tree of life

this kid scared me like my oldest brother scares me

i read that this movie, the tree of life, was getting a love-it-or-hate-it reception everywhere, which always pops a flag in my head that "i wanna see that movie!" surely i'm not the only one who thinks that...right?

then i read some comparisons to 2001: a space oddysey, which probably ranks as my favorite movie of all time. again, "i wanna see that movie!"
i knew better than to drag the husband to see it. and glad i didn't. because i liked it... i liked it a lot. which generally means, he wouldn't.

first, the 2001 comparisons: i can see where these come from, but they aren't warranted. nor was the protracted visualization of the evolution of planet earth, from where those comparisons sprang up. middle-aged men all over the planet have guilt and / or regrets of childhood nastiness (even those destined for sociopathy, yet somehow gain successful careers in architecture, allowing them to work in the world's most beautiful office building)...so, working out the coming-to-peace process doesn't really mean one has to work out how asteroids wiped out the dinosaurs. no matter how impressive the CGI.

but i digress. and that's my point. way, WAY too much background to tell an already compelling family story. and the last several minutes of that coming-to-peace...well, my impression was that of the director and editor going through the several angles of the same scene, loving every bit of it, and so, deciding to keep every bit of it, even if it became very repetitive.
 
but wait, didn't i say i LIKED this movie? indeed, i did like it. the parts i didn't find necessary, along with the parts i thought fit in quite naturally, were still visually compelling. i would absolutely see tree of life again. but don't wait for the DVD, because this is one of those movies from which you will easily become distracted (more visuals than dialogue, etc.), so the home viewer may never actually finish the movie.