We saw Tree of Life last night. It was an interesting movie, worth seeing. Certainly not something to go to if you are in the mood for trite or funny. I knew what to expect going in, so that wasn't a problem. There were some sections that were hard to watch (because the weirdness went on for too long) and other sections that were hard to watch (because the scene was highly charged). The first "hard to watch" is a criticism; the second isn't. Overall, I would say I liked the movie, although "like" isn't necessarily the best word to describe the feeling. It was a think piece, a movie that probably needs to be watched more than once to fully absorb all the nuances. An unqualified compliment: Good performances all around.

We rarely go to the movies so close to opening night (which was Friday). It was packed, something I dislike. I have serious personal space needs, even more so in the summer when I see fewer people. I prefer to sit in the front, but we weren't late and still we were forced to sit too close to the screen. Ow. (But the legroom was good for Bob.) When movies are packed at mall theatres (as is often the case), it is so unpleasant, because the level of rudeness is off the charts. That is a major reason* we rarely go to any theatre besides the Spectrum. As usual, the audience was serious and relatively polite, so talking wasn't a problem last night even with the crowd, once the movie started everyone was fairly quiet. I was nervous at first because the woman next to me had her smart phone out and she was texting like mad during the previews. She even did it a little at the beginning of the movie, but it was as bright as a flashlight - a beacon to all that she is a self-absorbed jerk. After trying unsuccessfully to hide it (and maybe sensing my look that could kill, even in the dark), she snapped the thing off. What a relief.

Once the movie ended, I heard a man exclaim "Thank God." Also there was a lot of chatter, as people were discussing the meaning. That's always a good thing, to me it means it was worth the price of admission. Although some remarks that I overheard were c-l-u-e-l-e-s-s! C'mon! [I'm in summer mode, and don't have to be the nice professor who says there are no silly comments or stupid questions...] Anyway, I interpret the man's relieved exclamation to mean he didn't like it - or maybe he was just expressing that it wasn't an "easy watch." (True.)

*the other three: 1) the movies are too d-mn loud; 2) they do not usually have "good" movies; 3) their overpriced popcorn sux.