(Cover) - EN Movies - Brad Pitt appreciates Terrence Malick's "freeform" directing style.

The 47-year-old Hollywood star plays Mr. O'Brien in Terrence's drama The Tree of Life, which is set in the 1950s and studies the meaning of life by recounting the experiences of a family with three sons.

The movie has already received high praise, winning the prestigious Palme d'Or prize at this year's Cannes International Film Festival, and Brad has nothing but enthusiasm with regards to Terrence's moviemaking abilities.

"He's like an underwater diver who's waiting for the sea turtle to go by, and then he follows till he's not even near the boat anymore," Brad said in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian.

"It was a really freeform, butterfly-net kind of way of catching moments counterintuitive to the way we do things in Hollywood."

Terrence, 67, is famously publicity shy and avoided all press opportunities at Cannes back in May. Brad, who has defended the director's decision to shy away from the media in the past, argues there is no need for him to be in the public eye.

"When he started making films in the 1970s, you just made films. Today there are two parts to the job: you get to make something, but it's also become incumbent on us to suddenly sell our movies and that's just not his nature. Terry's more the painter, or even the guy that's plastering the walls or laying the stone. He's just a very humble, sweet man," he smiled. (C) Cover Media