CANNES, FRANCE (AP) - Terrence Malick’s long-awaited drama “The Tree of Life” debuted Monday to a mix of harsh boos and enthusiastic applause at the Cannes Film Festival.
Love it or hate it, Malick’s film starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain was the talk of the festival after a morning press screening preceding its official premiere.
True to form, the elusive Malick skipped the post-screening press conference, leaving Pitt, Chastain and producers to face reporters.
The deeply personal drama from writer-director Malick is told in an epic range of impressionistic exchanges and images: from grand cosmic visuals to the age of the dinosaurs to tender family moments.
Pitt plays a loving but sometimes brutally stern father, with Penn the grown son reflecting on the people and moments that shaped him.
Cannes organizers had hoped to debut the film a year ago, but it was not ready in time.
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