Gus Van Sant teaming up with Matthew McConaughey should be the stuff Oscars are made of. The director, inconsistent as he may be, can spin wonders with the right material and a movie set in Japan's suicide forest is that through and through, while its star hasn't put a single foot wrong since the start of the McConaissance (a phrase so potent for him it refuses to stick for any other returning-to-the-fold actor). So how is The Sea Of Trees so bad? This was Cannes 2015's big dud, a movie that actually provoked boos at critics screenings. While to declare it on a level of pointlessness alongside Van Sant's real lower rung (Psycho anyone?) may be going a bit too far - he crafts an engaging set-up and McConaughey reaffirms that he is the master of the cry face - there's no escaping the increasingly cloying sentimentality that builds and builds through what sound be a rawly emotional story (McConaughey is saved from suicide by Ken Watanabe and the pair resolve to escape the forest). It's the ending that really undermines the whole thing. It's rare a movie can pitch a finale so bad that it actively makes everything that came before it worse in the process, but Van Sant manages to not only do that, but he overexplains to the point where, even if you lapped up his metaphysical mumbo jumbo, you'd still be worn thin by the time the credits roll. Roadside Attractions brought up the US theatrical rights following the film's premiere in Cannes, but with that critical savaging (it has 0% on RottenTomatoes) they're taking their time reassessing how to fix this mess before unleashing it on an unsuspecting public. Expect a complete recut. Like this article? Do you want to see any of these movies? Let us know what you think down in the comments.
