Disappointing

I love Malick's older stuff, up to Tree of Life. That movie is similar to this one, in that it is told from the inner selves of the characters. Voice-over of their thoughts takes the place of conventional dialogue between the actors. Malick has used this technique to great emotional effect in his earlier works (e.g. the memories of Miranda Otto in Ben Chaplin's mind in The Thin Red Line). Here, I felt that it was overdone, with very few 'normal' scenes to help develop the characters and story. The visuals are stunningly beautiful, as always. But I found myself longing for it to end. I got very tired of Affleck walking around in circles, brooding brooding brooding. He was given nothing to play, so he played nothing. He had two poses: arms akimbo in the early scenes, and arms at his side in the later ones. I felt for him, because I truly respect him as an actor, and even more so as a director. I just wish Malick had made his character specific, instead of a symbol of male power, aggression, and tenderness, by turns.

Perhaps if I had viewed To the Wonder in a theatre, instead of on my Laptop, I would have gotten more out of it. I refuse to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey on a TV or PC, because I have seen it 40 times in theatres, and the smaller screen cannot possibly convey the awesome power of Kubrick's vision. So it may be with Tree of Life and To the Wonder. I plan to view Knight of Cups in a theatre, to see if my experience changes. I do not believe Terence Malick has 'lost it'; I believe that I am no longer tuned to his frequency.

As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another