Tree of Life

If you are a person who likes looking at things that are beautiful, you should see "Tree of Life". If you don't like looking at things that are beautiful, there is something wrong with you and you should get that fixed because looking at beautiful things creates harmonious brainwave patterns.

It's a big movie and it asks a lot of you. It took a lot more patience and attention than I'm used to giving. Somewhere into watching it, I started wanting to check my email which is a red flag of "I've had enough". At times it felt like the movie was going to give me information and then it wouldn't. It shows you a family - a mother, father, and three brothers - and starts by asking the question "Why did this have to happen?" when one of them dies. It lulls you into thinking there's a full on story line happening when there isn't. Instead it will take you through moments of creation - installments of music and images and bits of childhood memory - all unfolding without explanation or catharsis or apology. It reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It also reminds me of "Ashes and Snow" which is this art exhibit with a website that's worth exploring, particularly if you like to look at beautiful pictures while Laurence Fishburne whispers to you.

Tree of Life starts with a quote from the Book of Job which is one of the most fucked up thing in the Bible. The angry jealous Yahweh of the Old Testament made a stupid deal with the devil that he couldn't get Job to curse God because Job was such a good person. So God destroyed Job's life and eventually Job asked God "Why are you doing this to me?" and God said "I'm doing this because I feel like it and who the fuck are you anyway" and that was that.

On a side note, I started a twitter account but I can't remember the password and also lost interest.