The Sea of Trees (2015)

A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer:

Chris Sparling

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Arthur Brennan
Ryoko Seta	...	Airport Desk Agent
Sienna Tow	...	Girl in Airport
Naoko Marshall	...	Flight Attendant
Michiko Tomura	...	Woman on Train
Yusuke Tozawa	...	Man on Train
Abe Lee Tsunenori	...	Taxi Driver (as Tsunenori Lee Abe)
Ken Watanabe	...	Takumi Nakamura
Joe Girard	...	Man at Convenience Store (as Joseph Girard)
Jazmin Domenech	...	Young Woman
Luke DeWolfe	...	Young Man
Naomi Watts	...	Joan Brennan
Katie Aselton	...	Gabriella Laforte
Nada Despotovich	...	Maryanne Wescott
Christopher Tarjan	...	Gil Cramer

Storyline

Arthur Brennan treks into Aokigahara, known as The Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan's Mount Fuji where people go to commit suicide. On his journey to the suicide forest, he encounters Takumi Nakamura, a Japanese man who has lost his way after attempting suicide. The two men begin a journey of reflection and survival, which affirms Arthur's will to live and reconnects him to his love for his wife.

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Plot Keywords:

woman with short hair | airline stewardess | overhead camera shot | the color yellow | death wish | 

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Taglines:

Love will bring you home.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some disturbing images and brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cast members Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe have both worked in films directed by Christopher Nolan (though not together). McConaughey starred in Interstellar (2014) and Watanabe appeared in Batman Begins (2005) and Inception (2010).

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Goofs

When Arthur comes home to find Joan asleep on the sofa, the tea kettle starts to whistle. He comments that she could have burned down the house but this is in error as 1) she had only fallen asleep in the time between turning the fire on under the kettle and 2) she awoke to the kettle's whistle.

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Quotes

Takumi Nakamura: There are answers for this in science?
Arthur Brennan: There are answers for everything in science.
Takumi Nakamura: But not in God?
Arthur Brennan: God is more our creation than we are his.

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Connections

References An American in Paris (1951)

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Soundtracks

The Sea of Trees
Written by Joe Newman
Performed by Alt-J
Produced by Charlie Andrews
Courtesy of Atlantic Corp./Canvasback Music/Infectious Music Ltd
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing

User Reviews

Truth and redemption wrapped in shades of darkness

Finally a movie with a story that has depth and meaning - not just grotty realism or flights of fantasy, no matter how speculative, without a shred of truth.

I really enjoyed the performances as these kind of characters wouldn't be easy to portray, yet they were convincing, engaging - even masterful. Matthew was fantastic in his role. He portrayed a deeply depressed man for most of it, so everything had to be delivered in a lack-lustre, listless manner. However, the high energy, dramatic turns are usually the ones most honoured. I enjoyed the story as although there were shades of darkness there were also glimmers of light and hope and beauty. Guilt can be one of the most negative emotions, stealing hope and joy. But it's as pointless as all the other negatives. I like how the MC found his redemption through helping someone else find the right path. The same can be true for everyone.

The pacing might be a little slow, but the movie had a lot to say and show. Speaking of showing, the cinematography was beautiful. And the music added just the right kind of emotion and tone, sometimes lifting the sombre tone of the story by hinting there is always hope and help if we know where to look.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

26 August 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sea of Trees

Filming Locations:

Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,877, 28 August 2016

Gross USA:

$20,444

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$906,995

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bloom, Netter Productions, Waypoint Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1