User Reviews

This is very well acted, filmed, and produced, but disruptively structured, with a plot weakness and too much left unsaid. And call me a naïve idealist, but I was unhappy that the ending leaves Justice imperfectly satisfied. Or rather, that the main characters seem to have no problem with the final status quo.

And so, "The Tree of Blood" is difficult to rate. I wanted to know, what was the big secret of Rebeca's and Marc's relationship? Getting there was an interesting pain in the rear. Interesting, because a great deal is going on; the film is full of intrigue, action, love, lust, and betrayal; the main characters win our sympathy. A pain because of shifts back and forth in time, the necessarily large number of inter-related characters to track, and the short shrift given to a few details.

The setting shifts repeatedly between past and present, and in several scenes, characters of the present are shown standing in the action of the past, watching but not interacting. This disrupts the flow, yes, but not horribly so. Where the structure fails is that it falsely implies that Rebeca's and Marc's storytelling - the wrapper around the events of the past - are a fact-finding mission. You realize in the end that she had all the facts before they began, and only one key event was unknown to him.

The presence of Russian and Ukrainian mafias in Basque Country, and especially why they should happen to conflict with the other characters, was unclear. Perhaps - although I doubt it - events such as these are so taken for granted in Spain that they literally need no introduction. The rest of us could have used some clarity.

As symbology, the tree itself fell flat.

Julio Medem also directed "Sex and Lucia", which had a somewhat less convoluted plot structure and which worked much better in the end. And his "Room in Rome" was almost purely linear, but still spellbinding. "The Tree of Blood" just doesn't quite measure up to those works.

Watch this movie to witness a really unique way of recap and story telling. And watch this for the most beautiful Spanish countrysides.

Two young lovers join hands together to document the history of both families. They remember events about their parents, grandparents and closed family friends. And realize finally how they are still together.

This way of storytelling is really different, but the incidents and events happened in their and their parent's lives are quite strange and abnormal. Frankly, I enjoyed this one only because of the unique representation and because of exceptionally beautiful locations and shots.

A couple decides to write a story and solve the missing links among them as their parents have inter relationships of all nature and all in unusual way. They one by one solve the missing strings and unfold the what has happened really... To arrive at the final conclusion and so on the usual infidelity, Lesbian marriage, Organ Transplant, exotic love scenes, age difference couple, Oedipus complex, hanging relationships, tell truth to partner no matter what all possible covered . With typical bull accident usage of bull run Spanish background filmed. Cute couple and one Olmo character faithful to all human instinct crafted very well. Even the heroine of the film admires him a lot. By doing so too much of flashback is used at times a little confusing too... but over all when its a mystery to be opened it is expected. Director does that job precisely. Being very intense movie it will make complexities not easy to negotiate.

At first sight, the main good point is the title. Near the effort to offer a family story in its details, dramas, tensions, loves and secrets.

But, without can define the motif, the story remains beautiful but less convincing.

A story of roots, a house and a tree in countryside, two young people composing the stories of their parents in a large, fascinating in essence , puzzle.

The result a not bad Spanish film , with touches of soap opera and few scenes just lovely. I desired to define it as a great film. Unfortunately , I saw it only as a decent one, not ignoring my high expectations. But, sure, a reasonable work.

An interesting but irritating movie with less things to tell than it may seem. The start is great, the characters and the locations are great too but there are too many things that are left unsaid or hinted at before everything disappears.

Najwa Nimri nails pretty much every part she plays and this movie is no exception. She could play a burlap sack and I'd still watch. That said, the rest of the cast does a good job too. The storyline gets a tad confusing here and there due to the use of flashbacks, but overall this movie is a pretty enjoyable watch if you're in the mood for some arthouse drama.

With a lot of branches and a lot of secrets ... and a lot of timelines too. You may wonder from time to time or start the guessing game (as to where this is heading), but it will still have surprises along the way. It will also have nudity and violence on full display.

So if any of this is offensive to you - you might want to stear clear from this. Certain things have to happen and the going back and forth (no pun intended) serves the story well. The acting is good and if you are into mystery you will cherish what this tries and achieves to do. Solid as a rock and another example of a good thriller coming from Spain

I rarely find a film boring, I like when films are slow, but this one was painful to watch. For over an hour I was wondering whether there was any story to be told at all, later on lots of things start to happen that just add an unnecessary layer of complexity. The core story was interesting, but they didn't have enough material for 2 hours.

What's more infuriating is the ending, you just get wondering what was the purpose of all that drama if things were going in that direction without any development in between. Actually, instead of wasting time with unnecessary complexity, why not explore how the things Rebeca and Marc discovered would have impacted their mental health? Would they have very paradoxical feelings? Would they fight with each other because of different views in the matter? Instead we get an end that seems to come out of nowhere. Or if they definitely didn't want to go in this direction, they should have made a much shorter film.

The acting was good and the photography fantastic. The way they chose to tell the story was also very creative. But that's not enough to save this film.

Being accustomed to US movies, I thought this was a good way to present a family story, and a number of love stories. The psychological evolutions were interesting, and there were elements of intrigue. Good story and acting. What more could you want?

The writer doesn't takes the time to develop characters and their relationship. Somme of them you get to know very well, but some others are only there to serve the plot. This makes the story superficial and senseless in some ways. At one ponit I thought that this was an adaptation form a book because of the rush that the story seems in some parts. Maybe if the facts where less complicated, but the motives were more deeply developed, it would be a good movie in deeded.

I didn't like the acting either, with the exception of Angela Molina and maybe Patricia Lopez everyone seemed to be over acting.

A movie for a discerning audience, that's clear. You have to be very exciting when you watch the film. That's so hard to follow and exhausting because the beginning and middle of this material is so tedious. Later in time it is so irrelevant for the viewer to know what the twist is. The atmosphere and landscape/whole scenery, complicated shooting definitely earn 2 extra points, though the storyline/plot only deserves 2 points because the plot is not finished well. All in all, this motion picture couldn't convince me completely, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered, why some things happen and some things don't, it also doesn't shock as much as one would have liked to expect. For those viewers who like romance movies and family dramas this film is precious.

Yet another great Spanish movie. It provokes you to engage in the storyline emotionally. The plot follows the pace of the events, which just overtake you. Crucial and underestimated subjects are discussed (or not) as secrecy, sacrifice, devotion, sense of duty, decency. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts. The amazing thing is, it embraces you to feel and think along the movie. You are allowed to create your own opinion, through your perspective, there are no boundaries, no villains or heroes. Just people following their intuition and feelings. The realism of it, contrasts the surrealism of the events, without the one overshadowing the other. I didn't find it slow. Each character was allowed enough screentime to be understood completely. I admired the metaphors, the symbolism, the use of tradition and its impact on peoples' insticts. That's what European cinematography is about. Amazing movie. Investment of time.

Having recently rewatched Vacas (1992) , I thought I'd take a chance on this latest film from Julio Medem. (I say, "take a chance", because my enjoyment of his previous films peaked with the wonderful La ardilla roja (1993).)

While I don't regret taking the Blu-ray of this for a spin, I did find it a boring and very unrewarding ride. I didn't find a single character to care about, the story was very much "so what" and the way the story was told was rather confusing. Perhaps the confusing storytelling was there to try and obscure the very meagre story? (It did feel a little like a car crash between David Cronenberg and David Lynch at times.)

If you're going to tell a story, as opposed to putting together some images that are intended to generate emotion in the audience, you really need to start with a compelling story. This was a failure because the story being told, simply wasn't good enough.

This gripping tale moves with fast intensity to weave a complex story, uncoiling to reveal the details that allow the joining of dots, just as the characters themselves unearth and share the family secrets which create the big picture. Vivid characters are played to the core with operatic emotion in their playful journey of self and mutual discovery. Story, settings, languages and and stunning fiming cover distinct regions of Spain to ultimately unite them in their viscerally connected way. This film is larger than life, totally gripping and needs several rewatches to gather up all the whirlwind strands - a carefully crafted and unique offering.

I'm not going to spoil the movie for you, but I watched a few Julio Medem movies and this one is the lamest. There's so much overlapping with Sex and Lucia, which is such a good movie... I think Sex and Lucia is his best movie, totally serendipitous and magical. It will grip you! So if you'd like to see a great story, beautiful cinematography, and amazing acting, watch that one.

I had high expectations for this and was excited to see Medem had a new movie out, but what a bore. The whole film just doesn't click.

Slowly grows into deep of love and sacrifice and how forgiveness beats the truth and is the only decision. Amazing shots and lovable soundtrack. Love it.

This movie is so boring I fell asleep twice!Do not waste your time watching it!

I understand some people found it too slow but I am spanish and I am used to this dramas. The acting is good, the story is good but it develops slow. I did enjoy it. Let me put it this way, did you like..."all about my mother...". If yes, then this is a film for you. Otherwise you may dont like it

Watch this movie as an experience, instead of simply knowing the story : then it would make beautiful sense. I loved how the story unraveled giving itself in bits and pieces, slowly moving forward ..

The plot is about a couple exploring common history, involving their families. They arrive at this beautiful family house, intending to write a novel about their joint / connected history..

They take turns to narrate the story as one of them is writing it down. So this movie is about the story they are writing and what is enchanting about it is the way we as an audience get to experience this story..

Without giving away any spoilers, it is not a horror film if anybody gets any such feelers in the beginning..

The way the characters from the past interact with the characters in the present, through brilliant screenplay is a beautiful dance , that I as an audience enjoyed the most..

Inspire of having the feel of a thriller, this film is not an edge of the seat kind .. it has everything from beautiful sceneries through breathtaking locations, to beautiful characters .

I enjoyed how this story is told through the medium of cinema : hence an 8 out of 10 for this one..

Must watch for all those who love the power of cinema in telling stories...

This is my first time writing a review for anything on IMDB. So this movie has got to mean something.

First and foremost, I must say the story was a bit confusing at times and even still, after finishing it, I have still not fully comprehended all of the aspects throughout the movie.

However, that was the only 'negative' part of my experience watching the movie.

Because the production overall was absolutely beautiful. Between the tricky takes , that enter-twine different periods of the characters lives , the remarkable acting from Joaquín Furriel and Úrsula Corberó and from the entire cast really.. All in all this film doesn't deserve the average rating it has at the time being .. 6.4... Don't let that stop you from watching this film that's for sure.

This engrossing movie is both beautifully written and acted. The story entraps you with its many unique and varied "branches" that come together to create a whole, strong "tree". The unexpected twists and turns keep your attention throughout. The scenery is magnificent and the soundtrack enhances the movie without being obvious. It also provides much food for thought. If you choose to go beyond entertainment.

I liked this movie a lot. The way the story is being told is very interesting, so are the events. Is it possible to have this many people to be related in the way they are in the movie? Obviously not. Does it matter? No, because this is a movie, I don't see the point of criticisms on this part. Apart from the story that grabs your attention and makes you angry and happy and sad; the directing is amazing, just as the scenery that have been used. On top of that, incredible acting from Ursula Corbero and Najwa Nimri. I definitely recommend watching it if you like movies that unfolds the story as it goes and makes you feel things.

I wasn't sure what to expect based on the description, but turned out to be better than I expected. The way the story was presented was very unique and well presented. I gets a little complicated at some points, but I figured everything was planned that way and would clear at some point, and it was. I wasn't expecting some of the outcomes and that made it more interesting to me. I like it when I think I figured it out and it turned out I was wrong and it was much better than I thought. Great choice of cast and location. I am lucky to be completely bilingual and didn't miss anything in translation.