Sometimes, you can put together a terrific cast, an auteur director, and the ingredients just don’t mix, and unfortunately, that’s what happened with “The Sea Of Trees.” Gus Van Sant directing Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts and Ken Watanabe — what could go wrong? Well, apparently nearly everything, as the film did not get a warm welcome at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Ever since ‘Sea Of Trees’ has mostly been keeping a low profile, but now it’s set to hit cinemas in the final days of summer.
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Penned by Chris Sparling (“Buried,” “ATM“), the drama follows an American professor, who heads to Japan to kill himself in the titular forest, only to cross paths with a stranger. Feelings ensue. Here’s the official synopsis:
In this powerful story of love and redemption, Matthew McConaughey stars as Arthur Brennan, an American professor who travels to Japan in the midst of a personal crisis. As he wanders through a mysterious forest with a dark past, he experiences flashbacks of his fraught but loving relationship with his wife, Joan (Naomi Watts), and meets an enigmatic stranger, Takumi (Ken Watanabe), who is lost and injured. Arthur devotes himself to saving Takumi and returning him home to safety, and the two embark on a spiritual, life-changing journey of friendship, discovery, and healing—one which may ultimately re-connect Arthur with his love for his wife.
“The Sea Of Trees” opens in cinemas and on digital platforms on August 26th.
