Sean Penn was not happy with how his part turned out in The Tree of Life.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two-time Oscar winner was yapping with French Newspaper, Le Figaro and opened up about how much his part changed from the page. "I didn't at all find on the screen the emotion of the script, which is the most magnificent one that I've ever read. A clearer and more conventional narrative would have helped the film without, in my opinion, lessening its beauty and its impact. Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing there and what I was supposed to add in that context. What's more, Terry (Malick) himself never managed to explain it to me clearly." He added after, "It's a film I recommend on the condition that one go only without preconceptions. It's up to each to find a personal emotional or spiritual connection. Those that reach this generally leave very moved."
He makes perfect sense. Everything else about that film worked for me except the sequences with Penn. Not that they needed explaining, but some form of context could've made the overall experience more satisfying. Still thought it was absolutely stunning, and indeed moving, in parts.
