The O'Neills lived happily in their house in the Australian countryside. That was until one day fate struck blindly, taking the life of Peter, the father, leaving his grief-stricken wife Dawn alone with their four children. Among them, eight-year-old Simone denies this reality. She is persuaded that her father still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house and speaks to her through its leaves. But the tree becomes more and more invasive and threatens the house. It must be felled. Of course, Simone won't allow it.
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I wanted to yank the stupid out of Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg). As a mother and a wife she needed to step the hell up and get her life together. As an actress, was Charlotte on drugs? It seemed that at each scene she was so detached that we weren't sure if she forgot her lines, or what.It's about time we here in the US get to see some "real" Aussies instead of Jackman and Kidman prancing about. Marton (Csokas) has been up and down the block but still refreshing.I would have rated this lower but I really enjoyed the overall story. Worth a watch but not a buy.Ciao, babies.
Sometime i feel alone in this world...and when I saw that this movie only had 6.6, it really just proved it again.Enough is enough, I had to find my old password in order to log in, and vote 10, and of course, to write this review.This movie is a masterpiece. It has some of the most wonderful pictures, cuts and acting I've ever seen. The acting is so psychological correct, that you forget all about you are watching a movie. Instead you feel like a fly on the wall. The only place were i lost my focus to the movie, where when I think: Where did they find that girl? (Simone) I found out later that more than 200 girls were auditioned to find her. This does not necessarily mean she, Morgana Davies, is excellent, but...she just is. I will bet what i have in my pockets, that this girl just has started a carrier, like Nathalie Portman did in Leon, this is her phantom star. Surely a great carrier is waiting.But, let us not loose our focus from the movie. If you are a deep person, who loves themes like: family, the unexplained, loyalty, love, and great moving pictures, spiced with the best acting in cinemas right now...then go and buy this movie, and give it to your friend to enjoy it after wards.I will "only" give it 9 though..just because of movies like Braveheart, La Vita e Bella and The Matrix still exists :) Peace E
Filmed in Queensland, this French Australian co-production is a moving family drama that deals with universal themes of loss, grief, and redemption. The film has been adapted from Judy Pascoe's novel Our Father Who Art In The Tree, and follows a rural family struggling to cope following the sudden death of Peter (Aden Young), the man of the house. The recently widowed Dawn (Charlotte Gainsborough) is having trouble coping, and her family starts to fall apart.Young Simone O'Neill (newcomer Morgana Davies) believes that his spirit lives in the big Moreton Bay fig tree next to their house. She refuses to allow it to be cut down even when its roots and branches threaten to wreck the house. Meanwhile, Dawn finds romance with local plumber George (Marton Csokas), which begins the healing process. However Simone is resentful of his presence and this puts further pressure on the family.There are a few too many subplots here, some of which are never satisfactorily resolved. The Tree explores some painful emotions, and French director Julie Bertucelli (Since Otar Left, etc) handles the material with a sense of compassion and sensitivity. She draws good performances from her small but effective cast, with young Davies a standout with her prickly performance. Nigel Buck's gorgeous cinematography enriches the film.
After the sudden death of her husband, his wife and four children try to get on with life in the bush of Northern Australia. It could be a story overwhelmed by emotion, but yet it play the emotionally side with more subtlety. The family live in an old house with an enormous Morton Bay fig next to it and it's this tree that firstly with the young daughter and then with other family members where they gain the idea that somehow the spirit of their loved one is inside. The film follows the family as they move on, but without forgetting the tree and protecting it at all costs.Thought the film has a potentially supernatural idea, it doesn't play out that way, in fact it's quite the opposite. The notion that the tree contains the spirit is quite charming and leads to some wonderful encounters for various members of the family. Grief is dealt with in many ways and for these people this is how they deal with it. The cast is very fine: Charlotte Gainsbourg is very good as the mother, she is charismatic and a joy to watch. As is the daughter Simone, played wonderfully by a superb young actor, she really is something, creating a funny, touching and realistic portrayal of a young girl who is dealing with the loss of her Dad. But all the cast is fine creating a truly real feeling to events that occur.The film also works for it's use of nature. Australian films set outside the city are known for their great use of the landscape and this is no exception. Stunning landscapes and skyscapes fill the screen and there are other wonderful moments including natures creations, such as the fruit bat that flies into the kitchen or the frogs in the toilet and the families attempts to get rid of them. And let's not forget the tree. It is a huge presence in the film, literally and metaphorically and could in it's own way be a character, it is a imposing, glorious and wonderful creation and of course paramount to the story.The film ends with a bang, but a positive one, a situation that leaves the family or gives the family a chance to move on, it is almost a relief and at the same time quite touching. The film as a whole is a highly enjoyable one, and that doesn't tug on the heart strings with it's story, instead presenting itself with humour, charm and beauty.Find more of my reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com