Labelling a Palme d’Or winner with two of the biggest Hollywood stars (Brad Pitt and Sean Penn) in its cast as a “must-see” film may seem obvious. However, those who are expecting to watch a film of epic proportions, being unaware of the extremely elliptical and deeply personal universe of the philosophical auteur Terrence Malick, will surely be disappointed.
The film’s synopsis is simply a coming of age story of three brothers in the American suburbs in the 1950s – but Malick is more interested in addressing such pivotal issues such as the meaning of life and the existence of God and does so, not by following a typical narrative pattern but rather by creating an impressive combination of stunning imagery and heavenly pieces of classical music. For such a sublime visual feast then, the term “must-see” could not be more appropriate – now that this film is finally being released in the UK, it’ll be met which much deserved acclaim. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)
In cinemas from July 8th.
