Movie Review - The Tree

The Tree (2011)

Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davis, and Marton Csokas

Directed by Julie Bertuccelli

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Not to be confused with The Tree of Life reviewed earlier this week, the Australian flick The Tree is similar to that aforementioned film in that both deal with death and its effect on those whom the deceased leaves behind.  The Tree is a much more straightforward film, however, when compared to Terrence Malick's sometime stream-of-consciousness filmmaking technique.  Unfortunately, The Tree is a tad bland with a story that meanders a bit too much despite a nice performance from the always reliable Charlotte Gainsbourg.

After the sudden death of her husband, Dawn (Gainsbourg) is finding it devastatingly difficult to make it through life.  Her four children try their best to move on and help their mother move past her grieving process, but they're finding that task quite unnerving.  When eight-year-old Simone (Morgana Davis) believes that the aura of her father is alive in the gigantic fig tree next to their home, she finally finds something that will get her mother out of bed.  Despite her better judgment, Dawn discovers that she genuinely feels the presence of her husband in the tree.  However, when the growing tree begins to impede upon their house, the family finds itself forced to make some difficult decisions (complete with completely obvious metaphors).

For a movie that's all about death, The Tree simply comes off as too slight and rather silly.  Ultimately, I bought the premise while watching it, but reflection has caused the film to not sit as well a few days later. Admittedly, Charlotte Gainsbourg is quite good as the grieving and tense mother.  I was unfamiliar with her work prior to last year, but since then, I've been very impressed with her recent repertoire of Antichrist, Melancholia, and this.  Unfortunately for Gainsbourg, her performances are simply too good for these movies she chooses.  Morgana Davis was at times near perfect in her role as a the young daughter, but then had several moments of being that "obnoxious" smarter-than-she-should be character we all hate in movies.

The Tree is a pretty film, but never quite succeeds at providing the drama that a movie with this theme should create.

The RyMickey Rating:  C