Johnny Case in Wonderland . . . hopelessly adrift in popular culture

While I don’t think it’s a slight that Ryan Gosling’s dead-eyed and frustratingly flat turn in Drive—a silly and nihilistic hyper-violent film adored by 15 year old boys, for whom it is perfectly tailored—didn’t earn him an Academy Award nomination, I am genuinely surprised that The Tree of Life was nominated for Best Picture and also earned a Best Director nod for Terrence Malick (who also wrote the script). Not because it isn’t deserving, but because it’s so strange and otherworldly and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and certainly not the kind of fare that normally generates Best Picture nominations.  Sure, the French loved it (Malick won the Palme d’Or at Cannes), but there’s just no way this movie will play outside of urban areas in America.  I might have hated it.  Then again, maybe I loved it.  I’m still working it out.  At times I was frustrated, but at others I was deeply moved and enchanted and at several points I got teary, though I’m not quite sure how or why that happened.  I was talking to a friend last night about it and I said, “Can you believe it got nominated for Best Picture,” and he replied, “I know!  What is that thing—is it even a movie?”  It’s a great question as it’s certainly not a movie like we’re used to seeing.  It’s as though Ezra Pound got transported into our present and discovered digital technology and decided to use it make make an imagistic tone poem that allusively recalls the past while simultaneously pointing towards the future.  I saw it in a movie theatre in LA and I’m so glad I did as Emmanuel Lubezki’s immersive cinematography (also nominated) is meant to be experienced and felt as much as seen and that can only happen if you see it on the big screen.  This is a movie I’ve spent months trying to come to grips with and I still haven’t, but it’s big and sprawling and ambitious in a way few if any other pictures I’ve seen in recent years are.  Like a lot of other folks, I’m often annoyed with the Academy’s habit of frequently anointing audience friendly middling fare, but you’ve to give credit where it’s due and though I’m surprised I’m also thrilled that they went with the way of grace and nominated this boldly experimental but little-seen film.