Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is the kind of film that's nearly impossible to actually review. A simple plot description won't work because there's nothing simple about the film's plot. Weighing the pros and cons of Malick's direction or the acting or the technical features is also a challenge because they all come together in such an unusual way—one that's simultaneously brilliant, unusual, and really frustrating. I'm in a predicament because I admired the film so incredibly much. Moments of it absolutely took my breath away. But there were some things that I thought didn't work at all. It's a bit of a mess, really, and not a good mess in the same way as There Will Be Blood or other similarly bold films. It's jumbled, nonsensical, and frankly a little corny at times. But come on, how can I really hate on a film like this with so much ambition and vision?
So I'm just going to leave it at that for right now. It's a film that I don't want to rate at this time because I feel like it demands another viewing, another chance to see if I can fall in love with the film rather than simply admire it. So I'll write a proper review later this year when the movie lands on DVD.
Feel free to share your thoughts on The Tree of Life. Spoilers are welcome, just don't read the comments if you haven't seen the film yet.
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