Once upon a time, film fans waited decades between new Terrence Malick movies. Now, they come seemingly once a year. Following last year’s divisive Knight of Cups, Malick is back with Song to Song, his latest free-wielding drama, which follows Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman lost in love, misery, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll inside the music-friendly city of Austin, TX, all of which are highlighted in the electrifyingly first trailer, which is found above.
Once titled Weightless, Song to Song is another contemporary character drama from the elusive auteur. Following two love-stricken couples — Mara and Gosling and Fassbender and Portman — as they travel down the windy road to fame and fortune, and all the evil that comes along with that, it’s a trippy ride, to be sure. The road to stardom is nothing without sadness, doubt and relationship troubles, and all of these passing feelings are found and expressed throughout the energetic first trailer.
As per usual with Malick, it’s hard to say what exactly the writer/director hopes to achieve here. This territory seems fairly well-traveled, rather admittedly, but under Malick’s singular gaze, it might resonate. Or, you know, it could be another boring, listless shots of nothingness that escapes meaning or thematic value. Either are possible from Malick these days, who verged into near self-parody with his last one. But under the right circumstances, he’s one of our most brilliant filmmakers and I’m hoping his latest effort is closer to The Tree of Life than whatever it was that he made last year. If nothing else, the trailer is visually impressive and looks like another mature chapter from the director.
Tell us, are you looking forward to seeing Song to Song when it hits theaters on March 17th? Let us know in the usual spot.
