Movie #250 Tree of Life *2011*

I am playing catch up on these blogs.  I am nearing the end and I found an interesting similarity.  I was listening to the guys at the /Film podcast review Transformers 3.  I just watched this movie yesterday.  They said the film was critic proof.  This is a term that people assign to films that mass audiences are going to go see regardless of critics opinions or bad word of mouth.  There are several type of films that fit into this lable.

Kids movies are often times "critic proof".  Horror movies have built in audiences that will see anything with blood and guts.  All of the movies in the Transformers trilogy would self apply the critic proof tag.  No one is going to say that they are good movies, but they make a killing at the box office.

That having been said, a few weeks ago I went to Chicago and saw Terrence Malick's new film Tree of Life.  Today I realized that this film was just as immune to critical reaction as its overblown cinematic cousins, the Transformers.

When I first saw Tree of Life it was difficult for me to really develop an opinion on the film.  I didn't love the movie the way I have with some where I just want to go out and tell strangers on the street about it.  I had no sudden urge to buy another ticket (or just wait in the theater) for the next showing.  I don't have any plans to add it to my Bluray collection, although I am sure it will look AMAZING on Blu.

At the same time I was far from hating this movie.  I didn't even dislike the film.  I left the theater feeling like I had just watched a masterpiece and I didn't really care.  It was the type of film that should be playing at a museum not a multiplex.  The pictures on display could all be paused, framed and hung in the Louvre.  The classical orchestrated score submerged me in an audible orgy.  But there is intentionally next-to-no narrative to string these beautiful scenes together.

I should say that there is minimal narrative in the traditional sense.  There are thematic story lines that are as broad as the desert sunset.    One such story line involves a juxtaposing raising a family in 50's Texas with the creation of the universe.  Another is the choice we as humans make to either follow the ways of nature or of faith.  Beauty vs science.  These are never told or even spelled out.  The sensory notions of this film are the only factors evoking these theories.

It is very difficult to comment on the performances in the movie.  The oldest son has about the largest screen time and he has the most (only) story arc.  He does a great job, but his performance is swallowed up by scope and structure of the movie.  Both Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain seem to be a little dramatic and overblown in their roles, but I have no doubt that Malick got exactly the performances he wanted out of them.

More to my point about this film being critic proof.  This movie has no peers.  There is nothing to compare it to.  There are other movies that approach this film on terms of ambition and scope (2001: A Space Odyssey).  There are non narrative movies (Eraserhead).  There are blockbusters and there are art films.  Tree of Life is all these things.  Its like a reggae band, a punk band, a polka band and mariachi band playing 4 different songs at the same.  Malick's genius is that he can make all those different songs sound pleasing and empirical.   

Now that I have had time to reflect on Tree of Life I can state that it truly a masterpiece and probably will be one of the most important films in this decade.  Malick only makes a film every 10 years or so and everyone is a classic.  Even if I never plan to watch this movie again I am very glad that I got to see it in theaters.

I refuse to give Tree of Life a star rating.  It is a must see, if only once.