Friday, November 8, 2013

To the Wonder 2012

To The Wonder     Neil and Mariana fall in love in Paris.  Neil is an American traveling in Europe, Marina is a Ukrainian divorcee raising her 10-year-old daughter, Tatiana.  Neil invites Marina and Tatiana to relocate to his home in Oklahoma.  He takes a job as an environmental inspector around the oil drilling sites.  Their relationship begins to cool after the heady romance of a city like Paris.  Marina finds comfort in the company of a Catholic Priest, Father Quintana.  He is undergoing a crisis of faith with God seeming far away and distant.  Marina’s visa expires and Neil lets them go back to Paris.  He begins a new relationship with Jane, she is someone he dated previously in his past.  They fall in love but Neil learns that Marina has been having a difficult time since her return.  She has been unable to get a job, Tatiana has gone to live with her father and Marina has fallen into depression.  Neil feels a responsibility and he is having his own crisis of faith.  He returns to Marina, they marry and come back to the US.
     Everything about this film seems to be viewed through a veil.  There are no reasons given for anything that happens.  You don’t know why Neil and Marina fight, why he lets her go, why he leaves Jane, why he marries, why they again have difficulties.   We don’t know why Father Quintana is struggling.   It seems that a why is not important to Malick.  We are to just go with the flow and appreciate the scenery portrayed more than wonder about any reasons?  The feelings, emotions and relationships are intense but only the background with the scenery the real character?  3* (This movie is OK) 

113 min, Drama directed by Terrence Malick with Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem, Tatiana Chiline, Romina Mondello, Tony O’Gans, Charles Baker, Marshall Bell.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 6.1 out of 10, 44% critic 41% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
Special Note:  The lyrics from 1920's song, "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm?  After they've seen Paree?"  Oklahoma definitely cannot compete with Paris!!




 

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