Terrence Malick’s (“Tree of Life”) new film, “To The Wonder,” is, at best, a bit of a disappointment. At worst, it looks like one long perfume commercial. Malick employs his now trademark elegant, open, airy, spacious camerawork, (many shots and scenes are far too reminiscent of “Tree of Life” itself) to tell the story of Marina (Olga Kurylenko) — a waifish French single mother with a preteen daughter, Tatiana. Marina falls for an American, Neil (Ben Affleck), in her native Paris, and he takes her and her daughter back to the flatlands of Oklahoma. But Marina can’t marry Neil because “in the eyes of the church” she is still married to her husband who abandoned her and her daughter. She does not state this bitterly, because she is a woman of faith, prays and goes to Mass. The priest at the parish is the profound, dedicated but troubled Father Quintana (Javier Bardem). He seems to be going through a dark night of the soul where he feels he has lost God, can no longer perceive him, and yet he still carries on and prays intimate, Psalm-like prayers. As in many Malick films, characters constantly whisper prayers and converse with the Divine as easily as they do with the human. Neil, Marina and her daughter share joys, tears and fights, and Neil reconnects with his childhood friend, Jane (Rachel McAdams). Much of “Wonder” is about the male-female romantic relationship. Most of the dialogue is either snatches of people’s thoughts or snatches of conversations that are purposely not in sync with the visuals. “Wonder” is even more “impressionistic” than “Tree of Life.” Malick’s impressionism is decidedly not everyone’s cup of tea. He makes “meditation films” that require your undivided attention. You have to be feeling very patient to watch Malick’s films. Neil barely says a word throughout the entire film. He seems like an OK guy, only very indecisive and afraid of commitment. We never get to know him at all. Only the women speak. What do they speak of? Love. Desperately wanting Neil. Malick finds God in nature, and uses nature interruptions — shot at all times of day — to keep hammering home the consoling fact that we are surrounded at all moments by God-Love. “God in Malick’s Films” would be an excellent film study. As much as Malick’s camera loves human beings, it loves nature more, and would be content to wordlessly, silently make us stop and contemplate it forever. Burns is a Daughter of St. Paul ministering in Chicago.