I've always appreciated
Terence Malick's film-making although I can't say I've been a big fan of his movies so far (to be fair I've only seen three :). However, his newest work, "To the Wonder", is a true favourite of mine. It's quite a mystery to me why this one got worse reviews than "Tree of Life". I do agree, however, that the performances are not exactly stellar (imo, with the exception of Rachel McAdams).
There is no doubt that a lack of a clear narrative, ambiguity as well as stunning camera-work are a signature for Terrence Malick's work. The (almost inexistent script) only serves the purpose to create authentic moments. It is those beautifully captured fractions of complex life stories that seem so honest that the true value of his films is to be seen in. If you rid
yourself of any Hollywood-preconceptions, you will most definitely enjoy this movie.
And yes, sometimes a movie can speak to something very deep in your heart, that it makes so much sense to you, personally. This is what happened to me with "To the Wonder": I love it not only from a cinematic point of view but also from an emotional one. So, if you've been trough an emotional struggle or two, you will also most definitely understand and enjoy this movie.
After watching the trailer it might be easy to misinterpret the story as focusing on some sort of romantic triangle situation. Actually, that's not really it and I will try to convey the gist of the plot without giving too much away. Two separate stories follow four characters and their struggle to find love: The first story is about romantic love, the second one about spiritual love. Though they mostly run parallel, they also intersect. First, we have a free-spirited French woman who sees herself forced to adapt to a new life in the U.S. with the man she is madly in love with. When she fails, an imbalanced relationship-dynamic emerges (although it is only hinted at), which triggers her lover to close off to her and his feelings to turn into compassion, causing her all the more pain. A love that blossomed in France, withered in Texas. The other woman in the movie is someone from the man's past (maybe a past lover or acquaintance or youth friend), who reappears in his life when his relationship with the French woman was already broken. But from a ray of hope it turns into a source of pain, as well. Since the trailer doesn't reveal any more than this, I'll leave it at it and just say that it is the story of this second woman which touched me most (also liked Rachel McAdams' acting), although it also leaves the most room for interpretation. The second main character in the movie is that of a doubtful priest who struggles to rediscover his faith. He is looking for meaning to confirm his life choice. But is it not the way he chose to live his life, that reveals the meaning he had been looking for? The priest delivers a wonderful speech which you can listen to in the trailer, "Love is a Command". Here is a short video illustrating his struggle:
Interestingly, despite the fact that this is Terrence Malick's most personal film (at some point in his life he was married for 13 years to a French woman, whom he brought to U.S. and after the relationship failed, years later he married his high-school sweetheart - to this day, still his wife, with whom he lives in Austin, Texas), his alter-ego in the film (played by Ben Affleck) is painfully silent, untransparent and somewhat anonymous. Which is immensely intriguing. On the other hand, the writer/director manages to convey the complexity of feelings and inner struggles in both of the women in the movie eerily well.
So what is the message? The most obvious interpretation would be that love, in its essence, never fades and
that the mere struggle to find it, proves that it's always been there. That love is in yourself and not another person/entity? But maybe the message should be ambiguous. Maybe it's to be found in the perspective of things
and not in the more obvious words spoken or actions performed.
I long feared watching this movie because I thought it would be difficult to watch and leave a bitter after-taste. But there is always an undertone of hope and optimism in Malick's work and, until the end, the wonderful shots and music, the intimate stories told, all of that just leave you in awe and wonder towards the complexity and beauty of life. As the title says "To the Wonder"!
Here's also an informative making of the film explaining how Terrence Malick approaches film-making:
