Jeff Nichols © RR It has taken Jeff Nichols just two films to build up a repertoire which many are comparing to that of Terrence Malick. Following on from Shotgun Stories (2007), the director of the much-acclaimed Take Shelter (2011) returns to his native Arkansas with Mud. Stuck on an island in the Mississippi, a mysterious fugitive sets out to find the love of his life with the help of two young boys.   The same closeness to nature, family and tradition...

    I saw "Lawless" last night at La Licorne theatre in Cannes La Boca. Directed by John Hillcoat, "Lawless" is an official selection film in the Cannes Film Festival. While the film was captivating and kept you turning your head in fear, and disgust, throughout, it left you feeling little for it and thinking nothing of it. Lawless is based on the Bondurant brothers, who lived in Franklin Country, Virginia during the Depression. The Bondurant...

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) grants its Grand Prix for Best Film of the year to TERRENCE MALICK'S THE TREE OF LIFE. The prize is the result of a vote by 205 critics across the world, all members of FIPRESCI on any feature-length film from the previous 12 months. The prize will be presented at the opening gala of San Sebastian Festival's 59th edition on September 16th at the Kursaal Auditorium. TERRENCE MALICK'S THE TREE OF LIFE will open the Zabaltegi-Pear...

*The Tree of Life* Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Cole Cockburn, Will Wallace Director: Terrence Malick     The bookends of the Bible, Genesis and Revelation,  tell us about the Tree of Life. In the garden of Eden,there was only one such tree; the Book of Revelation assures us there will be many such in the Holy City. For the writer(s) of Proverbs  the Tree symbolised four wonderful truths: Wisdom, ri...

 THE TREE OF LIFE (2011), a humble review!Ok, there have been a lot of write-ups about this Palme d’Or winner but having attended the premier and having witnessed firsthand the reaction of audiences, I felt I should write a little piece of my own. The theater was certainly filled up with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars- Jude Law, Uma Thurman and Robert DeNiro (all members of this year’s jury), Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Chastain, and even Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossda...

 THE TREE OF LIFE (2011), a humble review!Ok, there have been a lot of write-ups about this Palme d’Or winner but having attended the premier and having witnessed firsthand the reaction of audiences, I felt I should write a little piece of my own. The theater was certainly filled up with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars- Jude Law, Uma Thurman and Robert DeNiro (all members of this year’s jury), Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Chastain, and even Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossda...

Metaphysical in its narrative, ambitious in its goal, epic in its scale, and gorgeously beautiful and surreal in its visual style and art design, “The Tree of Life” is Terrence Malick’s career-summation work, a film he has been wanting (and destined) to make for decades. Read about Lubezki’s stunning imagery http://www.emanuellevy.com/comment/tree-of-life-creating-the-stunning-visuals/   A provocative and challenging film on any number of levels, Malick’s long...

  Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for best film-- "The Tree of Life" directed by Terrence Malick (United States)Grand Prix runner-up prize-- "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) and "The Kid With A Bike" directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Belgium)Best director-- Nicolas Winding Refn (Denmark) for "Drive"Best screenplay-- Joseph Cedar (Israel) for "Footnote"Best actress-- Kirsten Dunst (United States) for &qu...

  In a week when men behaving badly dominate the headlines, a refreshing sense of cognitive dissonance has set in at the 64th Cannes Film Festival.  The festival features a record four female directors in contention for the coveted Palme d’Or — the festival’s grand prize, which will be bestowed on May 22. But some of this year’s most highly anticipated films by men, including such legendary figures as Terrence Malick, Lars von Trier and the Dardennes brothers, have shared a st...

Brad Pitt stars in Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight. I attended an 11:00 a.m. screening of “The Tree Of Life” today. With the enormous amounts of media attention the film has been getting, I figured it best to show up early. By the time I arrived at 9:00 a.m. a massive line had already begun to form. I overheard the man at the front of the line say he had been there since 7:00 A.M. Clearly anticipation was high. When the lights went down for the st...

Kierkegaard vs. Nietzsche, the Big Bang vs. the Book of Genesis, in The Tree of Life,  Terrence Malick tackles the age old questions of “What is the meaning of life?” and “Is there life after death?”, and  portrays them in an operatic, naturesque, supernova artform, while transcending philosophy, religion, nature, innocence, success, violence, and sterility on to the big screen.  The film starts off with a verse from The Book of Job 58: 4, 7, “Where were you when I laid the ...

Photograph: Stephane Cardinale/People Avenue/Corbis By Sean O’Connell Hollywoodnews.com: Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” one of the most anticipated films of the Cannes festival (if not of the entire year), finally screened for critics in France this morning and the reaction has been … well, mixed. “Scattered audience members at its first screening in Cannes needed only one syllable: boo,” Anthony Breznican writes in EW.com. “The many supporters of th...

Kierkegaard vs. Nietzsche, the Big Bang vs. the Book of Genesis, in The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick tackles the age old questions of “What is the meaning of life?” and “Is there life after death?”, and portrays them in an operatic, naturesque, supernova artform, while transcending philosophy, religion, nature, innocence, success, violence, and sterility on to the big screen. The film starts off with a verse from The Book of Job 58: 4, 7, “Where were you when I laid the foundations...

Kierkegaard vs. Nietzsche, the Big Bang vs. the Book of Genesis, in The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick tackles the age old questions of “What is the meaning of life?” and “Is there life after death?”, and portrays them in an operatic, naturesque, supernova artform, while transcending philosophy, religion, nature, innocence, success, violence, and sterility, on to the big screen. The film starts off with a verse from The Book of Job 58: 4, 7, “Where were you when I laid the foundatio...

  By Mike Collett-White CANNES, France (Reuters) - U.S. director Terrence Malick brings his eagerly anticipated drama "The Tree of Life" to the Cannes film festival on Monday, ending a long wait for movie fans and critics intrigued by only his fifth feature. The picture has been the most talked about of the 20 entries in the main Cannes competition, and its world premiere brings stars of the stature of Brad Pitt and Sean Penn to the famous red ...

Sean Penn, American actor and director, is named President of the Jury of the 61st Festival de Cannes, due to take place from May 14 - 25, 2008. "In the last few years - Penn declared, upon accepting the invitation extended by Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux - it seems there has been a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide; increasingly thoughtful, provocative, moving, and imaginative films by talented filmmakers: that a new generation of filmmaking may have begun. The Cannes Film Festival...

It's always a bit of a let-down when a big one like this wraps and you look through the catalogue noting oodles of films you were dying to see but just didn't have time to get to. Ouch! Among the most coveted 'near misses' (since it would have been possible to see them, but at the expense of missing other simultaneously scheduled events) I can list with sweet regret (and this is only a small sampling), the following: "The Notorious Betty Page" (with a fetishistically luscious Gretchen Mol); "Ab...