Rosie's review -
So after reading so many reviews of this critically acclaimed film I finally decided to purchase and watch it. What a complete waste of £3.75. I knew that i would either be wowed or utterly disappointed, and unfortunately it was the latter.
There is simply very little plot- within the first 15 minutes we find out that a family had lost their son, of whom the father had a love/hate relationship with. And that is it. The rest of the movie, all 2 hours of it, reveal absolutely nothing else. It is just a string of random clips put together with some music and occasional talking (of which was very cringe worthy). The clips looked like they had been stolen from Planet Earth and i was expecting David Attenborough to start speaking as the film showed space, the creation of germs and even dinosaurs, all strung together with the main characters questioning of existence.
The constant "why is this happening to me?" whispered so quietly it sounded like a moan, over the top of a 5 minute shot of planet Earth was very annoying. I was quite ready to turn it off after 20 minutes, however i made myself watch until the end as i wanted the film to redeem itself, perhaps with a plot twist or more information of this sons death. It did not. There was no closure to the story, and sometimes this is good in films, but it was extremely frustrating in this film.
The only reason i give it the score i did is simply because it was beautifully shot and the performance of Brad Pitt was very good (the 20 minutes we see of him during the entire film). This film could have been a real masterpiece- the idea of life and death and how it effects us all is a story we can all connect to, however it was not pulled off. I was desperately trying to find the point and any deeper meaning the film had by the end. I could not. It's one of those films i think you have to see, it is completely different, but i do warn you- it may be the most boring two hours of your life you will ever spend
Verdict: 2/10
Ollie's Review -
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 the score i have 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.
Verdict: 2/10
Overall Rollie score: 2/10
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