cricketbat The Tree of Life is everything you fear an art film will be. It's slow and disorienting, yet beautiful and thought-provoking. This film goes from being utterly confusing, to deeply moving and back again in a matter of minutes. The sublime, non-linear narrative evokes memories and feelings in a unique and awe-inspiring way. I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I'll be watching it again.

theresamgill "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:4, 7 This is how Terrence Malick begins The Tree of Life. This may seem like a somewhat ordinary occurrence, but for those who haven't seen his films, he is also the director of Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and most recently Knight of Cups. He is a philosopher who disregards conventionality in favor of non-linear, visual storytelling infused with natural light and beautiful nature. And The Tree of Life probably is the most evident example. At its most base form, this film chronicles the beginning of the cosmos up to the 50s era of a Texan family with 3 boys (one is Mud star Tye Sheridan) led patriarchally with Brad Pitt and a quiet, loving Jessica Chastain. So far so good, I guess. Also throw in Sean Penn as the future adult of one of the kids, and already you can tell how the non-linearness will unfold. But you can't tell. The first 10 minutes are a grieving mother, the next 10 are of a contemplative and questioning Penn, then you get about 45 minutes that literally goes from the beginning to present day with a couple of dinosaurs mixed in. And it's not there for eye-candy, but it all means something-- this includes all the shots of trees and the metaphors represented (similar to some of the graduation speeches I listened to yesterday). And I truly believe none of this works without Emmanuel Lubezki. Wait, who? Lubezki is probably the best cinematographer, at least of this generation, and is responsible for being director of photography for Gravity, Birdman, Children of Men, and my darling The Revenant. All I can say is this film is beautiful. Is it worth watching? Well I think everyone should see at least one Malick film, and Days of Heaven is a good choice, but this film is better along with The Thin Red Line which I would argue is the equal to Saving Private Ryan for war films. With that said, dialogue is sparse and this can be frightening. But what it is is one of the greatest stories told, er rather watched, and right up there with Boyhood on the depiction of boyhood. There is so much I understood and learned and awed at, and there's definitely even more for me to understand and connect with. You will not want to see the film again the following week after watching because of the hidden details you missed on the first viewing; no, you'll be thinking and thinking and in a year or two will absolutely have the urge to rewatch it. Words don't describe this film. Neither does dialogue. You watch and feel the love, the sternness, the intertwining emotions of the family. There isn't trivia to learn and gain by watching, but there is knowledge to gain and perspective to behold. I'm not saying you will love it, but you will come away with something old, something new; memories of your life and an appreciation of the known and unknown. You can find this review and dozens of others at gillipediamoviereviews.blogspot.com

charliekusiel Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" is not a movie you go to relax to. It is made with such care and precision that you have to keep your eyes and ears open, or you will miss the important details. The movie is clearly divided into four segments. Each differ from the others, and each have specific qualities that help it stand out. The most notable segment, the second, is really what brings this movie the extra mile. This 15 or 20 minutes of movie has no dialogue except for the occasional narration- always a question. This segment deals tells the story of evolution and the beginning of the universe, and mirrors the films title. Its musical selection also boosts the emotion that comes with what is seen on screen. This part of the movie is a little overwhelming, but it is also perhaps the most beautiful thing I have ever watched. Although the cinematography and music are at their highest point in the whole movie during this part, the entire movie still has really good of both, too. The camera sometimes had long shots around what was happening on screen, which were fantastic. The movie had some specific shots that really stood out. The music throughout was phenomenal, it was most classical but sometimes it was dark and dissonant. Usually when their wasn't music playing, there was absolutely no sound, which forced me to concentrate on the details on screen more and really emphasized the emotion from the characters. Brad Pitt was specifically really good in his part and made his character come to life. He provided an antagonist that effected every other character in their own way, and he did a really good job showing the struggle of trying to be a good person. The only problem with this film that I had was that the plot was inconsistent and distorted.

L_Copa Scenario, Directing, Acting, Plot evolution, scenes, meaning, everything is crap. Nothing, nothing at all worths at least a minute of your life. The movie is a joke from the production to all of us. Pictures changing for no reason, big bang, seas , stars, sky.... I have no words to describe this awful thing i just saw... All these famous actors and actresses and the movie barely made its budget... I wonder why.. Please don't support this movies and rate them good... It's an offense to our intelligence.