Had To the Wonder been released in, say, 2016...
...how do you think it would have been received? Would it seem fresher, without the constant comparisons to The Tree of Life? Or would the long wait create too much hype, hence the final product would underwhelm?
It's safe to assume that the recent speed-up in Malick's post-productions is due to his wish to make more films with the time he has left. He may not feel like he has the luxury of waiting 6 or more years in between films anymore; he's found a style that suits him and it seems like he's sticking to it for a long time. With this in mind, do you think maybe he rushed too much with To the Wonder? Would more post-production time have resulted in a better film?
I cut class and went to the theater to see it yesterday. I need to watch it one more time to get a firmer grasp on it and put my thoughts in order, but I do know I liked it quite a bit. Much like with The Tree of Life, I was entranced by the dream-like flow of images and music. Of course, To the Wonder didn't top that film, and it would have been unrealistic to expect it to, but it was still memorable in its own right. I understand why some feel that it's dangerously close to self-parody (some of the voiceover did stick out like a sore thumb, and the scene with Romina Mondello was the most random movie moment of the year: throwing Marina's purse aside? "I am my own experiment"? WTF?), and I would have appreciated it if some of the performances hadn't been entirely cut out, Chastain, Weisz, Peet and Sheen especially.
It would have benefitted, I believe, from a better lead actor. Perhaps the reason why Ben Affleck's role seemed to be drastically reduced is that his counterpart is considerably more interesting. There is a major difference between playing a closed, distant character and being unable to emote properly. Unlike with Marina, whose feelings were effectively conveyed, I didn't feel like I understood Neil at all. It was befuddling to see all these women fall madly in love with him when all I saw him do was stand in silence most of the time. The editing might be to blame for this, too, but I didn't like what little of Affleck's acting I actually saw. And the fact that he dissed the film after praising Malick as a long-time idol is also unpleasant in itself.
Olga Kurylenko, on the other hand, is excellent; perfectly melancholy and compelling to watch. I wasn't bothered by her dancing and jumping around; I read a lot of people complaining that all she does is twirl and scream like an idiot, but I didn't find that to be the case. That, I feel, comes down to Malick's option to work with silences and body language; that explains why there's so much arm movement, and dancing with broomsticks at the supermarket, and kneeling for forgiveness. Yet, even with these imperfect tidbits, I feel that his technique was mostly effective, and part of what made the film such a fascinating watch. Olga did a great job adapting to his style, and I especially appreciated the way she conveyed her character's feelings.
Bardem and McAdams, while not in it for too long, were both very good. As was the brilliant cinematography; Lubezki is a master, and I can't wait to see what he pulled off with Gravity. The more I think about To the Wonder, the more I want to see it again. It's imperfect, but it's fascinating nonetheless to watch Malick tinker and experiment with this style. I'm intrigued to see how Knight of Cups and the untitled project will turn out; whether they'll move towards an even more experimental direction or adhere to more traditional filmmaking. Here's hoping they'll be at least as good as To the Wonder.
I'm sure few of you, if any, have read any of this, but still: what are your thoughts on To the Wonder? How do you feel a later release would have impacted it?