Review of Knight of Cups (2015) by Victor T — 12 Sep 2016

It seems like "Tree of Life" changed Malick's career as before he was a man interested in the meaning of the short human life juxtaposed with the beauty and mystery of Mother Nature, but now he's focused on human emotion with autobiographical elements but throwing the written process out the window. Considering that, it's no wonder why his latest films manage to get polarizing responses from both critics and audiences and "Knight of Cups" is no exception. Was this three years in the making experiment worth it? Is this highlight in Malick's career or a flop?

Terrence Malick is a director which I'm of two minds about, as I considering him a fascinating director to watch and I hold him as the maker of the most beautiful looking films I have ever seen, but I also struggle with his experimental storytelling as at times it works for me (I love "The Thin Red Line" and "Days of Heaven") but at others I hate it ("The New World" and "To the Wonder"). So considering his later career, I watched this film with mixed feelings but I have to admit that his sixth film managed to surprise me. It goes without saying that "Knight of Cups" is an experimental film that will alienate almost all audiences but I actually enjoy watching this experiment unfold. Sure, there is absolutely no story whatsoever, at times the voiceover comes off as pretentious, the camerawork feels improvised and rushed (which is shocking from Malick), it's entire cast is wasted in thankless roles and it overstays its welcome; but it is also incredibly fascinating, the voiceover comes up as poetry, the visuals are as gorgeously mesmerizing as expected from Malick (Chivo continues to prove he is the best cinematographer working today), it presents many relatable ideas about human relationships, the acting is so good that most actors sell their respective scene (even if most of them last only 2 minutes at best), and Malick's direction feels comfortable (he seems to have find a stable ground in between the artsy "Tree of Life" and the improvised "To the Wonder"). But the biggest decision within this film is that finally Malick decided to throw story out the window, as he has been constantly hampered with it so I admire/respect this decision (if you care about visuals then just write a solid backbone for them, go all the way not halfway through). It needs to be said that this doesn't come off as a pretentious film as it comes from a man who knows what he is doing and it doesn't try to be something it isn't, it is specifically design to be an emotional journey, not a "deep" story.

"Knight of Cups" is the most experimental Malick film to date, as he finally throws story out of his vision and gives us an experience that can only be described as a visual poem. It is not for everyone but it offers a unique experience to the small amount of people who will get through it and it is far superior than "To the Wonder".