Sean Penn in Tree of Life
The whole world has waited on pins and needles for the long-delayed release of director Terrence Malick’s latest masterpiece, Tree of Life. I must say I was I’ve been anxiously awaiting this movie for a couple months now. The mysterious and dramatic trailer, the promise of Sean Penn and DINOSAURS! I couldn’t wait.
Terrence Malick's Tree of Life
But I must say, after a two and a half hour poetic meditation on childhood, nostalgia, and morality, I was left a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful. But it doesn’t pack the same punch of Malick’s earlier films like Badlands and Days of Heaven, where he mixes an eye for the sublime to be found in the everyday and a willingness to let morally complicated characters be just that. This film addresses some similar themes but drags on a bit with an excess of repeated imagery and a narrative that is just a little too obtuse.
Days of Heaven