Two years ago, after releasing the Academy-award nominated film “The Tree of Life,” the prominent yet highly reclusive director Terrence Malick announced that he would be directing and releasing films on a more consecutive basis.
The announcement left critics and serious moviegoers a little uneasy, as Malick has only made five films spanning a 40-year career, all of them met with critical acclaim.
Well don’t worry: his sixth film, “To the Wonder,” is a cinematic masterpiece, a film that continues to expand the language and scope of cinema, redefining it in a unique and unusual way.
Running at two hours, this film is similar to “Tree of Life” in terms of its minimal use of dialogue, strange yet beautiful natural images, and universal themes.
The story, told mainly through voiceover in French by Marina (Olga Kurlyenko, “Oblivion”), is of how while visiting the island of Mont-Saint Michel in France, she meets Neil (Ben Affleck, “Argo”).
The two fall in love, with Neil asking Marina to come to the United States with him, along with her 10-year-old daughter Tatiana (Tatiana Chiline in her big-screen debut).
Arriving in rural America, however, Marina feels alien and isolated from the small-town culture, and the rest of the film depicts the rise and fall of their relationship together.
Meanwhile, the plot slides over to Father Quintana (Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”), the local Catholic priest, who questions his own faith and the meaning of love while visiting drug addicts and prisoners via voiceover in Spanish.
The first thing that must be said about the film is that it is beautiful. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s (“Tree of Life”) usage of natural light, close-ups of flowers and wide shots of natural landscapes are stunning in their composition and color.
Like “The Tree of Life,” Malick’s usage of classical music, accompanied by voiceover, make the film’s themes of love, despair and faith all the more universal.
But while the narrative structure of “The Tree of Life” was disjointed and very abstract, “To The Wonder” is fairly linear, albeit with some strange shots in the film (such as one of a sea turtle swimming).
Malick is definitely not for everyone, and this film may require multiple viewings to fully get the message. But it’s well worth the effort.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
