Review by Jenny Priestley
Stars Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler,
Tye Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Jessica Fuselier, Nicolas Gonda, Will Wallace | Written by Terrence Malick
UK certification 12 | UK RRP £24.99 | BD Region AB | Runtime 133 minutes | Directed by Terrence Malick
Much has already been written about Malick's first film in six years – it had its world premiere in Cannes where it was greeted with boos at the press screening and yet walked off with the Palme d'Or. It's a film that's likely to divide audiences – some will praise its artistry and imagery, some will argue it's a befuddled mess with little cohesion and a plot that leaves viewers scratching their heads.
Let's start with the imagery of the film – it is beautiful to behold. The first 40 minutes is like nothing you'll have seen on film for a long time. Malick takes us on a tour of the heavens and of the Earth accompanied by an operatic soundtrack – this part of the film is literally out of this world. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it and it is without doubt my favourite part of the film.
These are scenes are bookended by the "meat" of the film – the story of a 1950s family: an eatheral, angelic Mother (Chastain) and a straight-laced Father (Pitt). Malick sets the family dynamic up early with the Mother telling her three sons: "The way of nature and the way of grace. You have choose which one you follow." She obviously exemplifies grace, while the boys' father is nature. The film actually starts 10 years later with Chastain's character receiving a telegram to say one of her sons has died, we're never told how. As the film progresses we see the boys' childhood and the family dynamic as well as scenes set in the modern day with Penn playing one of the siblings as an adult.
The story takes in many themes and offers many readings – is it about God? The Universe? Creationism? Evolution? Death? Life? Afterlife? Family? Grief? Each audience member is going to have their own opinion and that's one of the things I like about this film – it makes you ask questions, it makes you think about what you're watching; 24 hours after seeing it, I was still questioning what it's all about.
The performances are all good, with Chastain being the stand-out – although it's also nice to see Pitt doing such interesting work. Hunter McCracken is also excellent as young Jack (who is played by Penn as a grown up – something that confused me, as I thought he was playing the middle son). I don't really want to tell you much more about the film. I'm sure you've read about the dinosaurs and the scene that may or may not be the afterlife, but really you need to go into this film open: watch it with an open mind and let it wash over you. It's a film that is going to be completely different to anything else you see this year, possibly anything you ever see.
EXTRAS ★★★ Not a great deal on offer here – just Exploring The Tree of Life, a terrific documentary on the making of the film (29:56), and the theatrical trailer.