The Tree of Life - directed by Terrence Malick, starring Brad Pitt & Jessica Chastain
I finally got the time to watch The Tree of Life, and like all Terrence Malick films it enraptured me. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen the entire 135 minutes. This film has been blown up, and charged with so many accusations I can't even count. But a film doesn't win the Cannes Film Festival for no reason. The problem clearly stems from people watching it with a closed mind. The only way you can watch an artistic deeply intrinsic film like this is to open your eyes, ears, and mind. From the 17 minute prelude of the creation of universe, to looking down upon a family in suburban Texas that has to deal with real-life issues while looking for God in everything that happens all around them. It's real and tragic and beautiful, and represents the way I personally look at faith. Grace... that's the word that's used a lot in Jessica Chastain's narration, and you see so much of it in this incredible film. In my opinion it must be one of the most underrated films of the year since it's getting such mixed ratings. It's a film that must be felt and adored, not criticized and critiqued.