"TREE OF LIFE" NAMED "BEST PICTURE" BY TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Stills from Tree of Life

Winners of the 2011 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards were announced last night and there were a couple surprises.  Terrence Malick's polarizing Tree of Life, may have baffled some Moviegoers - earlier this year Cineplex had issued a "no refunds" Template Letter to customers who complained about it - but the Critics loved it and awarded it Best Picture.

In the Acting Categories, Michael Shannon took home top honours for Best Actor with Take Shelter, while his Co-star Jessica Chastain was awarded Best Supporting Actress.  Chastain beat herself out for her performance in Tree of Life also in that same category in winning First Runner-up.

Michelle Williams, who was absolutely stunning in Alliance Films' My Week with Marilyn, won Best Actress deservedly, edging out Newcomer Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene and Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady.

Our v. own Christopher Plummer was awarded Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, also from Alliance Films and likely will be a force at the Oscars for his portrayal as an ailing Gay Man.

Read the full list of Winners here.

(Photo credit: eOne Films)

JESSICA CHASTAIN TO FILM "MAMA" IN TORONTO

Jessica Chastain

Things like this make me giddy like a School Girl. Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Coriolanus, Texas Killing Fields, Wilde Salome and The Wettest Country in the World are among some of Jessica Chastain's recent projects to receive much critical buzz.  Count 'em - that's eight high-profile releases slated for release within the span of a year. In addition to there being much talk of her being a Front-runner in the Oscars Best Supporting Actress race for her work in The Help, Chastain just won the Gucci Award for Women in Cinema earlier this weekend in Venice.

But get this - the new Queen of Cinema will be filming in Toronto from October to December, in addition to attending the TIFF 2011 Premieres of Take Shelter and Coriolanus. She is set to star in Guillermo del Toro-produced Mama, a Thriller about two Girls who escape a cruel Woman they believe to be there Mother. Mama, which is one of two del Toro Films being produced in Toronto simultaneously (the other is Pacific Rim), will be directed by Andre Muschietti. OMG. Dying here.

(Photo credit: Alliance Films)

"THE TREE OF LIFE" AND KIRSTEN DUNST WIN BIG AT CANNES

Still from The Tree of Life

Congratulations to Terence Malick for his victory at the Cannes Film Festival.  The shy Director's Feature The Tree of Life just received the coveted Palme d'Or Award for Best Feature; he was not on-hand to accept the Award.  Despite some "boos" having been heard at its Premiere in Cannes last week, it turns out that the Drama starring Sean Penn and Brad Pitt is a Critical Darling after all.  The Film gets a Canadian release on June 10, 2011.

In a surprising turn of events, Kirsten Dunst was awarded Best Actress for her work in Lars von Trier's Melancholia.  The Dancer in the Dark Director known best for tortured Heroines in his Films, recently generated a bit of controversy when he made some Anti-Semetic remarks he made, getting him banned from the Festival. Melancholia is a Sci-Fi Piece about two Sisters whose relationship is compromised as another Planet threatens to collide with Earth.

Melancholia is due in theatres November 4, 2011 and also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland and Alexander Skarsgård.  The Film is garnering some controversy as Dunst appears fully nude for the first time ever in it after having publicly gone on the record to say that Pedro Almodóvar is the only Director for whom she would remove her clothing.  Expect this one to do the Festival rounds including a possible TIFF stopoff this September.

(Photo credit: Fox Searchlight)

"THE TREE OF LIFE" GARNERS BOOS AND PRAISE IN CANNES

Still from Tree of Life

Despite some high expectations for The Thin Red Line Director Terence Malick’s latest work The Tree of Life, reviews unfortunately were mixed after today’s first screening of it at the Cannes Film Festival. Many have been awaiting the Film after multiple delays in its release, almost two years to be exact.

Although many top Critics had positive things to say about the philosophical Drama starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn, there reportedly was a bit of "booing" post-screening, which some Critics like Eric Kohn of IndieWire, took to Twitter clarifying this as an exaggeration.

Here’s what some of the Critics are saying for The Tree of Life:

“This film is not for everyone, and I will admit I am agnostic about the final sequence, which suggests a closure and a redemption nothing else in the film has prepared us for. But this is visionary cinema on an unashamedly huge scale: cinema that's thinking big.”. - PETER BRADSHAW - THE GUARDIAN

NEW STILLS FROM "THE HELP" STARRING EMMA STONE

Still from The Help

Although it’s not due in theatres until August, Disney has just released some new Stills from upcoming Drama The Help starring the magnetic Emma Stone.  The Film which studies Race relations in the ‘60s in a small Mississippi Town, is said to be a heart-warming tale about an unlikely Friendship being formed – shocking in a time when racial segregation was ever-prevalent. The Film is based upon the Novel of the same title by Kathryn Stockett.

The Help stars a female Cast of heavy-hitters including Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard and also Jessica Chastain. The latter many of us will be excited to see this May in Fox Searchlight’s The Tree of Life with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

Check out another Still below:

NEW "THE TREE OF LIFE" POSTER REVEALED

The Tree of Life Official Poster

Wow. This new Poster containing various small Stills was just released for Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life and wouldn’t you say it’s rather exquisite? A visual masterpiece if I might be so bold to say.

Starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, the Story follows three Brothers growing up in the 1950s, with the eldest son Jack being instilled with the values of Love and Mercy by his Mother (Chastain), while his Father (Pitt) teaches him the value of fending for himself in life.

Jack experiences true pain and hurt for the first time through the death of a loved one, thus losing his innocence. The Story cuts ahead to a grown-up version of himself, a lost soul who finds out what it means to love unselfishly. Absolutely beautiful!

The Tree of Life is now working with the tagline: “Two Ways Through Life” and hits theatres May 27, 2011 via Fox Searchlight. Earlier in the month it will get its Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Visit its official site here.

FIRST STILL FROM "THE TREE OF LIFE" WITH BRAD PITT AND SEAN PENN

Still from Tree of Life

Director Terernce Malick has been quiet of late but when he makes a Film, it's usually a good one.  The Thin Red Line Director's  latest effort The Tree of Life originally was slated for a 2010 release as an Oscar contender, but never surfaced in time due to various issues finding a U.S. Distributor and also Malick not feeling it was ready to be seen.  The Tree of Life originally was to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Starring a critically bulletproof duo Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, its story centers around an eleven year-old Boy named Jack (Penn as a adult) who reflects back on his Childhood growing up in the 1950s.  The Film touches upon the loss of innocence he experiences in witnessing the decline of his younger Brother.  Despite the role originally being intended for the late Heath Ledger, Pitt (who produces the Film also) plays Jack's Father, Mr. O'Brien in the Fantasy-Drama, which hits theatres May 27, 2011 via Fox Searchlight.

(Photo credit: Fox Searchlight)