L'arbre

Well. I had read reviews of this, and was looking forward to something good. What we got was - well - mediocre, really.

Charlotte Gainsbourg has been playing fragile, tense characters for a while, now. Don't get me wrong, she's good at it, but in this film she seems to have been either left without constraints to overact at will, or, worse still, TOLD to act like a gibbering, self centred wreck. (And, yes, I KNOW bereavement is tough, is excruciating, but she just gives up, then goes out to attach herself to another man).

On the other hand, Morgana Davies is just amazing. The most natural, real child actress I've seen in years, since Catinca Untaru in The Fall (2006). Just stunningly, amazingly well done.

OK, the film is about bereavement, and loss, and as a principle, and as a core and theme, this is certainly carried through, but on the one hand badly, and on the other brilliantly.

As to the other characters? Pretty well all of them two dimensional.

And, hey, if you can move houses like that, why not move the damn house a few metres down the hill and be done with it?

Morgana Davies. One to watch. Definitely.

I wanted to yank the stupid out of Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg). As a mother and a wife she needed to step the hell up and get her life together. As an actress, was Charlotte on drugs? It seemed that at each scene she was so detached that we weren't sure if she forgot her lines, or what.

It's about time we here in the US get to see some "real" Aussies instead of Jackman and Kidman prancing about. Marton (Csokas) has been up and down the block but still refreshing.

I would have rated this lower but I really enjoyed the overall story. Worth a watch but not a buy.

Ciao, babies.

A strong, layered second film by Julie Bertocelli, one which probably deserves more recognition that it has been given by most critics. I found it difficult to take my eyes off of Charlotte Gainsbourg, who gave a sensitive and complex portrayal of a woman grieving her husband's passing. While the film may have been compared to WALKABOUT, given the cinematic opportunities of the outback, the spiritual nature of the environment paves way for specific beautiful and endearing unexpected visual delights which compliment the narrative in obvious ways, but perhaps not offensively so. The film is quite focused. It is kept simple and unfolds nicely. I found it much more pleasing to sit through than TREE OF LIFE. Bertocelli's film is much more tightly woven and traditional in form, not necessarily any less authentic or profound. Moments were delightful, not excruciatingly painful in the sense of wallowing, allowing the occasional irritation from the daughter to seep into the point where you just want Dawn to slap her across the face. May make more of an interesting comparison the that tree scene in Poltergeist or the horror film about the WOODS. Definitely underrated on here, a film well worth checking out.

I would like to add information about this film some people might find interesting it was actually shot in different locations in Queensland.. Winton, which actually is in the outback roughly in the middle of QLD and Boonah and the Kalbar/Tarome area not far from Boonah in South East QLD (not really the outback) Winton is over 1,350 kms from Boonah despite the geographical differences in the locations they blend seamlessly together being from the area ( The view outside my window includes the giant Moreton Bay Fig now known as "The Tree") it is amazing to see how they made these entirely different locations look like the same place as for the film it's an interesting combination of fantasy and reality light on fantasy heavy on reality it is not supposed to provide the answers to questions that arise from the family's situation it avoids, or attempts to avoid depictions of various characters reactions that are cliche even if that is to the detriment of the character or film nor does it have a neat and tidy ending that resolves all their issues and sets a clear path for the future that would seem more unreal, it is the unknown in that regard that is slightly haunting. It wasn't perfect in the acting department and was a little overlong but it had just enough puff to get me to the end. I wouldn't say the story and much of the film was enjoyable it's not that kind of film it was more like looking through a window into other peoples misfortunes and you feel lucky that that isn't you..the funny part was the frogs in the toilet and that does actually happen out here in the sticks sometimes that is not so funny.

Story of the 'The Tree' takes place in the country side of Australia. It's plot around Dawn O'Neil who is a mother of 4 children struggling to recover with the unexpected loss of her husband. When the father die the happiness of the family seems to ran far away and Dawn for months tries to understand the reality and put everything back together for her kids. But the youngest 8 year old daughter Simone fails to adapt to the situation and starts to believe that her father speaks to her via the big old tree in their garden. And when this tree becomes too unstable and threatens the house and the family Dawn has to decide if to chop the tree down amidst her daughter's objection.

The Tree has a good flow. It's filled with little events which defines the O'Neil family and how they try to cope up with the loss of their father and the protection and income. Alongside the main attention is given towards the giant tree which holds a significant value in the family and its history. Soon the viewer starts to feel like the tree is actually a family member which keeps the family in bound to each other. And it does it for good reasons.

Dawn's character is a strong one. And Charlotte Gainsbourge portrays it quite skillfully. And the performance by the little Morgana Davies who plays the sweet yet stubborn Simone does a wonderful job as well. Overall the acting in the movies is quite raw and closer to reality. Thus brings viewer in to more realism with the whole situation.

The Tree most of the time is a quite movie. With little score and few lines in between it will put the viewer in to the middle of a lonely place. But don't let that loneliness to gulp you down. Because good movies don't make much noise.

My reviews at flickshout.tk