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The Tree of Life (2011)
Could've been brilliant - a victim of itself & painful to watch
This is my first film review on IMDb. I'm not a new member but never before have I watched a film that has made me feel the need to write a review like 'The Tree of Life' has.
With a great cast and what sounds like a good plot/concept, I sat down to watch this with high hopes, the only thing worrying me the negative reviews I had seen on here shortly before viewing. A birthday gift from a friend, it seemed like my kind of thing, I like Brad Pitt, I like Sean Penn and I like experimental film. I can tell you now, listen to the reviews, this 'film' is 2 hours of pretentious drivel, without a plot.
It could have been so good, but it's as if they tried too hard. I've given it 2/10 because a) it's very well filmed and very beautiful in places and b) the cast, but that is literally all that it has going for it. At times there are points where you find yourself slightly getting into it but these are gone as soon as they started due to the scene changes and lack of plot. Half way through I was thinking perhaps it could pick up but it doesn't, in fact, it gets worse, finishing with a confusing and extremely unsatisfying ending.
This film, put simply, is made rotten by trying to be amazing. And it's such a shame. I can see why some left the cinema during screenings of it - I gave a sigh of relief as the credits finally rolled.