Review of To the Wonder (2013) by Brian B — 20 Apr 2013

Unless you are a fan of Terrence Malick or are familiar with his other films, this exploration of love in its many stages might be too thin, drawn-out and artsy for those looking for a concrete love story. Having seen all of his films (this is only his sixth film in 40 years), I think this film is one of Malick's lesser efforts, despite beautiful cinematography by Malick regular Emmanuel Lubezki and a solid cast. Though Ben Affleck has top billing, he probably has no more than a page of dialogue. In true Malick fashion, the film is full of voice overs and monologues of characters asking a lot of questions about life and love. There is no clear-cut storyline. It is just a series of montages that guide the movie along. The best way to describe it is a moving abstract painting. This style worked in "The Tree of Life", but here, it feels tedious. Despite the A-list cast, Olga Kurylenko is the movie's standout, as she is the only character we really journey with during the two hours. Had there been a little more dialogue, this film might have had a better outcome. Instead, we get characters walking around outside in grass fields, staring off, and touching one another without saying a word. This is the closet Malick will ever get in making a silent picture without actually making a silent picture.

Grade: B-.