MOVIE: THE TREE

Julie Bertucelli’s film, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year, is the tale of Dawn O’Niell (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her four children struggling to move on from the death of their husband and father in Australia’s Northern Territory. As the family go through the motions of a return to normality, they are drawn to the ancient Moreton Bay fig tree outside their house, as Dawn’s youngest daughter believes it contains the spirit of their father. The film is based on a short story, and has a slow, tempered, drawn out pace accordingly. While this is often a turn-off, The Tree is imbued with the laziness and laconic beauty of its setting, and the easy pace allows us to engage all the more with Gainsbourg’s complicated and sympathetic Dawn. Beautifully shot, with strong performances throughout, particularly Gainsbourg and relative newcomer Morgana Davies as her daughter, The Tree is a thoughtful and engaging film, and an understated tale of grief and redemption. (KB)