Touches You

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I was happy to see this sort of a cast to be part of this sort of a movie. I was impressed.It's a contemplative movie, such as La Grande Bellezza and the like. It doesn't have much of a plot, but the feelings expressed, the shots, the gentle suggestions make for an everlasting trip. I was calming to see how easy this movie made me at peace with myself, presenting a scenery of fear and anguish in a most profound way.It's true, it's either hate it or love it, it was certainly worth it for me. The actors' performances were brilliant, albeit minimal. I don't believe the protagonist utters more than 20 or 30 lines. But it's an atmosphere of endless flow and deep introspection. A great choice for personal reflection and meditative retreat.

(Flash Review)Malick is one director who makes art from film and one of my current favorites. Much like a semi-abstract piece of modern art, his films are organic in many ways and open to the viewer's interpretation. The stories are told more through visuals than dialog. And for me they are shot in such a compelling way that they stick with me even if I'm confused. Like modern art, it may take repeat viewings or reflection after the credits roll to 'get it'. Knight of Cups is filled with bold imagery and edits, jarring at times but they all give a sense of atmosphere. This film 'appears' to be about a man who has lost his brother and like his father is trying to cope with the tragedy. He is also a Hollywood writer and is in the glamorous scene. He is searching for a new direction for his life and to be able to feel emotion again; probably muted from the loss of his brother. The film editing is filled with a collage of glamorous imagery contrasted with calm nature atmospheric shots and what dialog there is is mainly told through narration. Not for everyone but the viewer needs to interpret the fantastic imagery to make something of the plot.

Slick as an advertisement but what is it selling? Beautifully shot locations filled with pretty people? It isn't selling a compelling story. Turn down the sound and play your favorite music because that might make the beautiful images of a lonely man at the top more entertaining. I've always liked the tone TM creates but this one doesn't quite hit the mark.

This film attempts to get at the higher calling of a man's soul. Along the way the only thing this man seems to be deterred by is his own objectification of women. As if women are the absolute obstacle on his journey to God. The man in this film seems to be bent on using women. It's a very, very bad movie for this reason, because it never arrives at it's initial premise. I was hopeful at the beginning, but it only shows perhaps the writer/director's own proclivities for women as the ultimate obstacle to God. What a massive miss on Terrence Malick's part, to get it so, so wrong. In fact this is a great sin, that men overlook and debase women the way the main character in this film does. How can you reach God therefor if you debase women this way, as so many men do around the world in all cultures. You are indeed blind Terrance, as your film implies. As a woman I am very tired of women being cast this way in film. It's destructive to human relationships and to our relationship with God. If you read Genesis, God created man and woman in His image, not just man. Women are objectified in this film, so perhaps it's more a film about blindness, than finding God.