IT’S TOO soon to rush to declare Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life (12A) a masterpiece, but it is safe to say that there won’t be a more ambitious and thought-provoking film released this year.

THE Tree of Life, an epic and ambitious coming-of-age film that took years for enigmatic US director Terrence Malick to bring to the screen, won top honours last night at the Cannes festival.

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.

OSCAR-WINNER Sean Penn has donned red lipstick, heavy black eye make-up and a wig to play an ageing Goth rocker in his new movie.

Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney's new movie 'The city of your final destination' is facing a delay in its cinema release, because of legal action from one of the film's investors.

Maybe it’s the small screen, or I’m losing my critical faculties, but Terence Malick’s The New World (EIV, €24.99) shines better than expected.

Malick, that most lyrically visual of directors, first started writing this story of Captain John Smith and the 17th century discovery of America in the l970s.

Malick, who also wrote the screenplay, here tells the story of the 17th century meeting of the English, under John Smith (Farrell) with the Native Americans of the New World.