The Tree

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The Tree

2011

1h 40m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Simone believes her dead father talks to her through a fig tree and won't allow it to be cut down.

Critics Consensus

Though it leans rather heavily on its central metaphor, The Tree is a moving and ultimately hopeful meditation on grief with shades of magical realism.

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Laura Kern

Film Comment Magazine

03/18/2012

[It] would be much easier to write off as silly and self-serious, if it weren't so involving.

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Ray Bennett

The Hollywood Reporter

01/05/2012

It's well worth seeing the performance of young Morgana Davies as Simone, a child who becomes convinced that her late father speaks and listens to her through the comforting branches of the tree next to her house.

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Tom Long

Detroit News

11/04/2011

B

In the end, The Tree is something of a stretch; but it's a good stretch, a mix of mysticism and family dynamics both satisfying and intriguing.

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Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

01/08/2019

3.5/5

You can probably guess what happens. But the standard-issue life-after-death flick is worth watching just for Gainsbourg.

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Daniel Gumble

CineVue

11/15/2018

The heavy-handed use of symbolism is, at times, offensively patronising and cliched.

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Glenn Dunks

Onya Magazine

10/17/2013

A

[The Tree is] one of the most personally striking films of the year.

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01/22/2016

Not a well made film, but the ideas are intriguing and Morgana Davies is marvellous as 8 year old Simone.

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07/15/2014

A raw and pointed story of what happens when life is turned upside down. Stunning and beautiful.

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04/18/2014

A mystical story about a family dealing with grief. Worth watching for the performance by Morgana Davies as Simone. (I love the the title of the book, "Our Father Who Art in the Tree".)

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08/14/2013

A film about death that never really comes to life.

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daron d

06/05/2013

Mostly a non event, containing the antics of a brat child and the whimsy of a widow

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06/04/2013

The Tree (2010): A whimsical Australian-French co-production, using the innocent charm of the child performers and their respective quirky characters (especially Morgana Davies as eight-year-old Simone) as a narrative strength. The adults also fare well with a distant, complex turn by Charlotte Gainsbourg and a fine Marton Csokas, keeping viewers engaged as the titular character dominates their emotional and physical lives, offering comfort and solace, as well as expressing anger and pain. Beautifully photographed and gently scored, this is a touching drama.

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Julie Bertuccelli

Director

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Dawn O'Neil

Aden Young

Peter O'Neil

Morgan Davies

Simone O'Neil

Marton Csokas

George Elrick

Christian Byers

Tim O'Neil

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Critics Consensus: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is Certified Fresh

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Synopsis

Simone believes her dead father talks to her through a fig tree and won't allow it to be cut down.

Director: Julie Bertuccelli
Producer: Yaël Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzalez, Sue Taylor
Screenwriter: Julie Bertuccelli, Elizabeth J. Mars
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: Taylor Media, arte France Cinéma, Canal+, Screen Australia, Les Films du Poisson, The Jim Henson Company
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 15, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $69.2K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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