Do not see this movie. It is “baffling”, “confounding” and “pretentious”. You must see this movie. It is “mesmeric”, “transcendent” and “awe-inspiring”. Like the reviewers, audiences don’t agree about Terrence Malick’s astonishing film. At the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, its premiere ended with applause and boos. Intrigued by the origins of life, especially his own, a man (Sean Penn) reflects on his upbringing in a Midwestern family in the 1950s, particularly his relationship with his gracious mother (Jessica Chastain) and his authoritarian father (Brad Pitt). Imagine Happy Days scripted by Sartre with dinosaurs thrown in. Come along and make up your own mind.
“For anyone who loves cinema, The Tree of Life is a film that demands to be seen, experienced, analysed – it’s an eminently worthy Palme d’Or winner.” – The Telegraph
Terrence Malick / USA 2011 / 138 min / Cert: 12A
