Pitt 'hesitant' over strict father role

Brad Pitt said he hoped his children would realise his portrayal of a stern father in his latest film was down to him being “a pretty damn-good actor” and not because it was close to reality.

The star, who is at the Cannes Film Festival to publicise 'The Tree of Life' which is in the running for the coveted Palme d’Or, plays an authoritarian parent bringing up a family in 1950s Texas in the film.

Pitt, who has six children with his partner Angelina Jolie, admitted he had been “hesitant” about taking on the role.

He said: “I think about my kids seeing everything I do now when they grow up, and how are they going to feel, but they know me as a dad and I hope they’ll just think of me as a pretty, damn-good actor”.

Asked how close his role was to the truth, he joked: “I beat my kids regularly…It seems to do the trick... and I deprive them of meals.”

Pitt said he took on the role, at least in part, to make sure the film got made.

He said: “Real strong scripts go by the wayside and don’t get made. We wanted to make sure this one did and so I jumped in”.

Pitt was joined by actress Jessica Chastain who plays his wife in the film. Conspicuous by their absence were Sean Penn, who plays the couple’s son as an adult, and the film’s director Terrence Malick.

Penn, who producer Bill Pohlad explained was in Haiti, is expected at the festival later this week where another of his films, 'This Must Be The Place', is also in competition.

Producer Sarah Green said the reclusive Malick is “very shy” and Pitt defended his absence saying an “an artist should not have to be a salesman”.

He also explained Malick’s reluctance to explain the thinking behind his films, saying: “You know when you have a favourite song and you see the band telling what its about, explaining the lyrics, and you are immediately disappointed and you can’t listen to that song anymore?”.

Pitt said Malick, who shuns publicity and fiercely guards details of his private life, was "sweet" and "jovial", adding: "He finds pleasure in the day is my point."

The star, who grew up in the mid-western state of Missouri, which is part of the American Bible belt, said elements of the story dealing with the influence of Christianity “were personal to me” but added: “I find this more universal, I hope it speaks to all cultures.”

The actor, who said he found religion “stifling” as he was growing up, joked: “I’ve got my issues, man. Don’t get me started.”

The film, which does not have a conventional plot and includes flashbacks to the creation of the universe including an appearance by dinosaurs, got a mixed reception at an early screening today with some members of the audience booing while others gave it an ovation. But Pitt praised it for merging the “micro with the macro”.

He said: “To have this micro story of this family in this small town in Texas and juxtapose it with the macro, the birth of the cosmos and cell splitting, I find that just quite extraordinary.”

Pitt said he had started thinking about the direction of his career about 10 years ago and realised his favourite films “weren’t the big commercial things, they were things that had a little more depth, that were asking bigger questions or really, really funny”.

He added: “The point is to keep messing it up, I figure I’ve only got so many more things that I’ll get to do and I want to make sure it has some worth for me and have some work out there instead of some that’s more disposable.”

He also seemed to confirm reports he is set to replace Tom Cruise in the next Mission Impossible film, telling reporters: “Don’t count me out of Mission Impossible, I’ll be there.”

Pitt's appearance today follows Jolie who faced the cameras on Thursday when she attended a press conference in support of her new animated film Kung Fu Panda 2, which is not in competition.

The star, who described herself as “a mom who is changing beds and colouring all night long”, said the whole family was in Cannes.

She said: “It can be overwhelming but you also meet a lot of friendly faces and have a good laugh and you also get a chance to see some great films.”