KNIGHT OF CUPS (2015)

3/24/2016 - Knight of Cups (2015) - the highest possible 4+/10

Due to the nature of the film, I am going to treat this review as I felt watching the film... somewhat of a stream-of-consciousness kind of thing.
- Visual bluster. The accustomed Malick eye - he can shoot the shit out of a landscape or a room - gorgeous moments, but saying what? Anything?
- What the f*ck am I watching? Tired visual theatrics paired with overly obtuse plotting and metaphor.
- Wow. The emptiness of Hollywood and the lost & broken man within it.
- Grace: searching for it in a world that is both filled and completely devoid of it simultaneously.
- Misogyny or women on a pedestal? Either way, terrific female performances all over.
- Beautiful but almost fetishistic gaze: Hands. Water. Sky. Backs. Entrances. Grandeur. Can't think of a scene that isn't mostly one of those.
- Loneliness in decadence.
- Constant barrage of sexuality and spectacle, interlaced with desolate spaces and open ended encounters.
- A man whose connections to other people, places, and the authenticity of living are all strained and tenuous.
- Ambiguity. Majesty. Emptiness. Possibility.

Do you feel a bit confused and overwhelmed, sensing skill and crafstmanship, but a strong sense of unfulfillment and hollow pomp? Congratulations! You just watched Knight of Cups. A visually resplendent film that doesn't hit the mark. (Imagine I said this all in a hushed tone, over a serene low angle shot of a desert)