best cinematography of any director out there
McGarnigle
Well-Known Member
TomHanx said:
Even better, IMO, were Badlands and Days of Heaven from the 70s. Terence Malick was big, then didn't direct for two decades.
OP
OP
Make sure to watch Melancholia after you see Tree of Life. Lovely, uplifting movie You will love it or you will hate it. Guaranteed. (that castle in sweden is amazing)
You will love it or you will hate it. Guaranteed. (that castle in sweden is amazing)
OP
OP
Oscar baby. It's got my vote, anyway.
Make sure to watch Melancholia after you see Tree of Life. Lovely, uplifting movie
I didn't care for Melancholia nearly as much, which sucks because epic dark end of the world movies are my absolute favorite. Good cinematography, but it was too obscure. Most people said the same thing about Tree of Life but it was clear to anyone in the know that was an art piece.
Melancholia to me was a cross between that and a "traditional" movie.I t still tried to follow a more traditional movie format, but then often wandered off track with these (well done cinamotography scenes) random scenes that didn't add to the story.
I love dark movies though so still appreciated it. Worth watching.
OP
OP
I just watched the first half of this movie again. Man it's a piece of art. I just love it. I'm still waiting for someone else who does.
This is one of those movies I could just leave playing in the background all the time.
This is one of those movies I could just leave playing in the background all the time.
