Gus Van Sant's "Sea Of Trees" Gets A Chorus of Boos in Cannes: Film Referred As The Director's Worst Film

By Staff Writer

May 18 2015, 08:41 AM EDT

Cannes Film Festival has already a long history of audiences jeering when films that are screened do not meet their individual standards and Gus Vant Sant's "Sea of Trees" seems to be one of those films after it got audibly booed during its debut at the fest last Friday.

Gus Van Sant is known for winning the Palme d'Or with his very first competition entry 2003's "Elephant". Now, he's making another attempt in the competition with his newest film "Sea Of Trees" which is set to be distributed by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions stateside. However, instead of loud applause and standing ovations, the film which stars Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts ended up with audible boos instead.

The film tells the story of Arthur Brennan (Mathey McConaughey) who tries to take his life in Japan's well-known "Suicide Forest". Here, he encounters a Japanese man (Ken Watanabe) who also aims the same. The two then began a journey of self-reflection and survival.

After its first screening, critics already called it "long-winded", "sticky and gooey" and culturally patronizing. A French film magazine even referred it as "without a doubt the worst film by Gus Van Sant", "an awful melodrama made of pure sugar" and simply "interminable".

McConaughey who played one of the lead roles stuck up for "The Sea of Trees" saying "anyone has any right to either boo or ovate." The film is McConaughey's first film after bagging Oscars for "Dallas Buyers Club" last year and earning a critical adulation for his role in the TV series "True Detective".

Meanwhile, the film is said to bring an emotional message on what's really essential in life. Chris Sparling who also penned the Sundance movie "Buried" wrote the script after discovering that a hundred people commit suicide in Japan's Aokigahara forest annually.

Despite the negative criticisms, the film set an orchestral score and symbolic shots to give an expressive and serene tone to the film -notable factors which Cannes might consider in giving Gus Van Sant's "Sea of Trees" a shot.

The Cannes Film Festival runs until May 24.