The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)

Malick's latest genre-bending film provides a lovely (if not novel in its conclusions) meditation on life and death and love and family. The setting, 1950-60s Texas, was meticulously invoked and provided a fit backdrop for childhood caught between the Lone Star state's demand for perfection from its offspring and Southern Protestant rhetoric of love in this life and assurance of reunion in the next.

The father's rigid yet contradictory parenting styles will be familiar to my children.

I can see why some are put off by its veering away from straight narrative and fInd offputting its visual and spoken meditations. I found it much better to give in to it.

Recommend.