As many others have before, I'd like to point out that I actually am a fan of Malick's work. BADLANDS was captivating and THE THIN RED LINE had me on the edge of my seat.
So, naturally I went to see THE TREE OF LIFE. The first ten minutes made me brace myself for a great movie. Beautiful cinematography, the portentous voice from the off, meaningful dialogues and great acting.
But what happened then? I believe this happened: Malick found a chemistry set in the studio and accidentally dropped some of the bottles containing colourful liquids and all of a sudden ordered his cameraman to film the concoction being dispersed on the floor. Then he and the cameraman experimented with more fluids and thought it looked like the milky way or whatever.
Then Malick said: "What a shame that these ink-blot like pictures don't fit the movie. Ah, nevermind, we'll work them in anyway!"
And that's why I had to sit to twenty minutes with pictures of a Rorschach-Test gone awry. And when the dinosaurs showed up, I couldn't help chuckling.
Dear Terrence, let me remind you: You are a director, not the messiah or the next Ron Hubbard. You know how to tell a story, but next time, please make sure you have a story. This was a load of I don't know what.
When Malick finally, after seemingly endless twenty minutes, goes back to the Brad Pitt character and his family, you find yourself not giving a damn about them.
After two hours I left the cinema, wondering what had made me stay till the end. Truth is I still don't know.
So, naturally I went to see THE TREE OF LIFE. The first ten minutes made me brace myself for a great movie. Beautiful cinematography, the portentous voice from the off, meaningful dialogues and great acting.
But what happened then? I believe this happened: Malick found a chemistry set in the studio and accidentally dropped some of the bottles containing colourful liquids and all of a sudden ordered his cameraman to film the concoction being dispersed on the floor. Then he and the cameraman experimented with more fluids and thought it looked like the milky way or whatever.
Then Malick said: "What a shame that these ink-blot like pictures don't fit the movie. Ah, nevermind, we'll work them in anyway!"
And that's why I had to sit to twenty minutes with pictures of a Rorschach-Test gone awry. And when the dinosaurs showed up, I couldn't help chuckling.
Dear Terrence, let me remind you: You are a director, not the messiah or the next Ron Hubbard. You know how to tell a story, but next time, please make sure you have a story. This was a load of I don't know what.
When Malick finally, after seemingly endless twenty minutes, goes back to the Brad Pitt character and his family, you find yourself not giving a damn about them.
After two hours I left the cinema, wondering what had made me stay till the end. Truth is I still don't know.