"The Tree of Life" is a true Terrence Malick film. It's an excellent showcase of outstanding cinematography. At times however, I felt some of the nature sequences were overkill. It was like they were showing off their visual skills without any real purpose. I also found the film to be too long, as I really began to lose interest in the 2nd half. I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened. A bit more editing could have resulted in a more engaging experience.
In terms of Oscar, I think it will be difficult to find a mass number of academy members who will put this as their absolute favourite of the year. It’s just too abstract. Malick commands a lot of respect, but so does Martin Scorcese, Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg. The film lacks any real narrative or dialogue, so I can’t see a screenplay nod happening either. I feel the same about the possibilities for acting nominations. The cast really didn’t have much to do (why were movie stars like Penn and Pitt needed?). There really were some absolutely beautiful moments though, largely due to the camerawork, visual effects and music. Hence, I think a nomination for Best Cinematography is a safe bet in addition to a possible nod for Best Visual Effects. Though it didn't completely work for me, the film really is a must-see (preferably on the big screen).
Found it. Sorry for that comment where I say I can't find the review. The funny thing is that right away I google-searched your blog and didn't notice that it was at a home page.
ReplyDeleteWould agree with you on the possibility of Best Cinematography nod.