Don't listen to the negative reviews

Brilliant and touching

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Enjoyed the film and definitely worth the watch. The ending, however, ruined the film for me. We didn't need the last 10-15 mins where everything is tidied up for us. It would have lead to much more thought, conversation, and made the film more compelling.

Excellent movie that makes you really think about how life has many twists and turns and sometimes can be pretty rough for a while, and yet as we persevere we eventually see why things happen in our lives the way that they do. Our lives are really a series of unique tests that are individually tailored to each of us so that we can gain useful and crucial experience that helps us grow and be able to deal with each next step we take on our journey of life.The movie has a lot of parallels with Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life: Think of the Japanese man, Takumi Nakamura, that Arthur Brennan meets in the forest as It's a Wonderful Life's Clarence the Angel who jumps off the bridge right as George Bailey is almost ready to jump off, because he knows that George will instinctively jump off to save him, instead of taking his own life. Takumi and Arthur's subsequent conversations and journey trying to find their way back to the trail/parking lot is a lot like George Bailey in the end wanting to get back to his life that he hadn't previously thought of as being anything close to a wonderful life. Very last scene of It's a Wonderful Life is the written message George Bailey receives from Clarence in a copy of Tom Sawyer that states. " No man's life is a failure who has friends." Near the end of Sea of Trees Arthur receives the book Hansel and Gretel in which there is a message from the Takumi that has the season and color that is Matthew's wife's favorite season and color.

This is a good movie. Machonaughy plays a role he doesn't usually play as does Watts. Wonatabe as well. The film explores the importance of living in the moment, tension in marriages, suicide, terminal illness, loss, guilt, supernatural forces and the power of the human spirit. It is one of those films that causes you to think. It isn't an entertaining film but it is so thought provoking on many levels that more than makes up for it. Watts is very good as are the other two actors. The Forest is a neat place as is any forest. Watch this one as it will cause you to think on things you might not otherwise give much thought.

This film violates the cardinal rule of screen writing:never bore your audience. I tried hard to stay interested in what seemed to be a developing story, but I was able to watch two men talking in hushed, incomprehensible tones, wandering in a dark forest for just so long before I was bored out of my gourd. I kept thinking there must be a point to this, but I didn't have the stamina to hang in there to find out. And was he really trying to commit suicide? It's highly unlikely that someone in that frame of mind would suddenly be moved by compassion to help a stranger, who seemed to be in serious physical trouble, but then managed to trek on through the rugged terrain. All in all a case of bad Hollywood judgment.