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Created Feb 24, 2012 10:49PM PST • Edited Feb 24, 2012 10:52PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   OMG Terrence Malick is all over the place with Tree of Life. Overly dramatic, overly artsy, pretentous and flightly filming was really hard to follow at times. Centered around a young family in the 50’s, specifically the boys and their dad (Brad Pitt), the film has the lofty goal of filming life’s meaning. There are plenty of visually awesome sequences, and many moments that are interesting from a story line perspective — but the biggest issue I had is that there doesn’t seem to be any significant plot. Just following life in snippets of dramatic sequences. Stick with it for the novelty if you can. If you have chronic art-film-aversion tendencies, then you’ll need a strong stomach.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Brad Pitt is great – who knew he’d be a shoe-in for a moody 50’s dad? Jessica Chastain makes a pretty darn good 50’s mom, only she’s too thin and earthy to be taken seriusly. The two of them together is dramatic beauty however. Hunter McCracken is is also greatas the young moody boy who seems a little off. And Sean Penn, well, he’s ok in his elongated cameo as the older version of Hunter.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Barely OK 2.0

    How the heck are you supposed to rate beautiful filming of an unimpressive movie? Seriously? The Hubble-telescope shots, opera backdrop, IMAX style genesis-of-earth shots distracted me more than any substance that it might have added. Wish I had had some shrooms though! They definitely were works of art. A perfectly artistic and dramatic film… but no story! That was frustrating to me.

11. Direction Barely OK 2.0

12. Play Barely OK 2.0

13. Music Barely OK 2.0

14. Visuals Barely OK 2.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

17. Sex Innocent 1.3

18. Violence Gentle 1.3

19. Rudeness Polite 1.3

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.7

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.7

23. Biological Surreal 2.7

24. Physical Surreal 2.7