The Tree of Life – a film review

"There are two ways through life - the way of nature, or the way of grace. You have to choose which one you will follow."

For those, who enjoy slow moving films that set the mood through imagery and camera work, The Tree of Life might turn out to be a new favorite.  This film is all about mood, which highly correlates with individual temperament at each moment of viewing.

The Tree of life does not pride itself on a twisted plot.  On the contrary, the plot is rather secondary, if at all existent. This film spans life from the beginning (the Big Bang vs. childbirth) and continues onward from childhood filled with questions through the ongoing struggle of a man to embrace the conflict between nature and grace.

Malick presents its viewers with two ways: the way of the father and one of the mother. Like nature, the first one is full of force and combustion, while the second is loveliness herself. 

Between the scenes of Asteroid slamming into the earth and rapids of water rushing over the screen, trees gently sway to the escalating sound of classical music. Complimented by the agile musical score, Malick’s powerful imagery evokes nature’s ability to calm and confuse humanity. At the peak of confusion on screen, the film reverts back to life, which is filled with good people who suddenly go from happiness to suffering.

By following one family’s misfortune, Malick raises issues of internal conflict between faith and nature, suggesting that it predates humanity. To demonstrate this struggle, he shifts away from humans on screen to what seems to be the Triassic Period, where a curious dinosaur moves in for the kill of its weaker species only to become suddely overcome with a primeval kindness.

Switching again to family life, Malick shows the world through the innocent eyes of a child named Jack and torpedoes forward to him as a disheartened adult, who attempts to resolve the complications of his family relations. Struggling in his search for answers in the midsts of modern architecture, Jack as a man seeks solace in amazing visions of nature and vivid memories from childhood. Through wonderful imagery, Malick questions the meaning of existence and faith with constant contrast between the foreceful beauty of life and gentle poetry of spiritual grace.  

Like life itself, The Tree of Life is a transcendent journey, which seemingly leads nowhere, and ends at the place where all roads meet. It all finally comes together and starts to make sense in the film's final sequence, where viewers’ concentration of thought and emotion is released in the afterlife.

Brad Pitt’s performance as Mr. O'Brien is remarkable, as he embodies a hot tempered father struggling to keep his job, while his childhood  dream of becoming a musician still hunts him at the moments of weakness. In contrast to his dark and excitable character, Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of the ethereal Mrs. O'Brien is luminously angelic. 

Best of all is young McCracken as he plays confused and defiant Jack.  Sean Penn is inconspicuous as the older Jack, meandering around beautiful shots of Houston as though he just woke from a coma.

Malick’s new film is not for everyone. Some people will walk out of this film, others will enjoy its slow moving pace. Above all, this cinematographic expression requires patience and is as personal as individual tastes go.


Though beautiful, thought provoking and poetic, in my opinion, this film deserves 4 out of 5 stars for its trying length. Its running time (2 hours and 18 minutes) could use a 20 minutes cut.

Midnight in Paris - a film review

This romantic comedy is set in Paris and involves a young Hollywood screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson), who is engaged to be married to a spoiled American princess (Rachel McAdams). Gil is somewhat lost on his already successful career path and wants to quit Hollywood to become a struggling writer in Paris. Seeking answers during a midnight walk through the city, Gil is picked up by a car and whisked away to a party, when some random encounters with famous people from the past change his life forever.  

Lighthearted, endearing and entertaining in the way all Woody Allen films are, Midnight in Paris jumps back in time to the Paris of Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and numerous other writers and artists of that time. Gil quickly finds himself living a nightly dream of his most favorite artistic period. The dream gets even more exciting with an introduction of a beautiful female writer named Adriana (Marion Cotillard). While Gil contemplates being stuck back in time to be with Adriana, she ironically reveals her desire to live in the time that predates her own due to inherent dissatisfaction with her present surroundings.

The film is both a homage to Paris, as well as a metaphor for the illusion some people have about changing their life’s circumstances. Like an artful postcard from Paris, Woody Allen sends this charming film to remind his fans that being disenchanted with the present is ridiculously futile.

I give this film 4 out 5 stars.

Super 8 – a film review

Like an old home made movie made by geeky kids, which adults scraped off the shelf and revamped by adding the newest special effects, Super 8 is a patchwork of stories that seem somewhat incoherent.  Nonetheless, this film is a very entertaining and thrilling experience that best compares to riding an old rickety rollercoaster.

Directed by J.J. Abrams and expertly produced by Steven Spielberg, this summer science fiction tale is set in the small American town circa 1979.  Engaging to all ages, but especially to the teens, this summer attraction involves average American families and appeals to the majority of movie going audience.

The plot is simple - average middle school kids get into trouble by doing what kids do best – making a zombie movie.  Unfortunately, while filming one of the sequences, kids end up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They witness a mysterious train wreck, which they should not have seen and engage in the fearless quest to uncover the cause of the incident.  In the mean time they continue to make their zombie movie and eventually get involved with a life threatening alien, whose presence in the small town throws it into turmoil.

Next follow series of somewhat disjointed zombie makeup mesh ups, various shoot outs, explosions, auto chases, and finally alien destruction. The film is a typical Spielberg and is best compared to any of his films from decades ago. Despite this familiarly frivolous Spielberg sci-fi nature, Super 8 portrays teenage antics with admirable candor, which stirs up nostalgia of being a kid.

Don’t miss the end credits, which contain the final version of the zombie film kids managed to put together despite the many obstacles in their way.

I give it 4 out 5 stars.

Fleeting summer

That May, you only sought a lover
That year, I only wished a friend
But when you taught me how to love
Your touch felt like a velvet felt

Your face buried inside my skin
Overwhelmed by smell of raspberries
Love pollinating quickly to take off
Towards the next unopened bud

You slept with frozen smile on your lips
Sting playing on repeat throughout the night
We held on to the fancy of that summer wind
Then I flew north, until my wings turned white

Who knew, you'd always be my ally
Who knew, I’d be your constant fan
A fleeting dream extended years
Into a lifelong summer trance

The history we had invented
The reverie we left behind
By now we might as well be strangers
Yet, we remain good friends through time

l'amour continue

The cruise ship, the first few hotels in Europe and California, and the temporary house where they lived until it was time to move —all those places witnessed the awestruck first months of their engagement until the enchanted fairytale gave way to a more mature relationship. The wistful carelessness of blooming romance fled, replaced by desire to learn more and grow closer. Neither lost in the dream, nor betrayed by fantasy, their bond grew stronger nourished by understanding and compassion. As life moved forward, love endured.

Amour nouvel

They clung to each other like hungry birds, shivering in the wind on a skinny wire. Like fish swimming along clear moving currents, feeding on the brightness of their secret world, visible only to them; coral reefs and winter evenings full of a wistful longing that made the past meaningless and future beautiful, bidding farewell to the past loves of other winters long ago, and revelries of their youth now lifeless with the forgotten time.

Always the most touching moments were when some simulated obstacle prevented them from physical contact. Soaked in affection, they trembled with love, avoiding the internal fear of losing the intensity of its sentiment in the future. Sensing that they were living a half fantasy of an idyl, they cherished the brevity of the happy moments and basked in each other’s eyes. Stealing embraces to prevent the fervent bouts of unspeakable desire pumping inside their veins from spilling outside of their self-contained world, they embraced and walked around with their limbs intertwined and heads touching. In crowded places, she would practice whispering into his ear, while gently caressing it with her lips, barely touching his skin as each word escaped her mouth.

The breathless delight of their engagement gave birth to the intense passion. Like Siamese twins, their bodies morphed into one, forming a new complex being who lived and breathed love. Addicted to affection and oblivious to the world outside of their new person, they gazed at one another with sparkles of happy tears glittering inside their eyes, repeating the same adorations for each other over and over. It did not matter that the words they uttered were the same words used yesterday to describe the inexplicable elation of having found each other, for each day felt different, somehow better and more tender with the passing of time. Hours turned to days, days turned to nights, nights turned to weeks, but they continued in much the same fashion through the Halcyon days of perpetual honeymoon in the middle of nowhere. Everything around seemed beautiful and exciting distorted through the bright prism of each other’s presence.

Unsure of the magic mechanism of action that turned their bodies into vehicles of pleasure, they made love fervently and kissed insatiably; plunging passionately into the mystery of a newfound dream.

Parting seemed impossible, but was considered reasonably prudent in order to give their bodies and mind a rest. Hoping to enjoy human interaction with the outside world, they quickly realized that the loss of physical closeness posed a threat to their mental wellbeing, for their mind was already addicted to the chemical highs of love and craved carnal connection.

When the time came for their first reunion, they clung to one another and staid locked inside a deep embrace, wishing they could remain attached forever.

Are you from Mexico City?

She was sitting in a small café with her best friend, eating crepes. They always ate crepes when they were bored together, which happened frequently.  Despite this peculiar habit, neither of them was overweight.  On the contrary, both girls were in that prime twenty-something age, with bodies beaming of health and well being.  Slender limbed, they sat together touching elbows and laughing.

A young man observed them.

A constant star

Where false love fails, variation bends
Twisting with age, eraser to rub out
The ever changing rhyme, a tempest wild
Runs out, breaking man into a child

A patient traveler in search for truth will find
No hindrance stands the nuptials of true mind
The ever thriving star to wanderer forsaken
Love waits unknown, unaltered when awaken

Despite the wrinkled brow, untamed by time
The fate and spirit trail true love’s design
With every hour, time grants love devise
To guide with patience to the end demise