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The Tree of Life
2011 139 min United States of America PG-13 16+
★7.5
Drama, Fantasy
Director: Terrence Malick
Trailers
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Description
The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.
Budget:
$32M
US Gross:
$13.3M
Worldwide:
$54.7M
Starring
Brad Pitt
Actor
Sean Penn
Actor
Jessica Chastain
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2011
— Palme d'Or
Academy Awards 2012
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 2012
— Best Director
Academy Awards 2012
— Best Cinematography
Key opinion
The Tree of Life is a polarizing, meditative work that trades conventional narrative for a visual and philosophical exploration of existence and family dynamics. While some viewers find it a profound, technically masterful experience that rewards patience, others dismiss it as an inaccessible, self-indulgent, and aimless exercise in pretension.
| Cinematography | Lubezki's cinematography is widely praised as an unparalleled, visually stunning achievement that turns the film into a painterly, atmospheric canvas. | |
| Acting | Brad Pitt's portrayal of the strict, complex patriarch is recognized as a mature and micro-expressive performance, despite some isolated claims of overacting. | |
| Pacing | The film's non-linear, meditative pacing is a source of sharp division; it is hailed as a contemplative experience for some, but viewed as an exhausting, dragging, and inaccessible slog by others. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure is heavily criticized for lacking cohesion and abandoning traditional storytelling, leaving some viewers feeling as though they did not watch a film at all. | |
| Theme | Opinions on the film's philosophical ambition are split; supporters find it a moving, spiritual meditation on life and grace, while detractors see it as a pompous, derivative attempt at profundity. |