Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Captivating movie !

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Excellent movie that makes you really think about how life has many twists and turns and sometimes can be pretty rough for a while, and yet as we persevere we eventually see why things happen in our lives the way that they do. Our lives are really a series of unique tests that are individually tailored to each of us so that we can gain useful and crucial experience that helps us grow and be able to deal with each next step we take on our journey of life.The movie has a lot of parallels with Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life: Think of the Japanese man, Takumi Nakamura, that Arthur Brennan meets in the forest as It's a Wonderful Life's Clarence the Angel who jumps off the bridge right as George Bailey is almost ready to jump off, because he knows that George will instinctively jump off to save him, instead of taking his own life. Takumi and Arthur's subsequent conversations and journey trying to find their way back to the trail/parking lot is a lot like George Bailey in the end wanting to get back to his life that he hadn't previously thought of as being anything close to a wonderful life. Very last scene of It's a Wonderful Life is the written message George Bailey receives from Clarence in a copy of Tom Sawyer that states. " No man's life is a failure who has friends." Near the end of Sea of Trees Arthur receives the book Hansel and Gretel in which there is a message from the Takumi that has the season and color that is Matthew's wife's favorite season and color.

This scenario has a really good potential. A man who want's to end his life, meets another man who want's to be saved. Through this interaction the first man starts to heal himself. There were a lot of metaphors in speech and symbolism with objects - nature. It is a deep movie, one of those which can be watched multiple times to discover something new every time. You could say that this story is about human soul - it's weaknesses, struggles, salvation etc. It leaves you hopeful at the end despite of the things that had happened although it's quite heavy movie altogether. Couple of things that I didn't like was one quite unbelievable coincidence that happened and the explaining of the mystical events at the end. The mystery was gone for me. Usually it's done for the audience - because the director or someone thinks that people will not understand the event's/not smart enough, so it has to be fed to them artificially. This moment took away so much for me. I wish they hadn't done that... But I liked watching it, living through this story, feeling that atmosphere. You could feel that people who created this movie have put a lot of thought into it.

I really don't understand the extreme harsh reviews. The film is too long for the story and starts a bit slow as well as there being some unlikely or highly coincidental moments but there is so much emotion in the characters of this film and Mcconaughey especially relays this beautifully. Many tearful moments and a very satisfying ending. Impressive cinematography although a somewhat predictable score. The relationship between Watts and Mcconaughey is full of real emotion, grounded in reality.Definitely worth the watch overall, however there are flaws to look past.

Most of Gus Van Sant's movies have focused either on marginalized people (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting) or political issues (Milk, Promised Land). "The Sea of Trees" is a new turn for him. Matthew McConaughey plays a man who goes to Japan's Aokigahara - aka Suicide Forest - with the aim of ending his life, only to meet a man (Ken Watanabe) who has his own story.This movie is not a masterpiece, but is an interesting story in its own right. In addition to the flashbacks showing events with the main character and his wife (Naomi Watts), I like the cinematography in the forest. These two men have a lot to deal with in this forest, but their experiences force them to persevere.So, while it's far from Van Sant's best movie, I still recommend it. I don't understand why it got booed at the Cannes Film Festival.