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To the Wonder |OT| The Sixth Film From Terrence Malick

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omgkitty

Member
I'm going to be honest, I think Malick could have just used still photos à la La Jetée and gotten the same effect from the film. I'm not shitting on La Jetee as I really enjoy that film, but I did not enjoy To the Wonder. I loved The Tree of Life, and this just felt so boring in comparison and I honestly feel like there just wasn't much of a point to the film.
 

StuBurns

Banned
Good, now i'm waiting for StuBurns' opinion, then i'll probably bite.
Your wish is my command...
To The Wonder

I really enjoyed it, I wasn't sure if I was for the first half, I think it's a little too formless until Marina returns from Paris, and in fact, retrospectively I still think there's plenty in that first half I'm not crazy about, I'd have preferred she never leave, and we never see the Jane sequence. I think just having Marina's daughter go to live with her father would have been more than sufficient, and have tightened up the first half quite a bit. Regardless, the second half was stunning, I was surprised how dramatic it became, it has been this slow, meditative thing for an hour, and I felt like it'd set an expectation which it shattered from her doctor's appointment onward.

I do think it's a little too dream-like though. All of Malick's films (post Badlands anyway) have this free-form, organic editing that gives everything this disconnection from how we gauge time in films. There's never a sense of days or weeks, which is usually made up for by whatever story related dialogue is in place, for example in The New World you're constantly being told how long ships will be absent so when they return, you know how long it's been, I don't know if this film takes place over six months, or six years.

I think it's a great film, but it's not up to the caliber of his last two for me, at least, not based on first viewing, I tend to enjoy all his films more the more I see them. I'll watch it again once the bluray hits.

I want to have sex with Olga Kurylenko on a train/10
 

bud

Member
Not that I disagree with you, but Malick's previous low was 61% with The New World. The Tree of Life had 84%. A prestige drama that neither critics nor audiences enjoy, that's a rarity.

the new world is the greatest film of all time.
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StuBurns

Banned
Thanks.
To be honest, from the trailer i was a bit afraid it would've been sort of an unintentional self parody, but it seems like the movie has some meat behind it after all.
It does yeah, there are moments that feel a little 'too Malick' maybe, for example there's an under water sequence, which while beautiful, feels pretty aimless and self-satisfying, but the second half of the film is fairly grounded. It's still told in his distinct style, but there's 'meat' certainly.
 

Lafiel

と呼ぶがよい
Thanks.
To be honest, from the trailer i was a bit afraid it would've been sort of an unintentional self parody, but it seems like the movie has some meat behind it after all.
The film is remarkably pretty different from how the two uk trailer presents the content.;p the french trailer actually gives off a better idea of the tone.
 

Dany

Banned
I liked it quite a but, not as much as Tree of Life but certainly better than Thin Red Line.

It is more somber and depressing of a movie than his previous ones. The ending left me with a few questions, not about 'the meaning of X or Y" but what actually happened. Gorgeous movie, great score and Olga Kurylenko kills it. I want a counter for how many times she spins around in this movie.

With the way that this film is shot, so much is told through VO, so I wonder, are they working with an actual script while making the movie? Also I saw it in theaters, I'd prefer it over my home :/
 

JB1981

Member
?


It's pretty straight forward.

I did not find it straightforward at all.
From what I can tell Olga goes back to Paris and then I see a scene with Ben Affleck in a backyard with what looks like another woman and child. Who was that? Was that Olga?

Also what was Ben Afflecks deal in this movie?
Why did he have such an issue with commitment? Why were they always fighting?
 

Dany

Banned
Some people are just not emotional.

So did the wife have her second baby? Where was the baby when she boarded the plane? We see the husband in a new house with I think two babies and a woman, wtf was that? Did he finally find someone?
 

JB1981

Member
Some people are just not emotional.

So did the wife have her second baby? Where was the baby when she boarded the plane? We see the husband in a new house with I think two babies and a woman, wtf was that? Did he finally find someone?

Exactly what I wanted to know. TheKapetain says it's straightfoward but has not returned to the thread to explain.

And re: being emotional. He certainly didn't have an issue being angry.
 

Lafiel

と呼ぶがよい
Ben Affleck was more emotionally distant more than anything else. Unable to truly reveal himself etc. That's what I made of it.
 
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