New Terrence Malick Film to Feature Scads of Pretty Famous People, and Probably Tons of Insufferable Whispering

The famously reclusive and camera shy director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, Tree of Life, Badlands) is probably a genius.  Unfortunately, for every staggering work of influential brilliance, he also produces some nigh unwatchable pretentious twaddle, sometimes within the same film.  If I have to listen to one more Christian Bale, or Sean Penn, or Ben Affleck whisper ponderously cryptic half-poetry over gorgeous nature photography that intercuts with some actors walking alone on a beach or tumbling around in some billowy sheets, then I'll probably tear the projector from its moorings and throw it through the projectionist's window.

With that said, it's hard not to get a little excited about the cast of his new film, Song to Song.  Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Benicio Del Toro, Cate Blanchett, Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman, Holly Hunter, and Christian Bale fill out the star-studded lineup, assuming of course that they won't be cut out completely by Malick's notoriously unforgiving editing style.  

According to Indiewire and Birth.Movies.Death., the film takes place in and around the Austin music scene, and was in fact filmed during the city's famed Austin City Limits music festival.  The official photo above doesn't really give us much to sink our teeth into, but since the film features Malick re-teaming with three-time consecutive Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, it will undoubtedly feature some incredible eye-candy outside of that ridiculously talented cast.  It will also feature the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so take that however you like.

Song to Song will hit theaters March 17, 2017.