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Sorry, this movie sucks

Fresh and Exciting

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Arthur Brennan (Matthew McConaughey) travels to the Aokigahara forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide. There, he encounters Takumi Nakamura (Ken Watanabe). The movie also shows his troubled marriage to Joan Brennan (Naomi Watts).Director Gus Van Sant delivers a ponderous journey of self-discovery. Neither timeline is that compelling. The troubled marriage lacks energy which ends in a silly surprise reveal. The walk in the forest is only that while the audience waits for the inevitable reveal. This felt much longer than its running time.

I really don't understand the extreme harsh reviews. The film is too long for the story and starts a bit slow as well as there being some unlikely or highly coincidental moments but there is so much emotion in the characters of this film and Mcconaughey especially relays this beautifully. Many tearful moments and a very satisfying ending. Impressive cinematography although a somewhat predictable score. The relationship between Watts and Mcconaughey is full of real emotion, grounded in reality.Definitely worth the watch overall, however there are flaws to look past.

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.

Most of Gus Van Sant's movies have focused either on marginalized people (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting) or political issues (Milk, Promised Land). "The Sea of Trees" is a new turn for him. Matthew McConaughey plays a man who goes to Japan's Aokigahara - aka Suicide Forest - with the aim of ending his life, only to meet a man (Ken Watanabe) who has his own story.This movie is not a masterpiece, but is an interesting story in its own right. In addition to the flashbacks showing events with the main character and his wife (Naomi Watts), I like the cinematography in the forest. These two men have a lot to deal with in this forest, but their experiences force them to persevere.So, while it's far from Van Sant's best movie, I still recommend it. I don't understand why it got booed at the Cannes Film Festival.