I don't often encounter films that leave me genuinely baffled, but "The Tree of Life" is that rare film for which my only honest response is "huh?" I suspect that the flaw lies in my lack of cinematic sophistication. Although I consider myself a film geek and I can usually figure out the subtleties of artsy films, the film grammar and narrative style of this film elude me. I liked what I understood of the conventional portions of the film, which focus on the problematic and often discomfiting relationship between a young boy (played as an adult by Sean Penn) and his demanding, relentlessly strict 1950s-era father (played by Brad Pitt). Jessica Chastain is luminous as the wife and mother, and the film itself is a masterpiece of stunningly beautiful cinematography. But please don't ask me what the story means or how the various pieces of the film tie together, because I haven't a clue.
Review of The Tree of Life
