June 3rd: TO THE WONDER (Terrence Malick, 2012)
NOTE: This film will be shown in the high-definition Blu-ray format.
An American meets a single mother in Paris and returns with her and the woman's young daughter to Oklahoma, where things slowly begin to unravel.
Writer-director Terrence Malick is one of modern cinema's true enigmas. He attended Harvard University before becoming a Rhodes Scholar, then later taught philosophy at M.I.T. He transitioned from freelance journalism into screenwriting, and was an early student at the American Film Institute conservatory in the late 1960's. His first two features Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978) were festival and critical successes.
Malick disappeared from filmmaking for twenty years, during which he moved to Paris and worked on a number of unrealized screenplays. He returned in 1998 with a sprawling adaptation of James Jones' acclaimed World War II novel The Thin Red Line, and followed with two more ambitious projects (The New World, The Tree Of Life) before returning to more modest material, his first taking place entirely in the present-day, and based loosely on his own romantic relationships.
Returning to work with the director are former collaborators Jack Fisk on production design and Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity) working with mostly natural light cinematography. The film was shot on location in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where Malick spent a significant portion of his childhood, as well as Paris and Normandy in France.
The cast includes Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Javier Bardem, Ukranian actress Olga Kurylenko, and Rachel McAdams. Scenes were shot with Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, and Amanda Peet that did not make the final cut.
While Malick scaled back his production in terms of scope, stylistically it pushes on further into the abstract, eschewing almost all dialogue, with only meditative narration from all the characters to illustrate their emotions. Plot points are alluded to and suggested without being clearly depicted. The viewer is not pushed away but rather invited to bring their own memories and reflections to the experience.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Unlike its predecessor The Tree Of Life, it failed to receive awards attention. Critical response was mixed with some very vocal defenders.
Running time is approx 1 hr, 50 min.
An American meets a single mother in Paris and returns with her and the woman's young daughter to Oklahoma, where things slowly begin to unravel.
Writer-director Terrence Malick is one of modern cinema's true enigmas. He attended Harvard University before becoming a Rhodes Scholar, then later taught philosophy at M.I.T. He transitioned from freelance journalism into screenwriting, and was an early student at the American Film Institute conservatory in the late 1960's. His first two features Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978) were festival and critical successes.
Returning to work with the director are former collaborators Jack Fisk on production design and Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity) working with mostly natural light cinematography. The film was shot on location in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where Malick spent a significant portion of his childhood, as well as Paris and Normandy in France.
The cast includes Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Javier Bardem, Ukranian actress Olga Kurylenko, and Rachel McAdams. Scenes were shot with Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, and Amanda Peet that did not make the final cut.
While Malick scaled back his production in terms of scope, stylistically it pushes on further into the abstract, eschewing almost all dialogue, with only meditative narration from all the characters to illustrate their emotions. Plot points are alluded to and suggested without being clearly depicted. The viewer is not pushed away but rather invited to bring their own memories and reflections to the experience.
Running time is approx 1 hr, 50 min.
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