( CNN ) -- Since `` The Tree of Life , '' reclusive filmmaker Terrence Malick 's fifth film in four decades , premiered at Cannes earlier this week , the 2½-hour long impressionistic tone poem has elicited mixed reactions ranging from scattered boos to walkouts to long standing ovations . When the film took the coveted Palme d'Or at the end of the festival , the buzz was deafening . So what 's the big deal ? Let 's get the things we already know about the ambitious film out of the way first : It stars Brad Pitt as a stern but ultimately disappointed father of three boys in 1950s Texas , Jessica Chastain as his luminescent wife and Sean Penn as one of their grown-up sons many years later ; there is little in the way of linear narrative or dialogue outside of breathy voiceovers contemplating the existence and disposition of God ; there are lengthy sequences of volcanoes erupting , cells dividing and many other awe-inspiring natural phenomena that recall both `` Nova '' and `` 2001 : A Space Odyssey '' ; and , yes , there are CGI dinosaurs . A tough sell to be sure , especially for Americans who would rather stick with the familiar territory of `` The Hangover Part II '' or `` Kung Fu Panda 2 '' than a meditation on how the lives of this family coincide with the birth of the entire universe ( enter the dinosaurs ) , but stay with me . What the film lacks in traditional box office appeal , it more than makes up for in stunning visual effects and a unique , poetic perspective on family , faith , loss of innocence and reconciliation that will stay with you long after you may finish scratching your head at the film 's conclusion . The complaints about `` The Tree of Life '' center around the fact that while some plot and conflict is established , nothing ever really happens . It 's more or less true , but it misses the point . In as spiritually minded a movie as `` The Tree of Life , '' it only makes sense that the journey would be the destination . Or , as the film 's stars put it at a press conference in Cannes : `` It 's like ( Malick ) is waiting with a butterfly net to catch what was going by that day , '' Pitt said . `` It 's all about capturing an accident , '' Chastain added . `` He would be shooting and Brad would be wonderful and then there 'd be a woodpecker nearby and he 'd turn to that . You ca n't plan any moment . '' For a viewer , this so-called aimlessness may sound frustrating , but Malick is nothing if not meticulous . He juxtaposes explosive imagery and a soaring operatic score with smaller , tender moments like natural light shining through blades of grass and a baby 's first steps to create the complete mood and mosaic of `` The Tree of Life . '' Ultimately , that is this film 's strength . In a move that rankled many at Cannes , Malick declined to do any press and was only on hand unexpectedly and briefly at the Palais to premiere the film . Pitt described the absence as the auteur 's preference to focus on `` building a house , not selling the real estate . '' Still , with a movie that raises more questions than it answers , the public wanted Malick 's help interpreting the film . We say just see it . And then maybe see it again . It 's a work of art to experience and behold , but do n't try too hard to dissect it , because the whole does n't always live up to the sum of its extraordinary parts . Have you seen `` The Tree of Life '' ? Tell us what you thought in the comments . `` The Tree of Life '' is open in limited release in New York and Los Angeles , with wide release on July 8 .
The film stars Brad Pitt as a stern , disappointed father of three boys in 1950s Texas . He is forced to leave his family and move into the home of an old friend who has recently died. While some plot and conflict is established , nothing ever really happens , is one complaint .