The Tree

I’ll be honest, what also enticed me to catch The Tree was a scene in the trailer, in which eight-year-old Simone (Morgana Davies) says, “Well, you have a choice to be happy or sad, and I chose to be happy. And I am happy.” Like Morgan Lily in Henry Poole is Here, newcomer Davies displays a depth far beyond her years. Must be the name.

I’m not sure if The Tree is a film as much as an exercise in symbolism. Nevermind the fact that Julie Bertuccelli’s film has the misfortune of being released so closely to Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, potentially losing audience from a confused population. It may have its problems, but I was more interested in the heart of The Tree than the headiness of Tree of Life (which is why I saw one film instead of the other). Still, It’s difficult to think of The Tree as a film. The symbolism is so heavy-handed at time, the fact that Bertuccelli’s inspiration was a novel becomes abundantly clear. One imagines the novel, title Our Father Who Art in the Tree, reads like a Steinbeck or Faulkner saga, with perhaps a touch of Harper Lee in Australia.

It’s not a bad film, nor is it a great one. Morgana Davies is wonderful as a bereft little girl, daddy’s favorite. In a brief but moving performance, Aden Young imbues Peter O’Neill with life and warmth, happiness and dedication. His death blindsides his family and the loss is felt by the viewer as well. Charlotte Gainsbourg is exactly what you’d expect - a fragile and broken French expatriate, widowed mother of four. There’s no denying the love she bears for her children, but one has to question the decisions she makes as the tree next to the house overtakes her yard, her house, her children, her relationships. After eight months of mourning, Dawn meets George (Marton Csokas, who is somehow reminiscent of Richard Coyle) and endeavors to move on, with George’s help. Where do you think the story is going? You’re probably right.

Ingenuity isn’t the point here, though; it’s poetry, something The Tree has in spades. Accepting that, it’s possible to enjoy The Tree and appreciate the Australian landscape. Maybe you’ll even walk away wanting to read the book - I know I did. But I can’t help but think that it could have had a much more satisfying conclusion...