If you’re wondering why Matthew McConaughey, an Oscar winner, continues to do commercials for Lincoln automobiles, here’s the answer.
Today he opens in Gus van Sant’s “Sea of Trees,” which currently has a 10 on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s been no publicity for “Trees” because it’s awful, no one wanted to release it, and now it arrives to terrible reviews.
This is McConaughey’s second disastrous release of the year. The first was “Free State of Jones,” which mostly is already forgotten except by those scarred from seeing it.
Bad films happen to good people. Gary Ross made “Jones,” and he’s a fine director. Van Sant barked up the wrong “Trees,” and he is much admired for many films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Drugstore Cowboy,” even weirder cutting edge stuff like “My Own Private Idaho.”
But “Trees” has been rotting for some time, with no major distributor wanting to get involved. It also substitutes Worcester, Massachusetts for Japan, so figure that out.
McConaughey has a bunch of better things coming including Stephen Gaghan’s “Gold,” and Ron Howard’s “The Dark Tower.” Plus, if you want a quick reminder of the real deal, watch that early scene in “Wolf of Wall Street” when he has lunch with Leonardo DiCaprio.
