To The Wonder DVD Review

To The Wonder is Terrence Malick’s latest film and it’s been released in the shortest period between films for him ever… a gap of one year! He notoriously didn’t make a film for literally 20 years between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. He has only made 6 films in his 40-year career of directing films (He wrote drafts of some films like Dirty Harry and Pocket Money) beginning with his masterpiece Badlands (a top ten film for me). He is considered by many to be one of the cinema’s greatest living talents and any new film by Malick is a real event.

Malick isn’t a director known for his great story telling ability. He makes great films but he is a mostly visually storyteller first and foremost, most of films have a very simple plot. To The Wonder is no exception and very possibly his simplest. French woman meets American man in Paris, they move to Oklahoma, it doesn’t quite work out, she moves back, he meets somebody else and it doesn’t work out, she decides to move back.

The film as is the case with all of Malick’s films to a extent is a deeply spiritual film. Malick own believes’ are truly unknown because he has been interviewed proper in almost 40s and is rarely photographed. The title To The Wonder has obvious spiritual connotations. The spirituality of a film is most obvious in its subplot of the film deals with a priest having a crisis of faith played by Javier Bardem.

The film has a very ambiguous ending not unlike his previous film The Tree of Life. Both films have been important in Malick’s career, both are much more overtly spiritual (they both deal with god, faith, nature as religion etc.), both are much more overly experimental than even stuff like The Thin Red Line or The New World. They have been critically very divisive even though The Tree of Life was more acclaimed on release. The films stars on both films have been even spoke of their reservations Sean Penn and Ben Affleck respectively.

However despite the very experimental nature of the film doesn’t mean its bad film, it’s a very good film. I’ve seen To The Wonder twice now, it’s clearly a meditation on love and faith and the loss of both. It’s beautifully photographed, which is always the case. The film’s biggest flaw is the subtitled narration throughout which can be really distracting from the stunning visuals but Malick is well known for using narration (it’s used heavily in every film of his). It’s a beautiful film even though it has some flaws.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Rating: 15
DVD/BD Release Date: 17th June 2013(UK)
Directed By: Terrence Malick
Cast: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem
Buy To The Wonder: DVD / Blu-ray

Film's Best Priests (To The Wonder Feature)

To celebrate the release of TO THE WONDER DVD &Blu-ray release on 17 June, we take a look at cinema’s best portrayals of priests in film, starting with Javier Bardem as Father Quintana in Terrence Malick’s poetic meditation on love, doubt and conflict.

Javier Bardem in To the Wonder
In To the Wonder, Father Quintana (Javier Bardem) is battling a crisis of faith and provides solace to Marina (Olga Kurylenko), whose relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) has become strained. Quintana’s self doubt and internal conflict also provides a parallel to Neil’s turmoil. Bardem provides a touching performance that creates a deeply reflective mood.


Anthony Perkins in Catch-22
With a fantastic cast (Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Alan Arkin, and Anthony Perkins as Chaplain Captain A.T. Tappman) and funny plot, this War-time comedy, Catch 22, follows the story of a set of men entangled in the Vietnam war. It fast becomes more about the hilarious shenanigans, such as a captain trying to escape the war by feigning insanity, while others have actually descended into madness, and the troops’ supplies are sold for profit! Chaplain Tappman attempts to make sense of things amongst all the absurdity.


Pat O’Brien in Angels with Dirty Faces
Angels with Dirty Faces presents the tale of two childhood friends growing up in a tough neighbourhood – one becomes a gangster, Rocky (James Cagney), the other, Jerry (Pat O’Brien), becomes a priest. Father Jerry helps guide kids who must endure a hard life in a crime-ridden neighbourhood and choose between crime and living straight – much like the decision he and Rocky had to make.


Max von Sydow in The Exorcist
In William Friedkin's classic chilling horror, The Exorcist (1973), Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) performs the ultimate act by evicting Satan from little Regan’s (Linda Blair) soul with courage and conviction. Despite the terrifying prospect of battling Satan, Father Merrin, remains resolute in his battle with the devil and dies in his attempt to purify her soul, while his fellow priest Karras sacrifices his life to rid the demon. The purging scene is perhaps one of film’s most memorable and famous scenes of all time.


Robert de Niro in Sleepers
The legendary Robert de Niro takes on the role of priest in Sleepers, and delivers a superb performance as a protective, truly fatherly character to several local boys who look upon him for emotional support and guidance. Amongst a phenomenal cast, from Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, to Brad Pitt, De Niro leads the pack in this crime thriller providing a strong role throughout.

Terrence Malick's To The Wonder Wondering Onto DVD And Blu-Ray This June

Studiocanal have announced an June release of Terrence Malick's To The Wonder on DVD, BluRay on 17th June 2013.

TO THE WONDER is the beautiful and acclaimed latest offering from Terrence Malick, the legendary director of The Tree of Life, Badlands and Days of Heaven.

The film is centred on Neil (Ben Affleck, Argo), a man who is torn between two loves: Marina (Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace), the European woman who comes to United States to be with him, and Jane (Rachel McAdams, Midnight in Paris), the old flame he reconnects with from his hometown. Neil’s doubts about his life and loves are reflected in the crisis of faith experienced by Father Quintana (Javier Bardem, Skyfall), who only sees pain and the loss of hope in the world.

Academy Award nominated Director, Terrence Malick is renowned for making brilliant and unique films using unconventional methods, and TO THE WONDER is no different. Here Malick explores how love and its many phases and seasons – passion, sympathy, obligation, sorrow, indecision – can transform, destroy and reinvent lives.

TO THE WONDER is the third collaboration between Terrence Malick and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki, after The New World and The Tree of Life.



DVD & Blu-ray Extras: Making of, UK exclusive Interview with Olga Kurylenko

Pre-order/Buy To The Wonder: DVD / Blu-ray

New UK Poster For Terrence Malick's To The Wonder

Well when it comes to a relationship it takes two but when its three people its a crowd and in Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder its a crowd but most of all a love triangle. With the UK release of To The Wonder only 4 weeks away another poster has been released showing two of the three main characters in happier times.

To The Wonder stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko Neil and Marina a couple whom we follow their relationship from the first steps of falling in love with each other in France to the bitter split up which sees Neil move back home to Oklahoma, USA. It is here Neil renews his ties with his school sweetheart Jane (Rachel McAdams) as he moves further away from Marina on every level.
Malick’s trademarks are on show there,so it’s going to be like the Tree Of Life when it comes to do you like what he done with To The Wonder or your left on the borderline of undecided You can decide for yourselves when To The Wonder arrives in UK 22nd February, USA 12 April, the film also stars Javier Bardem .

Watch The Exquisite UK Trailer For Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder

Last Year's Tree Of Life divided opinions at The People's Movies and Cinehouse but one thing we all agreed on was the visual aesthetics of the film were sublime.If you were expecting the reclusive film maker to wait another few years before he makes the follow up you will be amazed to know in exactly 2 months time To The Wonder will be released and this afternoon we have the first official trailer.

The Guardian have the pleasure of introducing the world exclusive of To The Wonder's UK trailer which made it's world première at this year's Venice Film Festival and like the director's previous film received an hostile reception, why we don't know.This is a powerful strong first look at the film with plenty of trademark Terrence Malick styling's on show to admire, sweeping shots with the beautiful cinematography shot by the ultra-talented Emmanuel Lubezki. It's bleak, wonderfully chosen score and the typical Malick voiceover coming from Javier Bardem who plays the priest who questions his faith.

To The Wonder is an romantic drama of Neil an man (Ben Affleck) who moves back to USA from France bringing with him his new love Marina (Olga Kurylenko). Once back home in Oklahoma he renews his ties with old school flame Jane (Rachel McAdams) sparking off a love triangle. The film will like any of previous Malick films will have fans and critics debating the pros as well as cons of To The Wonder but whatever your views on the film maker it will be a rare visual treat that has no CGI or ridiculous stunts just something intelligent to enjoy.

To The Wonder will arrive in UK&Ireland 22nd February 2013 with USA release 12th April 2013.

TO THE WONDER, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is a romantic drama centered on Neil, a man who is torn between two loves: Marina, the European woman who came to United States to be with him, and Jane, the old flame he reconnects with from his hometown. In TO THE WONDER, Malick explores how love and its many phases and seasons passion, sympathy, obligation, sorrow, indecision can transform, destroy, and reinvent lives.

source:Thepeoplesmovies