Review: The Tree of Life

This movie is not for everyone. Director Terrance Malick is not for everyone. I am the first to admit that. But I loved it. I truly loved it.

To me, this film was utter poetry. My only regret is that I never saw it at the cinema - I can only imagine what it would have been like to view this on the big screen. The imagery and cinematography is breathtaking, the soundtrack moving and powerful, the acting stunningly subtle and real. Jessica Chastain is perfection as the loving, nurturing mother, living by the ways of grace, and Brad Pitt once again proves he is so much more than a pretty face, as the father struggling to raise three boys through the tough and unforgiving ways of nature.

What is the film about? A good question, with many answers. It is about choosing how to live - by grace or by nature - and the consequences of both. It is about struggling with loss and the questioning of God in suffering. It is about growing up and the loss of innocence. It is about the complicated relationships within a family. It is about seeing the beauty in life. It is about the universe and how small we are in comparison. It is about the meaning of life. Interwoven throughout the film is the story of Jack, a young boy, his complicated relationship with his father, mother and two brothers and his loss of innocence as he grows up and struggles to find a place in the modern world (played as an adult by Sean Penn). This is ridiculously simplified as this film is less a narrative and more a representation of life from every angle.

You come out of this movie with many questions, but I'm ok with that. I am able to not fully understand a movie and not be annoyed by that. Most people can't deal with that or find it immensely frustrating, and if you are one of those people, you will find this movie frustrating, perhaps even tedious. You will almost certainly voice the question, "What on earth was with the dinosaur?". Intrigued? You will have to watch the movie. Don't expect a narrative as such, expect to not fully understand, accept that that is ok, do not destroy the mood by playing with your phone or laptop at the same time, just sit back and watch and you will be blown away. I was.