Movie Review: The Tree

ROOTS: Charlotte Gainsbourg (R) and Morgana Davies in a scene from 'The Tree.' (Les Films du Poisson )

Their mother is French-British-Australian. Dad is a tree. It is not magical realism, but simply the projection of a young girl still grieving her father—at least most likely. The family issues are certainly real enough in Julie Bertuccelli’s The Tree, which had the honor of screening as the closing-night selection of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

The O’Neils live an idyllic hardscrabble life. Their father, Peter, earns enough to cover the necessities, while their mother, Dawn, looks after the kids. Simone has the entire Australian wilderness as her backyard, but more often than not, she plays with her siblings in the enormously cinematic fig tree shading their house.

Tragically, she is with her father under that same tree when he dies of a freak heart attack. As she struggles with bereavement, Simone starts to believe that her father is whispering to her through the wind in the tree’s leaves.

Her mother accepts Simone’s attempts to commune with father, perhaps even encouraging them, because she too has not yet been able to let go. However, as the tree’s roots begin to breach the foundation of their home, some painful decisions will have to be faced.

Based on the novel by Australian Judy Pascoe, a former circus acrobat (a fact not especially germane but interesting nonetheless), Bertuccelli minimizes the fantastical vibe, focusing on the mystical but terrestrial beauty of the natural surroundings.

A credit to the scouting team, the titular tree truly evokes deep archetypal images. Indeed, as cinema, The Tree is quite accomplished, featuring some impressive storm effects worthy of a bigger-budget film.

In every sense, though, Charlotte Gainsbourg is the glue holding it all together. She has warm and inviting screen presence that is difficult to put into words. She certainly exudes an earthy magnetism and is also quite mom-like, altogether well suited to Bertuccelli’s story of family drama. She also forges some smart and realistically grounded chemistry with Marton Csokas as George Elrick, her employer, plumber, and halting love interest.

Frankly, that domestic angst gets layered on a bit heavy at times. However, Bertuccelli realizes that a wide shot of the still-sprawling Aussie wilderness is always a nice palate cleanser, and a tight shot of Gainsbourg immediately refocuses the audience. Cinematographer Nigel Bluck definitely evokes the look and feel of early Peter Weir films, which is high praise indeed.

If kids really bug you under any circumstances, than you have to pass on The Tree. However, those who enjoy them in short intervals will be struck by an achingly sensitive performance from Gainsbourg and perhaps the most photogenic backyard in the world.

Recommended for Gainsbourg fans and readers of women’s fiction a cut above Oprah Book Club selections, The Tree opens this Friday (7/15) in New York at the Village East.

Rating: 3 / 5

Joe Bendel writes about independent film and jazz and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit jbspins.blogspot.com