The Tree of Life

Genre: Drama
Director: Terrence Malick
Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
****

Terrence Malick’s movies aren’t for everyone. The revered auteur behind films like Badlands doesn’t conventionally direct a narrative rather than suggest it and The Tree of Life is no different. Impossible to describe in a sentence, the big prize-winner at the Cannes Film Festival explores a 1950s family (led by Brad Pitt in a stunning performance) dealing with the loss of a child intercut with lengthy musings on the evolution of life, the universe and everything. It can be a cumbersome experience at times but a refreshing pause from the mindless summer blockbuster.