The Tree of Life is a wild ride at the movies to say the least. But if you know anything about Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven, Badlands, The Thin Red Line) and his way of filmmaking, this should be no surprise. This film is baffling while certainly stunning at the same time. It takes on the meaning of life and tries to explain it in an extraordinary way that will either make you love the film or simply hate it. While the subject is a huge one to fully grasp, Malick does his best by focusing on one family living in the 1950s and uses the eldest boy to tell the story of creation, family, childhood, and becoming the person you are today.
Young Jack (Hunter McCracken) watches his innocence as a child slowly slip away. And as he grows up (portrayed by Sean Penn), he fights to reconcile the relationship between him and his father (Brad Pitt). The effects of their tough and complicated relationship have left scars on Jack that are very visible. The scenes with Penn in them are interesting, but not nearly as emotional or powerful as those with young Jack. There is so much happening between Jack, his father, and his mother (Jessica Chastain) that I wish the entire film stayed on them, which out of 2 hours and 40 minutes, Penn only has about 10 minutes onscreen. And some of the scenes featuring Pitt, Chastain and the rest of the family are tough to watch. There are times when you can feel their sadness, pain, and anger that runs through their household.
The actors may not say a lot, but when they do, you listen. And they all are able to show you how they are feeling and what they’re thinking without even saying a word. Pitt is amazing as the tough-loving father who demands respect and has caused his kids to fear him. He is a husband and a father who is trying to do the best he can and he’s hurting, but does not want it to show. You have never seen Pitt like this. His performance is refreshing while breath-taking.
Chastain isn’t a familiar face, but she will be. She is amazing as the caring mother who seems to be searching for a balance within her family’s problems. Her children only act like themselves when they are around her. She provides comfort and safety for them. These are things they do not feel with their strict father. The young talent of McCracken is unbelievable. He is the central character in all of this and he does a tremendous job playing a boy who is curious, scared, troubled, and stuck. And like all of us, he wonders about who he is and where he is going to end up.
The Tree of Life is a very unusual yet fascinating experience to sit through. Malick uses visuals to tell more of the story than dialogue. This is why there are quite a few times where the actors do not say anything at all. The film almost plays as a slide show with just pieces of memories being combined together. It is profound and full of ambition, and either you will appreciate Malick’s method of storytelling or be completely turned off by it and leave disappointed.
The Tree of Life must be seen just so you can form your own opinion of it. It just cannot even be explained until you have seen it with your own eyes. And no matter how you feel about it when it’s over, everyone will agree it is unlike anything you have ever seen before.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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