To the Wonder (2012)

After visiting Mont Saint-Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane.

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writer:

Terrence Malick

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Neil
Olga Kurylenko	...	Marina
Rachel McAdams	...	Jane
Javier Bardem	...	Father Quintana
Tatiana Chiline	...	Tatiana
Romina Mondello	...	Anna
Tony O'Gans	...	Sexton
Charles Baker	...	Carpenter
Marshall Bell	...	Bob
Casey Williams	...	Neighbor #1
Jack Hines	...	Neighbor #2
Paris Always	...	Classmate #1
Samaria Folks	...	Classmate #2
Jamie Conner	...	Teenage Girl with Baby
Francis Gardner	...	Woman at Wedding

Storyline

Neil (Ben Affleck) is an American traveling in Europe who meets and falls in love with Marina (Olga Kurylenko), an Ukrainian divorcée who is raising her 10-year-old daughter Tatiana in Paris. The lovers travel to Mont St. Michel, the island abbey off the coast of Normandy, basking in the wonder of their newfound romance. Neil makes a commitment to Marina, inviting her to relocate to his native Oklahoma with Tatiana. He takes a job as an environmental inspector and Marina settles into her new life in America with passion and vigor. After a holding pattern, their relationship cools. Marina finds solace in the company of another exile, the Catholic priest Father Quintana (Javier Bardem), who is undergoing a crisis of faith. Work pressures and increasing doubt pull Neil further apart from Marina, who returns to France with Tatiana when her visa expires. Neil reconnects with Jane (Rachel McAdams), an old flame. They fall in love until Neil learns that Marina has fallen on hard times. ...

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Plot Keywords:

faith | crisis of faith | love | priest | daughter | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Spanish Italian Sign Languages

Release Date:

22 February 2013 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Project B

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$116,551 (USA) (12 April 2013)

Gross:

$573,106 (USA) (14 June 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brothers K Productions, Redbud Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With this film's release in 2012 and The Tree of Life being released in 2011, this is the shortest time gap between movies for director Terrence Malick, the gap being only a year. Malick is famous for waiting years between projects. His shortest time gap between films previously was five years, between Badlands and Days of Heaven. His longest was 20 years, between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line.

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Goofs

When Marina reveals to Neil she has cheated on him, Neil breaks the right outside mirror of his car. But in subsequent shots, while he tries to expel her from the car, the mirror is intact.

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Quotes

Jane: Will you pray with me?
Neil: I have no faith.

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Connections

Features The Tree of Life (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Unto Us A Child Is Born; Alleluia (From Christmas Cantata No. 142)"
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Hanan Townshend

User Reviews

Write on Water

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Terrence Malick makes films that typically fall into the "love it or hate it" genre. He has a very loyal group of fans (of which I am one) who appreciate the unique mental and emotional ride that his projects provide. To say that his films are not accessible is understandable. His objective is to challenge you to access your own beliefs and thoughts, rather than the characters in his movies ... they are simply the tools he uses.

Less than two years ago, I was struggling to put thoughts into words after watching Malick's The Tree of Life. Now, in record time for him, he releases another film that is even more impressionistic ... actually abstract is not too strong a description. The usual Malick elements are present - nature, uncomfortable relationships, minimal dialogue, breathtaking photography, and powerful music. Where The Tree of Life focused on Creation and Family, this latest takes on Love and Faith.

Water imagery is a frequent key as we see the personal relationship mimic the changing of the seasons. Neil (Ben Affleck), an American visiting Paris, meets and falls for Marina (Olga Kurylenko), a free-spirited local filled with light and energy. Their love affair moves to the stunning Mont Saint-Michel before settling in the drab plains of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

It's not surprising that the relationship suffers as the newness wears thin. The interesting part is how Malick presents it. We mostly witness bits and pieces ... he shows us moments, not events. We easily see that Neil's aloofness and sullen looks don't jibe with Marina's effervescence. When she returns to Paris, Neil easily falls in with an old flame played by Rachel McAdams. When she later accuses him of making what they had "nothing", we all understand what she means ... and why.

While Neil is proving what a lost soul he is, we also meet Father Quintana (Javier Bardem). He has lost the light of his faith and is in full crisis mode, even as he attempts to console and guide Marina. There is no secret that much of this film is autobiographical and that Malick is working through wounds he still carries these many years later. As a movie-goer, there is little to be gained from Alleck's disconnected character or from Kurylenko dancing in the rain. The real prize is awakening the thoughts and feelings many of us probably buried over the years to hide emotional pain. Malick seems to be saying that it's OK to acknowledge your foundation, regardless of your ability to succeed in a socially acceptable manner.

If you prefer not to dig so deep emotionally, this is a beautiful film to look at - thanks to Director of Photograpy Emmanuel Lubezki (a frequent Malick collaborator), and listen to - a blended soundtrack with many notable pieces from various composers. While this will be remembered as Roger Ebert's final movie review (he liked it very much), it will likely have very little appeal to the average movie watcher - and I'm confident that Terrence Malick is fine with that.