Comments on: The Tree of Life Review

By: Blizzrad

Blizzrad — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:52:26 +0000

Sorry to desecrate the peace of this dead thread, but I really need to. I have to say that I agree 100% with Rus, while kind of understanding why others might actually deeply enjoy the film. To me it was a let down precisely for the reasons Rus has laid out. I did how ever have a few moments of enjoyment. Pictures of vast space work for me every time. I would have actually preferred there was more of that.

Somehow it felt as if Malick had seen The Fountain and thought: “boy, I want to make something like that myself”. Darren Aronofsky’s talent is just far, far beyond the reach here. Films like The Fountain, 2001, Blade Runner, etc. just keep giving after countless times. There’s no going back to this one, though. If the ones who so praised The Tree of Life can actually keep going back to it for more, well then I guess I actually have to feel a little sorry for the kind of cinephiles like myself and Rus.

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:54:26 +0000

Ha Ha, Sean Penn confirms its a mess too:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sean-penn-tree-of-life-terrence-malick-225832

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:04:44 +0000

Jumping in a bit late, but I finally saw the movie have read this entire string and I have to agree with Rus. I hated this thing.

After seeing the trailer, I was honestly excited. Then I finally got to see it. Incoherent story, cinematography that reminded me of watching a screen saver or looking at postcards and most of all, it’s a self-indulgent disaster. It’s not that I don’t understand the film, because I get what it’s trying to do. It was so terribly edited and the story was so broken that it felt like a film-student (a not very good one) threw clips from National Geographic and Discovery Channel together mixed with scenes from other movies and called it a masterpiece.

Here’s the big thing for me: If a movie has NO spoilers, then it has NO story which means you would be better off not wasting your time. To each their own. Keep it up.

By: Colin

Colin — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:10:57 +0000

I’m honored Jeffry, thanks for reading.

By: Jeffry W

Jeffry W — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:47:45 +0000

Also planning to include Ridley Scott’s and Kevin MacDonald’s Life in a Day: http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday

By: Jeffry W

Jeffry W — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:24:20 +0000

Colin, I enjoyed your review and loved the movie. I teach a high school class, Film as Literature, in a California school and I will be attending Yale’s Teacher Institute. My former colleague and I have been teaching Jennifer Hollowell’s short story “A History of Everything, Including You” for many years, and now have a film to match it. They are nearly identical. I am working on a curriculum unit for the Institute, and for my classroom, and will likely reference your review and share it with my students. Thanks for writing and posting it.

By: DJ

DJ — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:03:59 +0000

I lost a son who was 21 and I love classical music. The Tree of Life took me to some of those places that I experienced right after his death and then some. The themes of love and death driven by great music in a context of timelessness, vast space and unpredictable story is just what it’s like when you lose a child and this movie is just what I needed. I am going to go see it again.

By: scoville

scoville — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:10:37 +0000

“Reading Rus’ comments is like watching a retard tour the Guggenheim…”

While I agree with what you’re trying to say, I know a lot of these people you would call a “retard” and they understand art more than Rus does.

By: Fatbologna

Fatbologna — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 08:54:48 +0000

Reading Rus’ comments is like watching a retard tour the Guggenheim…

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:30:21 +0000

to complete the total false read of people involved: my perspective you and others don’t know what to do with TOL, feel if you don’t praise it you will seem less than astute, therefore, you over compensate and ignore errors and say to others, “you don’t get it, you are over critical”

I love poetic films that work, my all time favorite film is Cinema Paradiso

time to move on, good debate, thats why I love filmjunk!

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:50:18 +0000

From my perspective, your complaints are more akin to misaligned pages on said novel. The book is there and it’s a pretty good book, but you’re hung up on a printing error.

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:12:04 +0000

right, I point out valid structural flaws but Im the one that is clueless… like getting a book with every 23rd page missing but the problem is that I EXPECTED all the pages to be there…right