Malick's tree of strife battles towards daylight

REEL NEWS: Mystery still surrounds the release details for Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. For (literally) years, punters speculated as to when we might get to see the long-gestated epic.

Following all those delays, it was announced that Icon Entertainment, the UK distributors, intended to gazump the Cannes Film Festival, where it was to play in competition, and open the picture in early May.

The film’s US producers objected, Icon backed down and, now – though the film opens in the US and Europe today – its UK and Ireland release has become delayed by obscure legal wrangling.

When The Tree of Lifewon the Palme d'Or on Sunday, the issue suddenly became that bit more urgent. But, at time of writing, none of the involved parties was prepared to issue any clarification. Rumours abound. But a baffling silence prevails. It would, however, be astonishing if the film did not emerge in the next few weeks. Nobody in the business can remember anything like this happening before.