The Tree of Life **half

The Tree of Life **half

Retro decor, man, woman, three young boys, suggested complication between son and father. Eldest son seem to be interested in womens things, but father is a tough man (Brad Pitt). Second son is more straight forward, less complicated because hes interested in music painting, and became an architect later (played by Sean Penn). The mother figure is very well played, especially in the scene where she has a physical fight with the father, but just a few seconds. Family life growing up, moving from one fancy house to a less fancy house to another even less fancy house. Lots of water fall, clouds, blood vessel in liquid, forms of single cell life. Weeds in water (cant help to think of the weeds in water scene of Tarkovskis Solaris, but Solaris has a power and depth, poetry that this very repetitive, laborious movie tries hard to do but hasnt quite made it.)
It attempts to reach a level of spirituality that somehow seems like a milk toast type of Protestant sermon.

The young actors are very good, adorable but cannot save a movie thats this loose.
Photography of water falls with triple layer types of water in one frame is very esthetic and beautiful, but also cannot save the movie from its piled on spirituality message.

Its got merits in that it did not use the standard formula of sex, violence and intrique to get people into the cinema.