Roundly derided at its Cannes Film Festival premiere last spring, Gus Van Sant‘s "The Sea Of Trees" will get another shot with critics this year. Will the ponderous drama fare better this time around, or will Matthew McConaughey‘s philosophical battle for his own life also be met with more shrugs?
Co-starring Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts, the movie follows a suicidal American man who heads to the Aokigahara Forest near Mt. Fuji in order to end his life, only to run into a Japanese businessman along the way. Here’s the synopsis from Cannes:
Arthur Brennan (McConaughey) treks into Aokigahara, known as the Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan’s Mount Fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. Having found the perfect place to die, Arthur encounters Takumi Nakamura (Watanabe), a Japanese man who has also lost his way. The two men begin a journey of reflection and survival, which affirms Arthur’s will to live and reconnects him to his love with his wife (Watts).
"The Sea Of Trees" is rolling out internationally, and will be released stateside by Roadside Attractions, but no date has been given just yet. Watch the new international trailer below.
If this movie were made by Terrence Mallik or Scorcese, people and the critics would have lapped it up (and this is coming from a big fan of both of them)…but since it\’s been made by Sant, there\’s always a rigidness to applause…..yess, the subject is depressing enough as it deals with loss and the very essence of human existence…but still the trailer looks lovely…especially the way it\’s been shot in light and dark shades….surely waiting for it!!
Sounds like Van Sant ended up making a supernatural tearjerker. Oh well, can\’t be worse than Gerry.