Review: Tree of Life

Country: USA
Genre: Drama
Director: Terrence Malick
Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastin

There are few things in life that are certain: Death, taxes, and Terrence Malick making beautiful movies. His movies are poetry in motion and incredible in scope. Brad Pitt is a sure thing; time after time he's given good if not great performances in movies like Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Sean Penn may lack a sense of humor, but he always gets the last laugh; he's won two Academy Awards for Best Actor and some will argue he's one of the greatest actors of his generation. Jessica Chastin's career trajectory is pointing upward, and she will be an in-demand actress in the next year if not already. These are guarantess I can go to the bank tomorrow and make good on. So, with all that being said, Tree of Life is a movie that's uncertain about what it wants to be. It loses confidence in the narrative it is trying to present and jumps around from one story to another, not knowing what to do next. The end product is something that's more scattershot than soul stirring.

According to the synopsis I read, Tree of Life was supposed to be about a family learning discovering the meaning behind life after a devastating loss. The movie deals with the meaning behind human existence; that's a lot to deal with in any movie even if your name is Terrence Malick. Grief is the main theme at the films heart; some people take their entire lives learning how to deal with it. However, the movie is more concerned with looking pretty and whispering than it is at discovering anything profound. The long angle lens, deep depth of field, and extraordinary use of lighting make the movie look like art, but the fast cutting and random shots of nature make it something akin to the Discovery Channel. These shots also make the movie seem like a glorified photo shoot. Nevermind that Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances as the stern father or that Jessica Chastin embodies grace and mercy in an elegant manner as the mother. Nevermind that Sean Penn is wasted in a role that amounts to a cameo as the adult version of the eldest son. Penn walks alot; he walks through his office and through the desert. These actors may get top billing, but they are not the stars: The CGI dinosaurs and kaleidoscope-like cosmic shots are the stars of the movie.

What's frustrating about this movie is that Terrence Malick could have done these themes and these actors justice without losing focus on the family. He could have said something real and relatable because the ingredients are there. The 1950s were a time of conformity in America and the relationship between father and son is dysfunctional; to say the father is overbearing would give overbearing a bad name. The actors are game and the family is a great place to ask questions about existence, death, life, and grace. Just when that aspect of the story is getting interesting Malick delivers a 20-minute montage about the evolution of Earth; from the cosmos to the dinosaurs, Malick leaves nothing out. The movie jumps to present day where a dejected Penn leads a sterile and boring life; then there are more shots of Earth. Malick jumps around like this throughout the movie, like he's impatient. The audience is never given any chance to connect with the characters.

The voiceovers making up most of the spoken words in the movie are whispered prayers to God that the audience has to strain to hear. One of the first whispers asks God why, and according to Malick, God is too busy because the 20-minute documentary film within the film kicks in. Some people may say Malick is telling the story through imagery; ok, then what story can be told through random shots of water, volcanoes, and dinosaurs? Maybe I'm not sophisticated or smart enough to understand, but I swore the story was about the family. Maybe it's commentary on how insignificant human life is compared to the vastness of the universe but then the scenes at the end when Sean Penn is with people from his past does not make sense.

A lot of people will call this a deep, spiritual film. I will argue that this movie is hollow and self important without form. The so-called symbolism does not address the main theme brought up during the first 10 minutes of the movie: Grief. The plot drags for so long it turns into a endurance contest. When the plot gets back to the family, it's not as dramatic or interesting as it could have been. Jack has daddy issues and at one point he whispers to God to kill him; that's powerful stuff. The movie could still be spiritual...and watchable.

I know in time Tree of Life will be seen as a masterpiece from an expectional craftsman. I also know this movie is dishonest; it's a showcase rather than a work of art. It is appropiate that Tree of Life is getting a summer release alongside other blockbusters. Like most summer tentpoles the visuals are cool and there are big names in the cast. Like those movies, Tree of Life is also empty and two hours' worth of it. Score: 5/10