May 16, 2015 matthew mcconaugheys new drama, the sea of trees, was screened to a chorus of boos during two press showings may 15 at the 68th annual cannes film festival in france. They are merely devices to get us to the third act revelations. Arthur brennan mcconaughey treks into aokigahara, known as the sea of trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of japans mount fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. The sea of trees synopsis favorite theater button overview. The sea of trees is a 2015 american drama mystery film directed by gus van sant and written by chris sparling.
Arthur instead happens upon the ailing takumi ken watanabe, who claims that he was driven to commit suicide. An american man, arthur brennan matthew mcconaughey, travels to the suicide forest aokigahara forest to kill himself at the base of mount fuji in. His output since then has had its highs 2008s milk and lows 2011s restless, universally panned for its kamikaze ghost character and cancer plot. Parents need to know that the sea of trees follows a grieving man recovering from loss and a disintegrating marriage on a journey that is at times healing, mysterious, and maybe even spiritual. The sea of trees 2016 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Holding a mysterious envelope, he has the goal of swallowing an entire bottle of pills. The film follows arthur brennan mcconaughey trekking into aokigahara, known as the sea of trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of japans mount fuji where people go to.
From director gus van sant and starring matthew mcconaughey, ken watanabe, and naomi watts. The sea of trees on dvd november 1, 2016 starring matthew mcconaughey, naomi watts, ken watanabe. Dull, maudlin, and fundamentally empty, the sea of trees extinguishes the contributions of a talented cast and marks a depressing low point in director gus van. The synopsis below may give away important plot points. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Manchester by the sea is a 2016 american drama film written and directed by kenneth lonergan and starring casey affleck, michelle williams, kyle chandler, and lucas hedges.
May 15, 2015 the sea of trees has peripheral characters, but its basically a twoperson plot, with matthew mcconaughey as an american who goes to a legendary japanese forest in order to end his life, and ken watanabe as the lost japanese man he meets there. May 15, 2015 for all its apparent sombreness and thoughtfulness, the sea of trees is an exasperatingly shallow film on an important and agonisingly painful subject depression and suicide. The sea of trees is another name for the aokigahara forest in japan, such a popular spot for suicides that some believe that the spirits of the dead linger there to trap unwary wanderers. For all its apparent sombreness and thoughtfulness, the sea of trees is an exasperatingly shallow film on an important and agonisingly painful subject depression and suicide. Instead, we get a film that jumps all over the place getting to its ending, drags heavily in the middle, and takes too long to get to the point. The film is about an american man who attempts suicide in mount fujis suicide forest where he meets a japanese man who is there for the same reason.
The film premiered at the sundance film festival on january 23, 2016. The screenplay for the sea of trees, penned by chris sparling buried, is one of those narrative rube goldberg machines where everything falls into place in the unlikeliest, corniest, and worst possible way. An alarmingly contrived, corny film featuring two terrible finalact twists, sea of trees has more in common with m. Night shyamalans oeuvre than, well, a number of other gus van sant films. Matthew mcconaughey, whose performance strains every sinew, plays arthur, an academic mathematician he wears glasses. Once the investors are invested, somebody is going to have to watch the abortion.
With matthew mcconaughey, naomi watts, ken watanabe, ryoko seta. The good chunk of the sea of trees is matthew mcconaughey and ken watanabe talking as they are walking through the aokigahara forest together with flashbacks of mcconaugheys past life, and thats practically about it. The most confounding element of sea of trees is that van sant has already made a far better movie about two men struggling to live another day in the middle of nowhere his minimalist. For the most part, the sea of trees had me engaged. The desire to escape guilt, shame, and pain by suicide is a theme. In this powerful story of love and redemption, matthew mcconaughey stars as arthur brennan, an american professor who travels to japan in th. This post heavily discusses the plot of the sea of trees and pretty much spoils the entire movie. Goyer conceived after reading a wikipedia entry about the sea of trees. The sea of trees is a movie about guilt and grief that elicits just that in its viewers. Sea of trees, which debuted in competition at the cannes film festival, is the type of movie you feel guilty for disliking. Sea of trees could have been a powerful and complex examination of what life means in the face of death, especially when humanity is faced with the complex phenomenon of its own selfdestruction. A suicidal american befriends a japanese man lost in a forest near mt.
The sea of trees is a marvelous movie by the man gus van sant, who helmed critical darlings such as goodwill hunting, milk, elephant and many more. May 15, 2015 the most confounding element of sea of trees is that van sant has already made a far better movie about two men struggling to live another day in the middle of nowhere his minimalist. On his journey to the suicide forest, he encounters takumi nakamura, a japanese man who has lost his way after attempting suicide. Synopsis arthur brennan mcconaughey treks into aokigahara, known as the sea of trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of japans mount fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. The asian man who the main character stumbles into and spends the rest of the film trying to survive with is a figment of his imagination. The sea of trees, directed by gus van sant and starring matthew mcconaughey, ken watanabe and naomi watts. Matthew mcconaughey and gus van sant get lost in the sea of trees. Aug 25, 2016 the sea of trees is a film with a lot of baggage. Matthew mcconaughey gets lost in gus van sants deathly.
But his plan is disrupted by the arrival of another lost soul, takumi nakamura, and what began as a quest to kill themselves instead becomes a tale of survival. Summaries following a trail of string a man lost in a forest is on a quest of discovering the unknown. Everything you need to know about the sea of trees movie. So little of actual relevance even happens to even make this movies intentions any compelling, because it never keeps still. Naomi watts, matthew mcconaughey, and ken watanabe the sea of trees official trailer 1 2016 naomi watts movie a suicidal american befriends a japanese man lost in. Instead, van sant and screenwriter chris sparling flashback to fill us in on why arthur brennan is here in the first place, making the sea of trees one of those horrible suicide explainer movies, in which someones depression is. Matthew mcconaugheys new drama, the sea of trees, was screened to a chorus of boos during two press showings may 15 at the 68th annual cannes film festival in france. The sea of trees ready to end it all, distraught arthur brennan travels to japans famed suicide forest. Aug 26, 2016 the sea of trees synopsis favorite theater button overview.
Obliterated upon its initial premiere at cannes, gus van sants the sea of trees is more of a lateshyamalan textural exercise or a perpetual response, in tone and theme, to christopher nolans interstellar than typical arthouse fare. Russell draws on the operatic, emotional power of the romantic tradition to give his novel punch, but the problem is that this formula is so worn out. As he wanders through the japanese forest of aokigahara contemplating suicide, he meets an enigmatic stranger watanabe who is lost and injured. This character becomes the catalyst and eventually drive for the main character to decide that life is worth living. Its protagonist is arthur brennan matthew mcconaughey, a science adjunct who buys a oneway ticket to japan so he can kill himself in aokigahara, the notorious suicide forest at. Naomi watts, matthew mcconaughey, and ken watanabe the sea of trees official trailer 1 2016 naomi watts movie a suicidal american befriends a japanese man lost in a forest near mt. The actors are trying real hard, and their hearts are in the right place. Instead, van sant and screenwriter chris sparling flashback to fill us in on why arthur brennan is here in the first place, making the sea of trees one of those horrible suicide explainer movies, in which someones depression is turned into a mystery to solve. The sea of trees is a movie about suicide, cancer and depression thats not honestly interested in any of them. And i think it has to do with the performances from mcconaughey, watts, and watanabe, all of whom manage to transcend the film with their commitment. Dull, maudlin, and fundamentally empty, the sea of trees extinguishes the contributions of a talented cast and marks a depressing low point in director gus van sants career. The sea of trees a grossly misunderstood film by the.
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. Sadly, the sea of trees isnt really interested in that movie. A depressed american man travels to japans suicide forest on a quest to end it all. Arthur brennan matthew mcconaughey, an american professor, travels to japan in the midst of a personal crisis. The two embark on a spiritual journey of friendship. Aug 26, 2016 the sea of trees is another name for the aokigahara forest in japan, such a popular spot for suicides that some believe that the spirits of the dead linger there to trap unwary wanderers. The sea of trees 2016 primary poster the sea of trees plot.
Let that sink in for a moment, because it sounds like that was the extent of. The sea of trees captures this perfectly and is why these sequences work so well for the film. May 16, 2015 an alarmingly contrived, corny film featuring two terrible finalact twists, sea of trees has more in common with m. A story of love and redemption, arthur mcconaughey, an american professor, travels to japan in the midst of a personal crisis. Because for every ephemeral moment to admire in gus van sants latest film, there are. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the sea of trees near you. After traveling to japans aokigahara forest, a troubled teacher matthew mcconaughey meets a mysterious stranger ken watanabe who takes him on a lifechanging journey of love, discovery and. He is travelling to aokigahara, or the sea of trees, a vast woodland. Love, loss and spiritual torment in the sea of trees. Matthew mcconaughey and gus van sant get lost in the sea. So little of actual relevance even happens to even make this movie s intentions any compelling, because it never keeps still. The story is as mawkish as it is elegant, pummeling the viewer with inane but preposterously moving conversations, monologues, and flashbacks, all of. The sea of trees official trailer 1 2016 naomi watts movie.
It is the last day of school, and percy still didnt get kicked out. Sep 18, 2016 the sea of trees is a marvelous movie by the man gus van sant, who helmed critical darlings such as goodwill hunting, milk, elephant and many more. Principal photography began on july 28, 2014, in foxborough, massachusetts. A films story is always the final arbiter for a successful film but acting, directing and production values must provide equal measure for that overall success to transcend.
Notoriously eliciting a chorus of boos from cannes audiences when it played in competition at the festival last year, its an outing that. The consensus states, dull, maudlin, and fundamentally empty, the sea of trees extinguishes the contributions of a talented cast and marks a depressing low point in director gus van sants career. The film stars matthew mcconaughey, ken watanabe, naomi watts, katie aselton and jordan gavaris. Sea of trees is the best movie about aokigahara yet, but considering the competition, thats still not saying much. The film premiered at the sundance film festival on january 23, 2016, and was picked up by amazon studios for distribution. The sea of trees 2016 stream and watch online moviefone. The sea of trees story, the sea of trees hollywood movie. Storyline arthur brennan treks into aokigahara, known as the sea of trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of japans mount fuji where people go to commit suicide. A depressed american man travels to japans suicide forest on a quest to end it. A worried megumi delves into the dreaded and unexplained territory of japans suicide forest to save her little sister. The sea of trees has peripheral characters, but its basically a twoperson plot, with matthew mcconaughey as an american who goes to a legendary japanese forest in order to end his life, and ken watanabe as the lost japanese man he meets there.