Tree of Life

Terrence Malick's 'Tree of Life' is a movie about Brad Pitt being so hard on his young son that he grows up into Sean Penn.

Damnit, Brad. Damnit.

All kidding aside, this is a fascinating trailer in that it violates the rules of most mainstream studio film trailers and indie film trailers, opting instead to go the route of mostly peculiar, but hardly incongruous imagery. This much more closely resembles the anomaly teaser for 'Garden State' (seen here), save for the tone, than anything else of late. Its classical score fits well with the imagery that features intercutting between a young nuclear family and their world of the 50s and the modern day sad-face of Sean Penn. Oh and planets being destroyed.

The trailer makes a case for a decidedly spiritual film about life and its inevitable end.

And it makes it well. This is a trailer (and I assume, a film) that is brimming with imagination and bold storytelling. It is a marketing strategy that I hope pays off for the filmmakers and studio, which is essentially daring the audience (who are doubtless used to trailers that depend on brand recognition, ala Fast Five or Harry Potter) to come see the movie and discover what it's really about. Though like a good trailer, it presents the tone of the film and gives you some idea of the color lens through which it views the world.

The trailers' only real mis-step as far as I could tell was using an extreme close-up of Brad Pitt very early on, as if to say, "Hey look! Brad Pitt!" A less 'look at our star!' image would have felt more organic to the preview. Added to which, this star shot was followed seconds later by Pitt daring his son to hit him in the face. And while I am a particular brand of weirdo, I couldn't help thinking, "I want you to hit me. As hard as you can."

But props to the marketing team at Fox Searchlight. This is a trailer that only needs to be seen once to leave an impression. And while the same could be said for most trailers, looking around at what is offered up to you before the movies this holiday season, I dare you to tell me one that looks as interesting.

"In Theaters."