Thornhill at the Movies

 *

"The Tree of Life"…

Staring pensively, I ride the elevator down a level after exiting the theater.

Unknown voices ricocheting in my head. "Mother, father, forever you wrestle inside me".

Can Sean Penn be any more dour?

Kids run and play in Waco,Texas, circa 1960s, a more innocent time, fondness, conflict.

Scenes of nature, form and function, interfere throughout the film.

Story needs to be focused, someone needs to help Malick do this.

Untold images of nature, seashells, waves crashing, animals coursing.

Creation? The Birth of Mankind? Evolution? Really?

Kills any momentum built from what little narrative exists.

Sean Penn is in about ten minutes of the film.

So many shots of people waving their hands through the air.

Undulating light filters through their fingers.

Can't understand why this is a recurring image. Hope of freedom?

Kind of repetitive in many places. Many shots of Mom waving her foot through the lawn sprinkler.

Sort of creepy, because Son seems to be watching this with a little too much interest

Should Pitt and Penn embrace this type of film? Give it legitimacy?

Unfortunately, they both said yes because of their previous relationship with Malick.

Couldn't look past the lack of narrative, disconnected images, bad metaphors.

Kisses are on each of the children's cheeks, placed with love by Mom (Jessica Chastain).

Seems like the film is telling a personal story, one that Malick wants to tell.

Seems like Malick alone is the only one who understands what is going on.

Until he is ready to tell a story, he shouldn't make the film.

Can this really be a film? No narrative, more like a visual poem.

Kindly refrain from the self-indulgence, please Mr. Malick.

Sincere thanks, in advance.

Scenes flow throughout, brief shots, basically just images, little to connect them.

Unusually little dialogue, a lot of voiceover provided by son. Voice does not fit maturity.

Cuts back and forth, from present day, to Creation, to childhood, to the afterlife.

King prawns, whales, waves, seashells, stained glass, swirling sand.

So many disparate ideas, thought, images. Really, the afterlife? Yes, the afterlife.

Silently, Mom watches Dad yell and shout and take out his frustrations on children.

Until waves crash, protozoa swim, cells regenerate. No, not kidding.
Children run and play and get in mischief. A more innocent time, a fondly remembered time..

Kids grow up and Sean Penn plays the adult. He stares silently into space.

Silently dealing with his demons, his child self provides too adult voiceover.

Some think this film is brilliant. Really, they want to seem smart, by 'liking' this 'Tree'.

Unnatural sound and feel to what little dialogue there is.

Cannesgave it the Palm D'or. Their most prestigious.

Kind of reinforces bad stereotypes about 'independent' film for many.

Such a waste of time, Terence Malick's "The Tree of Life".