Terrence Malick's ("Tree of Life") new film, "To the Wonder," is, at best, a bit of a disappointment, and, at worst, looks like one long perfume commercial.
Malick employs his now trademark elegant, open, airy,
spacious camerawork (although many
shots/scenes are far too reminiscent of “Tree of Life” itself) to tell the
story of Marina (Olga Kurylenko)—a waifish French single mother with a pre-teen
daughter, Tatiana. Marina falls for American, Neil (Ben Affleck), in her native
Paris, and he takes her and her daughter back to the flatlands of Oklahoma. But
Marina can’t marry Neil because “in the eyes of the Church” she is still
married to her husband who abandoned her and her daughter. She does not state
this bitterly, because she is a woman of faith, prays and goes to Mass.
The profound, dedicated but troubled priest at the parish is
Fr. Quintana (Javier Bardem). He seems to be going through a dark night of the
soul where he feels he has lost God, can no longer perceive Him, and yet he
still carries on and prays intimate, Psalm-like prayers. As in many Malick
films, characters constantly whisper prayers and converse with the Divine as
easily as they do with the human.
“What is this love that loves
us--
that comes from nowhere. From all around.”
“Love that loves us—thank you. Merci.”
Neil and Marina and her daughter share joys, tears and
fights. Much of TTW is about the male-female romantic relationship. Most of the
dialogue is either snatches of people’s thoughts or snatches of conversations
that are purposely not in sync with the visuals. People’s mouths move and the
words come out before or after (sometimes it’s easy to lip-read). I found TTW
even more “impressionistic” than “Tree of Life.” Malick’s impressionism is
decidedly not everyone’s cup of tea. Malick makes what I call “meditation
films” that require your full, undivided attention. TTW also has lots of
subtitles because French is spoken and even a little Italian. I, personally,
like his films, but you have to be in the right mood and feeling very patient.
SPOILER ALERT! I’m doing spoilers because people are asking
me what I think especially of Malick’s handling of Church stuff. Malick’s films
are intensely Catholic, in every sense of that word.
Marina’s visa runs out and she returns to France. Neil
temporarily takes up with Jane (Rachel McAdams), an acquaintance from his youth, with whom he
also fornicates. But Marina eventually returns, and she and Neil marry, first
in front of a justice of the peace, and later in the Catholic Church (it’s not
explained if she got an annulment).
Neil barely says a word throughout the entire film. He seems
like an OK guy, only very indecisive and afraid of commitment. We never get to
know him at all. Only the women speak. What do they speak of? Love. Desperately
wanting Neil.
As always, Malick can’t get enough of the beauty of nature,
and his camera lens/eye seems to just keep wandering off to it in the midst of
human travails. It reminds me of a saying from Rumi:
"But
listen to me. For one moment quit being sad.
Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you."
Malick finds God in nature, and, I believe, uses “nature
interruptions”—shot at all times of day (he’s particularly fond of dusk as I
am) to keep hammering home the delicious and consoling fact that we are truly “surrounded” (a huge theme in this
film) at all moments by God-Love. Magnificent, hoary bison even “surround” Neil
and Jane at one point. “God in Malick’s Films” would be an excellent filmic
study.
Malick must be beside himself with delight at what today’s film
technology enables him to do. Since he uses an abundance of natural light (even
indoors), his movies can look like they were shot on film.
TTW is not a “mature” film.
It is almost childish and seems to lack the forethought and careful
planning of “Tree of Life.” TTW feels like an unnecessary film. I almost fear
it will mar his “Tree of Life” legacy. Malick could have just ceased filmmaking
after “Tree.” It cannot be topped—not that the esoteric director is even
trying. He’s often like a photag-enthusiast, a kid or film student with his
first camera, let loose upon the world.
As Michael Phillips of the “Chicago Tribune” asks: For Terrence
Malick, there can ever be too many
fields of waving grain in a film? Phillips answers his own question with a “no.”
As much as Malick’s camera loves human beings, it loves
nature more, and would be content to silently, wordlessly make us stop and
contemplate it forever.
OTHER STUFF:
--Nobody has anything to do. Oh, Neil LOOKS like he’s doing
a job once in a while. They go shopping once, and toward the end some dishes
get washed. That’s about it. But maybe that’s the whole point? We are busy
about nothing, when we should be busy about each other? The important things in
life? Love? Remember, in the Garden were only Adam and Eve.* And the Garden. I
think this is Malick’s great nostalgia.
--Malick’s women are fragile, luminous, wide-eyed, girlish
ingénues. Almost like D. W. Griffith, who preferred his starlets barely of age.
--Marina, Tatiana and Jane’s dancing around and jumping on
beds gets very tiresome. I realize that, at least on Marina’s part, it could
very well be French whimsy, but—in the immortal words of “Monk” (via Randy
Newman): “I could be wrong now, but I don’t think so.” I think it is rather
Malick’s idealized vision of woman: the woman-child.
--The house in Oklahoma is never fully furnished. Doors to
the outside are left open, and messy boxes are always in a state of being
packed/unpacked. Horrible impermanence.
--The old Black guy at church (and old lady who
says—offscreen!—she will pray for him) trying to help their priest FEEL God
again!
--Lots of great quotes: “Jesus does not let us avoid choice.
We MUST choose.” –Fr. Quintana
“Why do we come back down?” –Marina
“I thirst for You.” –Fr. Quintana
--Even though made by a man, and with a very strong central
male presence, TTW, I think, is meant to be a woman’s film. A woman’s
perspective on love. From a man’s perspective. :)
--Like “Tree of Life,” TTW is very reassuring: “All things
work together for those who love God.”
--I have nothing against good-looking people, but the cast
is far from ordinary in the looks department, and therefore a bit unrelatable,
at least the women.
--Maybe I’m a cold-blooded fish, but I didn’t really feel
sorry for anyone in this film, except Tatiana, and maybe the priest.
--*SPOILER ALERT: I almost feel that when Tatiana goes to
live with her father, she was finally “out of the way.” It’s as though Malick
only wants Marina and Neil together, forever young (even though there are hints
of children throughout the film), forever sharing a new, young love.
--Sad little scene about Marina’s IUD. IUD’s are sad little
things, anyway.
--A little fleeting nudity: Marina and Jane’s breasts.
--The love-language between humans easily slips into prayer.
Sometimes hard to distinguish whether a human or God is being addressed/talked
about.
--TTW feels even more European than “Tree of Life.” I
imagine the direction given to the actors: “Just do anything here. Twirl. See
how many ways you can twirl.”
--Some scenes (especially the fights and lovemaking in the
front windows) beggar belief and border on the ridiculous.
--Definite theme of: “We don’t need anything. Only
ourselves, God, nature, love.
--For all the lovey-dovey stuff, there’s very little
chemistry. Like a perfume commercial. We hardly ever see Ben Affleck’s face,
and if we do, it’s a side view.
--Marina’s Italian friend is the voice of unbridled, false
freedom. “Life is a dream! You can’t make mistakes in a dream. Just go! You’re
young—do what you want.”
--LOVE AND FREEDOM:
“Love consists of a commitment which limits one’s freedom—it is a giving
of the self, and to give oneself means to limit one’s freedom on
behalf of the other. This might seem to be something negative or
unpleasant, but love makes it a positive, joyful and creative thing.
---BJP2G, “Love
and Responsibility”
