“Many films diminish us. They cheapen us, masturbate our senses, hammer us with shabby thrills, diminish the value of life.”
– Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert calls the film Tree of Life a prayer…not asking for something, not to someone or something, but a prayer for everyone and everything. It most definitely is not your typical Hollywood fare. It is a film that is beautifully shot and for the most part edited (I did think one sequence was a little long). It is a film the plays with the idea of what the beginning and end actually are.
This isn’t a film for everyone though. Which in some ways can lead to that “I’m a genius film maker and smarter than you” vibe. The way it plays with time can make it difficult to follow. In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure how I felt about it. I mentioned above one sequence I thought could have been edited a little differently (I think it could have been a little shorter without affecting the impact of the sequence). I do think that one of the ideas was to keep you questioning, both when and where you are, but how we are connected with each other and our world.
