By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Julie Bertuccelli
Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg | Christian Byers | Marton Csokas | Morgana Davies | Tom Russell
Country: australia, france, germany, italy
Year: 2011
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1496005/
Chris says: “In rural Queensland, Australia, Peter, a father of four suffers a fatal heart attack while driving and hits the enormous tree next to his house. Soon, his wife Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and 8-year-old daughter Simone (Morgana Davies) sense his spirit emanating from the tree. Rather than anthropomorphize the tree, director Julie Bertuccelli wisely uses a more mystical approach–the tree becomes a safe haven for Dawn and Simone to bask in and engage with its newfound Peter-ness. They talk to it as if they were communicating with him, but to the viewer it’s less a fantasy come to life than a chance for the family to continue their grieving process in a way that’s therapeutic and touching, but not maudlin. Conflict arises, however, when the tree begins to overtake the house–root growth underneath blocks the plumbing, vines begin to obscure the exterior and branches start not-so-randomly falling into certain people’s bedrooms.
“Although it neatly executes a potentially dippy premise, the film does not hold together as well in its screenplay (adapted from a novel). A few early scenes following Peter’s death reek of tired melodrama and awkward dialogue and an attempt to make a nosy neighbor into a villain adds little weight to the main story. Fortunately, THE TREE exhibits a strong sense of space, not only in its expansive, massive titular object but also in the family’s lived-in, distinct home and its richly drawn and photographed surrounding landscapes. Morgana Davies is also pretty terrific as Simone–she has that same balance of ingenuity and precociousness as Anna Paquin did way back in THE PIANO. And with an always game Gainsbourg anchoring the cast, you’ve got a charming, (if uneven) slice of down-under magic realism that thankfully does not overdo the magic part. 3 1/2 cats
“Michael says: “Charlotte Gainsbourg is not afraid to do something different. Between her two stints with the notorious Lars von Trier, she popped down to Australia to star in a curious drama called THE TREE. Charlotte plays Dawn O’Neil, happily married and raising her four children, she finds herself adrift when her husband dies of a sudden heart attack as he’s pulling into their front yard. The truck he’s driving collides gently into the massive tree that overshadows their home, and soon 8-year-old daughter Simone has determined that her father’s spirit moved into the tree as he died. The family all have difficulty dealing with the loss of their patriarch, with Dawn having trouble getting out of bed, oldest son Tim feeling the burdens of responsibility for his family, Lou, quietly watching his family’s strange behavior and finding his own solace in caring for the tree, Simone, finding shelter and haven within the tree’s branches, and talking to her father’s spirit in the tree, and Charlie, who does not speak after the loss of his dad.
“It all sounds a little new agey and melodramatic, but for the most part, it’s not. There’s something about the Australian countryside that trumps all of that. Director Julie Bertuccelli does a great job conveying what it’s like to live in the O’Neil household – a loving family, attuned to the natural world, living on a salary that keeps then going, but hardly in the lap of luxury, and then suddenly having to cope with the loss of their focal point. There are stray moments when the screenplay takes a slight dip, but for the most part it works. THE TREE is based on a novel called Our Father Who Art in the Tree and either the original author, or the screenwriters set the point of view mainly with Simone, but in the film, Bertuccelli does a terrific job letting us relate to all the characters at one point or another. Young actress Morgana Davies was nominated for and won several awards for her impressive performance as Simone, and Charlotte Gainsbourg never disappoints. But perhaps most importantly, the titular character truly overshadows much of the film, and rightfully so. It’s not without flaws, but THE TREE tells a story, and does it well. 4 cats”