London, May 18 (IANS) Actor Brad Pitt's new film "The Tree Of Life" with veteran star Sean Penn failed to impress the critics at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.

Director Terrence Malick's long-awaited film garnered boos and lacklustre applause from the audience. In the film, Pitt plays a brutal and strict father, while Penn plays his eldest son as a grown man. However, the director was not present at the screening, reports contactmusic.com.

Pitt defended Malick's decision to stay away, insisting it is not up to the director to "sell" the movie.

He said, "I don't know why it's accepted that people who make things in our business are then expected to sell them, and I don't think that computes with him. He wants to focus on the making of it, not the real estate, selling the real estate. It is an odd thing for an artist to start something and then be salesman."

The film's producer Sarah Green added, "Mr Malick is very shy, and I would say that I believe his work speaks for itself."