"Mr. Sycamore" is both fascinating and stupefyingly boring. Certainly the premise - a man decides that he's had enough of living as a human and hopes to achieve eternal peace and quiet by turning into a tree! - is unique and I cannot think of anything quite like it. However, instead of being poetic, existentialist, thought-provoking, this film is protracted, at times awkwardly comedic (the milk truck chase, the clumsy policeman, etc.), and often about as exciting as watching grass grow (no pun intended). What carries the movie are the performances, especially those of the two women: Sandy Dennis as the sweet, supportive but understandably frustrated by her husband's wackiness wife, and Jean Simmons as a very lovely middle-aged librarian. The ending will probably attract a wide range of opinions - from "silly" to "magical". ** out of 4.
Review of Mr. Sycamore
