The Tree of Life doesn't open to the general public until May 27, however Brad Pitt's latest film is already receiving critical acclaim after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.

Director Terrence Malick is getting four-star reviews for the star-studded film ... which includes Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. In the flick, Pitt's character must deal with his parents' opposite personalities that eventually create the man he is in the present day.

The Hollywood Reporter claims this is one of Pitt's "finest performances." The mag adds:

    "an impressionistic metaphysical inquiry into mankind's place in the grand scheme of things that releases waves of insights amidst its narrative imprecisions...


Variety adds:

    "Few American filmmakers are as alive to the splendor of the natural world as Terrence Malick, but even by his standards, "The Tree of Life" represents something extraordinary.


See how some other movies have been rated while premiering at Cannes ... after the jump.