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Ever since his luminous 2011 tone poem "The Tree of Life," when he juxtaposed the birth of the cosmos with the dynamics of a father-son relationship, the output of filmmaker Terrence Malick has been an aggravating case of diminishing returns.

Through "To the Wonder" (2012), "Knight of Cups" (2015) and his newest film, "Song to Song," Malick seems to be straining to make grand statements about love and life and creation — but the results are a maddening, disappointing assembly of disjointed moments and ponderous voice-overs.

In "Song to Song," he traces the arcs of three people in a love triangle, set amid the music scene in Austin, Texas. Faye (Rooney Mara) is a fledgling guitarist trying to hook up with a band. She meets Cook (Michael Fassbender), a record producer who can launch her career. She also meets BV (Ryan Gosling), a pianist and songwriter who collaborates with Cook on an album, and then accuses Cook of stealing his songs.

Malick, as writer and director, flits around these three people as they go to music-festival parties, hang out backstage with rock stars and vacation in Mexico. Through constant voiceovers, Faye and BV, in particular, express their fears and doubts of being worthy of each other's love.

As the characters carom off each other, each hooks up with someone outside the triangle. Faye has a fling with Zoey (Bérénice Marlohe), an alluring Frenchwoman. BV reunites briefly with an ex (played by musician Lykke Li) and has a relationship with the older Amanda (an unbilled Cate Blanchett). And Cook flirts with a diner waitress, Rhonda (Natalie Portman), who is seduced by the rock 'n' roll lifestyle despite warnings from her mother (Holly Hunter).

Malick's merry-go-round spins through these lives for two hours. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki ("The Revenant," "Birdman"), who has been working with Malick since "The New World" (2005), captures radiant wide-angle images of Austin sunsets, concert mosh pits and Mexican pyramids. There's also an endless succession of empty sunlit homes, where the leads gaze into each other's eyes and engage in clothes-on lovemaking. (Only Fassbender, in scenes with groupies and hookers, ever gets naked.)

Most annoying in "Song to Song" is that for all the rock-star cameos (including Big Freedia, Red Hot Chili Peppers and John Lydon) and Austin ambience, there's little music originating from that scene — and little evidence of the main characters making music or channeling their love affairs into song. Instead, Malick leans on an oppressive soundtrack of oldies, including Dion's "Runaway" and Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite.

One of the few musical moments comes near the end, when Faye gets life advice from Patti Smith. At one point, Smith takes a guitar and comments, "I could go on for hours with one chord." Alas, in "Song to Song," that proves to be Malick's current mode of filmmaking.

Twitter: @moviecricket —

HHj

'Song to Song'

Filmmaker Terrence Malick follows pretty people through the Austin music scene in this maddening collection of images.

Where • Broadway Centre Cinemas.

When • Opens Friday, March 24.

Rating • R for some sexuality, nudity, drug use and language.

Running time • 129 minutes.