Charlotte Gainsbourg last played a grieving mother in Lars von Trier’s shocking (but stunning) 2009 film “Antichrist.” Her role here, in the drama “The Tree,” requires more restraint on the part of the actress — though its metaphors are every bit as glaring at those of the earlier film. Gainsbourg’s Dawn lives happily in the Australian countryside with her husband Peter (Aden Young) and their four children, until tragedy strikes. Peter is killed in a car crash, when the vehicle smacks into a tree in the yard. Dawn doesn’t know how she can go on — but Simone does. The 8-year-old is convinced her father is speaking to her through the tree, that his soul inhabits the object that caused his death.
Dawn humors the girl at first — and then seems to start believing the fantasy herself. But the woman soon finds a more realistic way to heal. She becomes enamored of a local, George (Marton Csokas). As their new love blossoms, it becomes clear that the old one threatens them all: The roots of the tree endanger the very foundation of the family’s house. All the usual pressures of such a situation — a mourning spouse moves on with the help of a new partner, much to the chagrin of the still-suffering children — are here made manifest through the towering branches of the title.
| On screen |
| ‘The Tree’ |
| 3.5 out of 5 stars |
| Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies, Morton Csokas |
| Director: Julie Bertuccelli |
| Rated: Not rated (adult situations) |
| Running time: 100 minutes |
You can probably guess what happens. But the standard-issue life-after-death flick is worth watching just for Gainsbourg. The Frenchwoman is one of our most intriguing actresses. She’s sexy in an off kilter way, an image played up with her unconventional choices of roles.
Newcomer Morgana Davies is also an actress to watch. The young girl is enchanting even as her stubbornness threatens to cause more deaths in the family. Mourning is never easy. But rarely is it potentially as deadly as the event it follows.
