VENICE 2012: "To the Wonder" stuns, but why the booing?

I don't think anybody truly expected Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder" to be received in a negative fashion on the critical front, but what the hell is with the booing over in Venice? Even at my most blatantly pissed off, I never express vocal disappointment at a film screening. As a matter of fact, I don't say a word, letting the film get all the attention from everyone in the audience as I can give. The reviews that have found their way to us since the film's screening in Venice have been quite resoundingly positive, so the reason for all this booing is beyond me. All the same, a film that retrieves such a vocal response from a room of "professionals" almost immediately demands attention.

Guy Lodge (In Contention): "One could wonder why a director as famously indifferent to actors (and commerce) as Malick -- Rachel Weisz's role, incidentally, has been given the old Adrien Brody heave-ho here -- continues to hire such big-name actors. (You might think he of all directors would be in favor of non-pro casts.) The combined attractiveness of this star quartet runs the risk of making the film's least integrated or resonant sequences -- those in which Bardem wearily calls on all manner of buck-toothed, poverty-stricken local parishioners -- the teeniest bit condescending to boot. Even this faint absurdity, however, seems parcelled up in Malick's restless, tender, unfashionable quest for beauty in its highest physical and spiritual forms." 

Film Review: "The Tree of Life" (***1/2)

With the Cannes Film Festival landscape all wrapped up now, one could say that the festival hasn't truly ended yet. After all, the films that appeared there will continue to trickle into release over the next several months, and the feeling still inevitably lingers long after that. I remember last year's festival as a potent memory, and in fact last year was such a dynamic year in cinema that couldn't possibly be ignored or overlooked. And in the several months that passed after that, I became specifically jaded against Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life". Mind you, that was a very negative time for me personally, and not necessarily the best time to be writing up film reviews.

Truth is, I never gave Malick's film a chance in the first place. I never really payed attention to it beyond the first screening, and in the several months that passed I allowed my view of the film to become distorted. I wanted it to be so, which kind of gave me a leg out of the hoopla that many found themselves in. The film registers different perspectives from nearly every person who sees it, which challenged me in a way I wasn't ready for. I'm a rather selfish moviegoer, and I expect a film to be something specific, even if it isn't my something. I just couldn't pin down the film, in all its ethereal mist, and it led me to landing on what seemed like a definitive condemning mark: Pretentious.

OSCAR 2011 PREDICTIONS: Director

I know that not a lot of people want Michel Hazanavicius to win, but setting aside their love for any number of the other directors below, did any of them do really extraordinary work? Not in the slightest. Woody Allen has never been one of directorial brilliance. His films are often reliant on his writing and the actors at work. Terrence Malick comes close, as you can't help but respect the ideas he has being thrown around, even if they don't align specifically with you. Scorsese's direction, though often lovely, is utterly inert this time around, and we don't get any of the flare he gave us in the past. And Alexander Payne? Seriously? Do we even have to discuss this? It's Hazanavicius' relatively extraordinary and playful direction that takes the championship here.

AWARDS 2011: LA Critics skew towards Malick

And finally ending the day of hasty awards recognizance, the Los Angeles critics managed to differ in a few slight ways from the rest of the general pot. Examples? "The Artist" isn't even in sight. In its place isn't so much as the rising "Hugo", but the still present "Tree of Life". Malick's film caught quite a few wins this time around. Other notable surprises. The Chemical Brothers won best original score for "Hanna", which is a no-brainer now that it's been brought back to our attention thanks to the wonderful LA critics. Also surprising? Yun Jung-hee won Best Actress for "Poetry". Certainly an obscure won, but who isn't happy about that? Take a look at the full list of winners and runners up after the jump!

BEST PICTURE: "The Descendants"

-Runner-up: "The Tree of Life"

BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick ("The Tree of Life")

-Runner-up: Martin Scorsese ("Hugo")

Fincher and Nolan on the genius of Malick

It's nice to see that there's a very obvious line of succession through certain filmmakers and their influences. Since he's only really made five films, it's easy to downsize Terrence Malick's influence, but his films are still such massive achievements going back as far as the 1970s. Malick takes his time on his films, as made evident from the long gap between each individual venture. So it's not all that surprising that he served as influence towards such mainstream magnates as David Fincher and Christopher Nolan. It almost seems like an insult to the two to call them "mainstream". All the same, if you look at the aesthetic of Malick's films, you can see a bit of that trickle down into the works Fincher and Nolan.

For Your Anticipation: That's A Good Right

What can I say about The Tree of Life that hasn't already been said at this point? Pretty much nothing, so check out my previous two pieces on the film here and here.

Cannes Coverage 2011: Palme Goes to "Tree of Life"

Sorry that I'm so behind the beat lately. As much as I enjoy indulging in films I haven't seen, I've had some very real problems to deal with lately, and it's going to be a struggle to get back into the swing of things. In any case, I did not miss the announcement of the Cannes Film Festival winners, which were somewhat expected, but ultimately surprising. Most unexpected of all was the announcement of The Tree of Life winning the Palme. I am still genuinely excited to see the film, but I also realize that there were plenty more deserving films that premiered at the festival. Winning the Palme is never a necessary boost in Oscar eligibility. The last time a Palme winner was nominated for Best Picture was The Pianist in 2002.

In news of other awards, Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin for The Artist, which may play well into the rest of the year. I suspect that The Weinstein Company will aggressively campaign for the film, as they always do. Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress for Melancholia, which isn't entirely surprising since the female leads of Lars von Trier's films have done well for themselves numerously in the past. Best Director went happily to Nicholas Winding Refn for the action film Drive, though don't expect too much Oscar love for the film. It seems a bit out of bounds for the Academy. The rest of the winners can be seen after the jump, along with the five films that premiered at Cannes which I'm most looking forward to seeing.

Yes, I Can.

Yesterday I was able to get out my regular dosage of stagnation against the new big thing that is Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. I am genuinely still excited for this film, but in a different way than what I was feeling before. Yesterday I was desperately looking for some sort of answer to what The Tree of Life was. I wasn't searching for a word-by-word definition of each individual scene in the film, but the trailer offered very little idea of what to expect. It was intentionally vague as to leave the audience intrigued enough to check it out for themselves, but sometimes all we want is an idea of what to expect.

And now I understand that the anger of yesterday was my immature reaction to what the critical masses were feeling. I almost never allow critics to get to me and influence my view of a film, such as with Hanna. The critics were divided and I didn't have a clue what I was in store for, but I wasn't feeling positive or pessimistic. I formed my own opinion of the film without outside influence. Yesterday, I let the reaction of critics get to me, not because some were overwhelmingly positive or negative, but they were middling. That is the most frustrating unanimous opinion, because it isn't a powerful declaration of quality.

It's basically the critical masses telling us, for once, that your decision as a viewer will be your opinion. I suppose we're so used to being told what to think that we sometimes forget to think independently. Part of the beauty of the cinematic experience is heading into something and discovering it. Nothing comes close to that first viewing of a film, and I despise it when a film is prematurely spoiled for me. I always make it a point of being there first. And so I'm wiping clean the slate of expectations for The Tree of Life, and heading towards this with a sense of honest criticism and unknowing.

Can I Still Be Excited for "The Tree of Life"?

Yesterday brought the unveiling of one of the most anticipated films at Cannes Film Festival, The Tree of Life from famed filmmaker Terrence Malick. I'd been excited for the film for months, because I had a bunch of people talking to me about how brilliant a director Terrence Malick is. This is where I come to my weakest moment as a film critic, because I just took everyone's word on it. I hadn't seen a single Terrence Malick film in my entire life, and I just let people say that he's brilliant without thinking otherwise. As such, my excitement for The Tree of Life lasted just until a few days ago. I decided to actually take a look at one of Terrence Malick's more famed films, The Thin Red Line.

I was sitting there watching it, trying to find what people so adored about Malick's work, but I simply could not get into it. There was something so prosaic and self-destined about Malick's work that just turned me off. It's beautiful and all, but shouldn't there be something more? I went back to the trailer for The Tree of Life, and the pondering intellectual monologues on life seemed so much more prevalent than the visuals. I find myself asking now, what am I excited for? What is there behind this work that draws me to it beyond visuals and Brad Pitt? I then answered my own question rather simply by saying, "nothing."

I feel like now I'm going to incur the wrath of an armada of cinephiles who believe me insane for saying such, but despite the somewhat positive reaction to The Tree of Life, I doubt that it will find a place on my end of the year list, even amongst the honorable mentions. I had considered a trip to New York City so that I could see it sooner rather than later, but I'm a lot more patient now. I can wait the entire Summer to see it, and I'll still be okay. Am I saying that it looks like complete utter nonsense? Of course not, because there is something solid and agreeable there. Do I feel like my life will be changed by what I see? No.

Cannes Coverage 2011: "The Tree of Life"

We've been waiting for word on this film for years, waiting for something to tell us whether this is the "redefinition of cinema", as alleged test screenings raved, or merely another good film. Personally, I am a mild fan of Terrence Malick, but I'm not as praising as others. I've tried to get into one of his films, but there has always been a certain prosaic lifelessness to his work that's pushed me back. I was awe struck by the trailer for The Tree of Life, simply because it was oh so beautiful. The plot, on the other hand, just seems rather been-there-done-that. And so the reviews are bound to be good, but there was always going to be some sense of mild disappointment amidst the raves of others.

Guy Lodge (In Contention), ***: "Further fuzzing the question of what The Tree of Life wishes to say about our collective spiritual journey (perhaps it’s that the director is still open to all options, which is no bad thing, though confusing to visualize), it’s a badly misjudged finish to a film that nonetheless has sections so rapturous as to justify the six-year wait since The New World on their own. (That said, the film’s weaknesses may well be the result of an overthought creative process.) Malick’s slow-burn cinema tends to take several viewings to reveal its full arsenal of tactile pleasures, so I already look forward to a second encounter with his latest. At first blush, however, I’m left stimulated but unmoved, as if having watched the life of someone I hardly know flash before my eyes."

Cannes playing host to Von Trier, Malick, Marshall

The unveiling of this year's Cannes Film Festival line up wasn't exactly filled with shocks and surprises so much as pleasantries and intrigues. Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is obviously making an appearance, as if we needed any further confirmation on that one. As predicted, but not confirmed, Lars Von Trier's latest film, Melancholia, will also be making an appearance in the competition. Pedro Almadovar's The Skin That I Inhabit is also to have it's premiere, along with several other wild cards. Restless is playing Un Certain Regard, as noted yesterday, amongst several other films we're sure to hear first words about this time next month. The only real surprise of sorts is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides playing at the festival. I guess there's always one blockbuster in this heap.

OPENING FILM
"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen

COMPETITION
"Drive," Nicolas Winding Refn
"Footnote," Josef Cedar
"Hanezu no Tsuki," Naomi Kawase
"Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai," Takashi Miike

"The Tree of Life" Poster

Finally, we get a look at one of them dinosaurs! In case you couldn't figure it out, column 3, row 10. I think at this point we have a vague idea of what The Tree of Life is about, and it's a very exciting possibility. It's obviously not essentially about dinosaurs or the space shots we see in the trailer, but the story of a boy becoming a man. We can't quite say what this film will be because it hasn't happened yet. This poster offers not one stunning image, but several different beautiful images, none of which ultimately reveal the essential meaning of the film, nor should they. Terrence Malick remains evasive to the very end.

Teaser Trailer: The Tree of Life

We've been waiting a long time to take our first glimpse at Terrence Malick's highly anticipated next film, The Tree of Life, and now we've gotten our first glimpse at this thing of beauty. That's what emerges in my mind upon watching this trailer. It's a beautifully shot film, and it's an instant frontrunner for Best Cinematography at next year's Academy Awards. This is only a teaser trailer, so far as I know, so it's hard to say too much based on this alone. Still, it's absolutely dazzling and wonderful, and we'll have to wait a few months to see the full fruition of this massive effort. Take a look below, and weigh in on your thoughts.

"The Tree of Life" Poster

There's nothing like a nice and simple little poster to set off the marketing campaign for Terrence Malick's highly anticipated next film, The Tree of Life, releasing in theaters next May. Sometimes simpler is better.

"Tree of Life" Set For May 2011!

After years of production, several different edits of the film, and a mess settling on a distributor, Terrence Malick's much anticipated The Tree of Life has found a release date. The film is now set for release on May 27, 2011, although it's not quite sure if it will be in limited or wide release. It seems like a perfect time period for the film to appear at Cannes Film Festival shortly before its actual release. Test screening reviews for the film have been over the moon, claiming it to redefine filmmaking as we know it. I'm always very cautious when dealing with that kind of terrain. To tell the truth, before this film became news I had scarcely heard of Terrence Malick. I haven't seen any of his films, which is perhaps a mistake I should remedy before his new one comes out. The film will automatically be placed as a frontrunner for next year's Oscar race, but I'm going to be careful in doling out such honors.

"Tree of Life" IS Coming This Year?

I think this must be the third or so post I've done on whether or not Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life will be released this year or not, but I really hope it's the last. As a matter of fact, I feel a little trepidation about mentioning it at all, as it could very well go away in a second. Apparition is supposedly looking to confirm a distribution deal for Terrence Malick's latest, and it could lead to the film being released this year. Then again, it could just fall through the ice altogether, leaving this news mute. I hope it does happen, as I'm really tired of commenting on whether or not this film will be released, and I want to get to discussing whether or not it's Oscar-worthy. People keep saying that if it's released this year then it's a lock for a nomination. We don't know anything to lead to that conclusion yet, so I'm considering that speculation nonexistent.

Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" Not Coming Until 2011?

This isn't necessarily official yet, but it might as well be, as everything that has come out about this film has led us to believe such. As a matter of fact, this post is mostly based on speculation, but it's more than just the typical fan-boy rumors. This comes from Todd McCarthy, former film critic of Variety magazine, now a writer and reviewer for indiewire. The following paragraph is from a piece he just recently wrote and posted for Deep Focus, the entire article for which you can follow the link to.

All through our recent two weeks in the dark, we received periodic updates and tentative promises about the imminent arrival of the film for us to view; even well into the second week we were still being thus tantalized. Finally, of course, came word that Malick was still not done and it now seems clear the picture will not be opening this year. I can’t prove it, of course, and he’s supposedly set to start shooting a new film in Oklahoma in October, but I’m convinced we won’t be seeing “The Tree of Life” until, at the earliest, the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Or perhaps it could turn up at the New York Film Festival a year from now.

Personally, I have a feeling that the same sort of thing will happen for The Way Back. What do you think will happen to The Tree of Life. I want to hear your theories.