Review of The Tree of Life (2011) by Grenilda H — 13 Aug 2013

Astonishing. A brilliant film that transcends the screen. A hypnotically engaging meditation on morality. Not weighed on the simplistic scales of good or bad, but rather questioning the meaning of either in the context of an eternity that culminates in a world where the greatest joys can be summarized in the simplest of moments often dropped (or altogether missed) by our memories as quickly as that distinct childhood taste of garden hose water on a sweltering summer day.

Performances are brilliant (giving a pass to the CGI dinosaurs... perhaps they just needed more rehearsal time than Pitt). Cinematography is jaw dropping (ditto prior note on dinosaurs). And Malick's directing is at its peak (including the reason for including the dinosaurs in the scope of the tale, but ignoring the fact that they looked like they were done to be used in a tv commercial for some technical college).