The Last Movie I Saw

I've actually seen Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life twice already, and it's one of those rare cases where I liked it much more on second viewing. That's largely because it's a somewhat overwhelming experience the first time around, as Malick purposely defies the normal conventions of plot and narrative that dominate popular storytelling (whether in films or otherwise), and I'm way out of practice in viewing such work (I'd call it experimental, but I don't think that Malick is experimenting-- he's just hewing to his particular vision). On first viewing, there were several passages that just knocked me out, but it was a struggle to see how it all fit together. On second viewing I had a greater sense of cohesion, and picked up some of the more subtle points that made it a much more enriching experience. Malick must be the only American filmmaker working today in something close to the mainstream (at least in terms of the wide distribution of his films) who can be rightly characterized as a visual poet, whose work leans more toward the allegorical than the literal, and whose ideas are mostly conveyed through his images (in fact there is virtually no dialogue and only impressionistic narration in The Tree of Life). It's a film that demands, and commands, attention, but it's hard to imagine that the average moviegoer is prepared to engage in the kind of interactive relationship with a movie that Malick is assuming here. That's more a result of "lowest common denominator" thinking amongst producers than any inherent lack of intelligence in the audience-- just how often are they challenged by what they see on the screen?-- but it's also unlikely that there will be a loud clamor for more films like this forthcoming. Since Malick has only made five films in almost forty years, one hopes that at least some other artists might be inspired to work in the same vein, but I won't be holding my breath.