15 Most Groundbreaking Movies Of The Decade (So Far)

10. The Tree Of Life

What's it about? Terrence Malick's Palme d'Or-winning movie The Tree Of Life stars Sean Penn as Jack O'Brien, a successful architect who begins to reflect on his childhood after seeing workers planting a tree in the courtyard outside his office. After an extended sequence depicting the creation of planet earth, Jack's flashbacks to his parents play out while exploring the conflict between grace and nature. What makes it groundbreaking? Malick is a filmmaker known for inbuing his films with a poetic quality, not least in the abstract voice overs which dominate his movies. The Tree Of Life is his most challenging and experimental work to date, depicting events as they are perceived by distant memories, with the dialogue as seemingly vague and disjointed as the beautifully shot scenes. Audiences expecting clear cut movies are likely to be disappointed - the more adventurous find Malick's approach here hugely rewarding.