"The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by."

I've been trying really hard to be hardworking this past week. I haven't managed to bring myself to do much more than math papers and biology paper 1s and write out my o level schedule. I'm so chill that I'm more worried about not being worried than I am about the exams themselves! But at least in my unproductivity I have been quite happy.

I've been watching nice movies this week. I watched Nowhere Boy and Let Me In a few nights ago and on Monday, I went to catch The Tree of Life with my mother. They only show it once a day and in one cinema in Singapore, so we had no choice but to see it at 9.30 pm. It was 2 hours and 20 minutes long and for some reason there was a delay. We were hoping we wouldn't have to, but we got into a cab. The time for the trip start on the little screen in the taxi read exactly midnight. A minute earlier and we wouldn't have had to pay the 50% midnight surcharge, a minute later and at least it wouldn't have hurt as much!!! :-(

Sigh anyway, The Tree of Life is an unusual film. If you're looking for a clear-cut plot, a narrative neatly presented in chronological order and mindless enjoyment, this may not be the movie for you. It is a film that requires... a lot of patience. And by a lot, I mean you gotta be really zen, man. There is a scene that is basically the formation of the universe (planets and their molten and gaseous surfaces and everything) at the start of time, then the beginning of life in the form of cells, plants, dinosaurs... and it lasts for at least half an hour. Barely any dialogue. This half hour, however, is absolutely mind-blowing because it is stunning shot after stunning shot after stunning shot. Honestly, I can't even exaggerate when I say that every single shot in this movie was beautiful. Even the one where the camera zooms up to Sean Penn's face as he walks into his office building was interesting. It says something when a trivial, 3 second scene that doesn't actually lead up to a major event is one of the ones that hasn't escaped my memory yet. The cinematography was pretty much genius and I would very much like to marry the director, cameramen, the editors, and every single one of you behind-the-scenes masterminds please. (I'd put you all in one big house and make love to all you creative souls. At the same time. We could make another beautiful movie. ;) )

I think it takes a while to fully appreciate the telling of this story, for sometimes the pace of the film is tedious and frustrating. Sometimes you are just totally baffled because you aren't very sure how this scene relates in any way to the previous because the whole thing is just so abstract. It is not much of a simple narrative. It is fragments of memories that chronicle Jack's family's lives, from when Jack is born to when he and his two brothers all play with the town boys to when Jack finds himself rebelling as a pre-teen. Thrown in the mix are also the parts which chronicle the origins of earth and life. And then you see Jack as a middle-aged man who still thinks of his younger brother who died at 19. Middle-aged Jack comes off as somewhat detached. But this is a movie that keeps you thinking as you watch it. Even after you've left the theatre, you want to keep on trying to figure it out and you want to read all the reviews you can and you want to learn more about the movie and how it was made and written and you want to kiss Terrence Malick for being such a poet and a genius.

Fancy 'non-linear narrative' style, stunning vivid images, arty farty intellectual story telling aside, The Tree of Life is about life, death, love, hatred, the universe, faith in a god, family, loss of innocence......... Although it was wonderful in the purest sense of the word to watch, this film still felt a little unsatisfying. Maybe it's a bit too abstract, maybe it tries too hard to be something it fell just a little short of achieving, maybe it's just 'pretentious crap masked by beautiful cinematography'. Whatever it is, I suppose everything has its good and bad. Bottomline: I enjoyed the movie a lot. I haven't been so awed by a film in a very long time. In fact, probably not ever. Also, I didn't even come close to falling asleep despite being exhausted from a day walking around town. In my books, this movie is gold.

At the beginning of the movie, Jack's mother's voice says "The nuns taught us there were two ways through life - the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things. The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end." I read a few reviews that night and I like the idea that Jack's mother turns out to be the embodiment of Grace, while Jack's father is the embodiment of Nature.

I also really love that so many people are comparing this film to Stanley Kubrick's 2001!!!!!!! I luv luv luv Stanley Kubrick he is a crazy genius I luvvvvv him!!!!!!!!!!!! A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut I loved it olllllll *O*


Hahahaha shucks look at the big ol' nerd I've let out. If you made it to the end, I am amazed. I wish I was this interested in my Literature text man. Also, I envy how frickin intelligent and well-written and inspiring this review is: http://www.gameinformer.com/blogs/members/b/enigma13_blog/archive/2011/06/01/the-tree-of-life-movie-review.aspx

Also, Terence Malick, you are now on my radar. I now need to watch all your past movies.