I understand this is an analysis of BP's work, but whatever happened on that plane w his family, the MIR issues in Louisiana, not to mention the deeply misogynistic film he's nominated for, should at least be factored in here, esp by a woman film critic. I'm just so tired of the white-washing and gaslighting...
9
IF JA took him back after he humiliated her in public, she's a better person in person than she appears on TV. They both are improving their acting skills and it's great to see. Sure, they've got the $$$ piled up but there's more to life than that. He doesn't take himself too seriously and it makes me want to go back and watch A river runs through it. And I will watch Hollywood before the Oscars. Here's hoping he wins.
5
Masculinity got us out of the caves. Built cities, connected the globe. It is essential. Male and female work together.
8
Pitt has been in a few good movies, but he's just not a good actor. Sorry, that's my opinion and I'm going to stick with it until he impresses me with a performance.
5
You left out Tree of Life. Pitt really surprised me with his character read.
13
Brad Pitt is exceptional in "Ad Astra; for almost the entire movie his only "acting" is done with his face...the rest of him inside a very large space suit.
I don't like sci-fi movies, but I respect the talent of Brad Pitt, and I was riveted to the very end of that movie... by the story, and also by the depth, breadth and magnitude of his acting.
(To be honest, agreeing to watch Pitt for a couple of hours is no hardship.)
He was wonderful in "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood," too. Like Redford, Newman, Grant...he is so much more than his beauty.
I do disagree with this article's author a bit, though.
In my personal experience, and in my experience as a personal coach for 20+ years, beautiful people can often be "different" than you and I.
Because they possess beauty, we foist our expectations and beliefs onto them, and they do not have the same "opportunities" as you and I to learn and grow through challenges.
They often get a "pass" - or folks perceive them with rose colored glasses and illusions - in ways you and I do not.
Sometimes that results in emotional immaturity, a self-serving attitude, and at worst...the development of sociopathic tendencies.
Pitt is not one of these people; his tangible "real life" experiences are written all over his face and he generously shares that with us.
It's up to "beautiful people" to choose to learn, grow, and evolve; it's up to us to keep our paradigms, perceptions, beliefs, and illusions...to ourselves.
18
a lot of this is centered on the notion that Whiteness is considered the norm, and thus more beautiful than Blackness in the U.S. ... which is wrong, but still the current tenet in 2020 mainstream media and movies.
6
Oh...My...God.
Michaelangelo could not have created a more beautiful man.
And yes, his work in "HOLLYWOOD" was masterful.
16
I saw his latest film Once upon... and for me he was just being brad Pitt. He was okay. He should have gotten an award for his character in Burn after Reading. Excellent role and film.
9
Reading through the comments I note an absence of feminist shrieking about the "objectification" of Mr. Pitt. Bit of a double standard there, I'd say.
6
A good essay despite the clickbait, superficial title (I almost didn't read it. Who writes these headlines?). I disagree about Legends of the Fall--compared to movies today, it was a piece of art.
18
Wondering why the author chose a clip of a shirtless Brad Pitt if her objective was to encourage an appreciation for his acting skill rather than his hotness.
8
There's an idea that beauty is something you're born with, and so should not be praised. But that's not completely true. Yukio Mishima said that to create a beautiful work of art, and to make one's body beautiful, are identical. Physical beauty can be an expression of something other than a simple genetic sequence.
1
Um. Wait. You want us to feel sorry for Brad Pitt? The Brad Pitt?
The one that is a movie star? The one that was married to Jennifer Aniston but *that* wasn't good enough for him so he left her for Angeline Jolie? The one who was engaged to Gwyneth Paltrow (ok that I do feel a little badly about.)
The one who is worth $300M? The one that lives in a house that was featured in Architectural Digest? The one whose name is a noun that defines having it all?
The one who was not only blessed to have been born healthy, white, male and beautiful but talented and lucky? The one whose craggy laugh lines perfectly complement his megawatt smile even at his age? The one with not one but SIX beautiful children, each more adorable than the next?
THAT guy?
What is next: a Go Fund me for Tom Brady?
59
@GWE I didn't exactly get the vibe that I should feel bad for him, more just that his talent is overlooked because of his beauty. But I can understand that angle.
And your comment about Tom Brady made me laugh out loud.
34
Well said. His talent goes far beyond the screen - that’s what makes him beautiful. Looks fade but inner beauty does not. Keep being the kind, intelligent, & socially responsible person you are Brad! It comes thru on the screen & in life.
10
Best thing ever: was Brad Pitt at the recent "Oscar nominees luncheon" which gathered together all the current Academy Awards nominees......a large group. And Brad Pitt, alone, wore a name tag.
20
Every time I see Brad Pitt in anything, I clutch my AARP card and sigh.
8
The reason Brad Pitt received the initial roles he did was due to his beauty. He would not have been cast as Thelma's one night stand if he had looked like....any ordinary Joe. So while the author writes a "poor Brad Pitt" column, one could argue that poor Brad Pitt would be just another struggling actor if he didn't look like Brad Pitt. I am sure he feels very lucky in life and does not need a statue to tell him he is worthy of superstar status.
9
You can be the most brilliant actor known to homo sapiens but if you don't look good on camera - if the camera doesn't "love you" - you're not going anywhere in film; Hollywood film, anyway. And don't forget: a stage actor has one chance per show to hit the mark, the right tone, the right look. Film actors get chance after chance after chance to "get it right". Just because an actor helps create a "perfect" scene, a "perfect" moment, does not make the actor "supremely talented", or just "good". Actors are mere pieces in the business of selling soap, the true purpose of Hollywood being, as it always has been, to make money; if "art" happens, no matter, just as long as it sells. Pitt sells tickets; matters not a toss if he's pretty or brilliant.
5
I appreciate that Brad Pitt, despite the constant adulation about his beauty, for decades, seems to keep his wits about him and take it for what it is: excessive focus on something that is superficial and not really in his control. He is followed closely, yet I have not heard instances of him unfairly using that gift to take advantage of people; which you hear of so commonly with others. He also has said that he does not want to hide his aging. He seems real, despite unreal beauty.
17
I thought Pitt's work in "Once Upon a Time" was an excellent parody of a slacker-macho stunt man. He was "male" but his slouchy, overly laid back, slow talking character managed to push back against what could have been a very macho role.
9
My favorite Brad Pitt: Chad in "Burn After Reading"
11
Guaranteed that if Harvey Weinstein looked like Brad Pitt, Weinstein would not be on trial now. You know I'm right.
8
I loved his performance in Burn After Reading.
8
'Scuse me fr livin', but what's so "beautiful" about this guy? Sure, he's got abs, but so do lots of other dudes. I don't get it. Clearly, he's a master at portraying sexpots, but "beautiful"?
2
'The Legends of The Fall', a "risible dud."?
Nay. Nay. 'A Glorious, Mutant, Phantasmagorical, Giddy, Silly, Sometimes Solemn, Sometimes Stupid (but endearlingly so) Epic, Operatic, Utterly Persuasive Melodrama.
Do not defame this Miracle of a Movie, Please.
11
Give Brad his Oscar!
6
What about his portrayal of the always-high doper housemate in the film True Romance (a Tarantino script) , all you Brad Pitt slobberers?
7
Brad Pitt is not to be missed in “True Romance” as the perfect sunny Southern California stoner, using a plastic “Honey Bear” bottle as a bong.... and utterly guileless in dealing with the Mob. One of his earliest roles, and perfectly cast.
Whether stoner, fighter, time traveler, astronaut, or alcoholic fisherman (to name just a few), Pitt’s myriad roles show much more than just a pretty face. And his career has spanned, what, 30 years and still going strong! Pretty remarkable.
8
I always thought Kalifornia never got the attention it should have. Pitt was amazing, but so were the other actors, the story, the cinematography. It all came together in a truly chilling, original story. One of those movies you can watch more than once and see something new each time.
5
Wonder how Sean Penn - "Gunman" - was eliminated from consideration as current paragon of male physiognomy & cheesecake?
Ad Astra is a terrible film. The story makes no sense, the acting flat, the dialogue nonsensical.
2
I don't know much about acting, but Tarantino has used Pitt multiple times so he must be decent. But he seems to play the same character in Tarantino movies: quirky male with subtle masculinity. I see this from Inglorious Basterds and Once Upon a Time
1
Watch "Burn After Reading." Genius.
3
"A risible dud that turns him into a golden sex pony"??? A risible dud Manohla?? Ok yes on the golden sexy pony BUT I will forever defend "Legends of the Fall" and Pitt's performance in it. Like Manohla's comment, most critics give this film a similar dud-like critique but watch it again (I can't believe it's been over 25 years since it premiered!) and you'll remember that Pitt gives a very deep and introspective performance to a very tortured character. Remember the scene at his brother's gravestone (spoiler!)? A moving vulnerability reflected in a very masculine character that was early in his career. Golden sexy pony? Yes but a deeply introspective golden sexy pony.
8
Brad,
Are you suffering under the weight of your extreme beauty? We plebians support you, despite the Academy.
Mazel tov!
3
Males are usually obsessed with female bosom. It seems that females too have the same obsession. Has time changed ?
1
I'm just upset you trashed Legends of the Fall
7
He is just so hot.
5
Ad Astra sucks
is a bad remake of the Event Horizon
from the year 1997 with Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill
same plot but sorry i didn't see nothing great about Brad Pitt
performance it lack passion
and credibility and personally
I could not immerse myself in the drama
It was boring
2
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I really dont find him that beautiful...but Tom Hanks yes very much so!
2
It’s not just actors. People can have a similar attitude toward beauty in men who are not actors, as Eugene Galt expertly portrayed in These Words Are True and Faithful.
2
I've always admired Brad Pitt's acting. It's been obvious to me that his extreme good looks distract a little from his excellent talent. I've enjoyed every movie in which I've seen Brad Pitt.
5
In the insatiable culture of Never-Enough, it is maddening to judge actors (and people in general) only by one aspect of them, may that be beauty, intelligence, witts, compassion, or all and any other.
Continue to be your best version of you because, for others, we are never what is in their imagination that we should be.
The rest is noise in the background.
Brad Pitt has a reputable career and he (as any one elso) deserves respect and recognition. His character in Once Upon a Time, we all want to be flowing as Cliff...
6
Is Brad Pitt really so beautiful, or is he such a gifted actor that he has convinced people he is beautiful? Mae West is also rightly famous for that role.
5
I understand this is about male actors. Most of whom are not classically handsome let alone beautiful the way they were 50 plus years ago. However, the hype over Brad Pitt, over the years, appears to be an astonishing PR stunt say it over and over again that he is beautiful and the public will believe it. He is no Michelangelo's David by any stretch of the imagination so putting his head on that statue is ludicrous. If one critically looks at him, his facial features do not equate to a beautiful standard in a classical sense by mathematical Greek or Roman principles. So it is clear what is going on.
On the other hand, Henry Cavill happens to fit the classical standards of handsome or male beauty yet we do not see the same type or level of talk about him.
4
Characters like Cliff Booth, Roy McBride, Aldo Raine, Glen McMahon, Mr. O'Brien, and Chad Feldheimer - exist to me as those characters in the world they inhabit. They aren't Brad Pitt or the event of a persona he represents to us.
Very few actors can disappear like that. It's even rarer when you look the way he does.
7
I saw Thelma and Louise when it came out, and I loved it, almost in spite of Brad Pitt. I thought he was too beautiful, too pretty even, to be believable (although I thought his performance was good).
Fast forward to 2008, when Burn After Reading was released. I saw that in a theater, too, because, well, Frances McDormand. I see every movie of hers in a theater if it’s playing anywhere near me. Also, the Coen brothers, and Clooney. But the best, almost perfect, part in that movie was Brad Pitt’s. He was such a joy to watch, and I loved what age had done to his face. His physicality and the way he moves really made an impression on me. Echoes of Cary Grant, my teenage heartthrob when he was in his 80s.
Then I went back and watched A River Runs Through It, which was much hyped when it came out in 1992, but frankly hasn’t aged well. I don’t know I could choose between what was most awe-inspiring, the Montana setting or Brad. (We were on a first name basis by then, or at least I was.)
I enjoyed the article, and I agree that he’s simply one of the best actors working today. I’m going to rewatch Thelma and Louise and reconsider my first impression of Mr. Pitt. Long may he grace our screens.
15
Let's not forget Pitt's outstanding performance in Burn After Reading. Really good acting that is out of character and in a role he is not usually cast in.
9
@JCM
That’s the movie that got me to reconsider Brad Pitt. My husband and I just watched/rewatched Burn After Reading, and we were both laughing our you know what’s off!
4
He is 57. And still has a body like this. I guess he deserves Oscar for that if nothing else. In Thelma and Louise that was good genetics. In Once Upon a Time that is a hard work in the gym and in the kitchen. Did he also really jumped up on the roof as Cliff, or was that done by a stuntman?
15
Robert Redford did well by Brad Pitt...recall "A River Runs Thru It" and "Spy Game?" I sensed they both knew only too well that their shared sense of beauty, and somewhat similar sensibilities, lead them to CREATE roles that could showcase their talents and abilities, as well as their strong personal screen presence. It is likely that Redford saw Pitt as his heir apparent as both actor and filmmaker, and sure enough Pitt also went on to produce some impressive films.
These "pretty boys" both seemed to want to tell a good story, and knew they would have to take matters into their own hands if they wanted to be thought of as actors- not movie stars.
13
Thanks for the excellent article!
6
Brad Pitt sure is watchable, even in ostensibly "bad" stuff like "Meet Joe Black." But I was blown away by his acting skill in the complicated "Babel," which had several stories being told at once. When his character finally speaks to his faraway kids on the phone and breaks down crying, he had my permanent vote.
Plus, then, there's his Cliff. . . . .
9
You lost me at "Legends of the Fall". If you think Pitt was a golden sex pony in that movie, you missed the entire point. It's about loss, grief, and regret. And Pitt and the rest of the cast executed it beautifully.
16
Spot On description of Brad, and everything he personifies at least on screen. He oozes every aspect of sexuality, ( yet as the author commented on the usual phobias ) unquestionably male, and yes second fiddle doesn’t diminish him one iota.
6
I just assumed everyone knew he was a gifted actor! He was amazing in Guy Ritchie's "Snatch".
Paul Newman, Grant - same thing. Newman in "The Verdict" was perfection.
17
Very good piece, and I agree that Brad Pitt has been underrated as an actor largely because of his looks (although as a gay man, the concept of a male actor’s beauty isn’t as hard to comprehend as the author seems to think it is).
But was it necessary to slam Joaquin Phoenix to make her point? Phoenix’s work in “Joker” was superb, not because he lost weight beforehand, but because he attacked the role with a ferocity, fearlessness and lack of vanity that was extraordinary. He deserves to win this Oscar.
10
@Roy
I didn’t see Joker and I’m not going to see Joker. Yeah, rah Joaquin Phoenix played some comic book character, and there were some set pieces, none of which required him to truly act,
3
Sorry you didn't mention Pitt's great talent at screwball comedy, which, for my money, Redford has never had. Both Burn Without Reading and The Mexican are movies I can watch whenever they role around with much enjoyment.
As far as serious roles go, I think he deserved more praise than he go for his role in A River Runs Through It.
17
Brad Pitt is an era-defining actor in the vein of previous great male actors such as Clark Gable and Carey Grant. Pitt has remarkable range, from gypsy to tuxedoed rogue he is believable and entertaining. Yes, he's beautiful. Yes, it's noticeable. But it's not distracting; it doesn't get in the way of a part. And Brad Pitt the person, as seen recently on the Golden Globes, is a well spoken, thoughtful, humble individual. How great an act was that? For entertainment, I'll watch Brad Pitt any time.
16
"As a reminder, Rami Malek, Eddie Redmayne and Roberto Benigni have all won best actor."
Don't remind us.
14
It's great to read such an appreciation of Pitt's abilities. I'm sorry that it ignores how great a comic actor he is. He is hilarious in "Burn After Reading," and his comic timing in the few minutes that he had on an episode of "Friends" made the entire episode. Combine that with his choice of excellent films that he helps to produce and the fact that he makes for an intelligent, thoughful interview, what you actually have is very smart, thoughtful man who just happens to be beautiful.
18
Pitt is an incredible actor — to me one of the best. It’s too bad society doesn’t allow for both - beauty and talent.
7
His best performances, IMO: Twelve monkeys, Seven and Killing them softly. He does not play pretty boy on any of them. Nor he's naked at any time. He could not look ugly if he tried, though. But that should suffice as proof of his acting skills.
5
@Xavi ...and his small role in Snatch (though he does have to take off his shirt in the equally obligatory fight scene)...
5
Is Pitt Hollywood’s - America’s - David? Will he end up in the Metropolitan Museum in New York?
2
"But Pitt has always moved with the absolute surety you see in some beautiful people (and dancers), the casualness of movement that expresses more than mere confidence, but a sublime lack of self-consciousness and self-doubt about taking up space, something not everyone shares. This isn’t swagger; this is flow."
Omit the word beautiful and you could be talking about the dancer Fred Astaire, and the politician Barack Obama.
It can be more than flowing, it can be floating - on invisible clouds.
22
Remembering my first viewing of "A river runs through it" I was overwhelmingly surprised with the movie itself and in particular Pitt's acting. He ultimately did not receive any award nominations which surprised me even more.
12
Pitt is an odd one. As a gay man, I've never found him physically attractive, nor have I ever heard any of my gay friends coo over him. I don't know why. I can see the pieces are all there, but...meh.
But as an actor and a person? I think he's fantastic. I loved him in "Once Upon a Time..." and most everything else I've ever seen him in. He's got a great range, and excellent comic timing.
So yeah. I just don't know what's up.
7
@Steven I used to think the same as you but I am really like his old guy looks...... those laugh lines.
:-)
2
It is a really heavy burden being as pretty, charming, wise and humble as I am.
I understand and feel Brad Pitt's pain.
But Brad Pitt is no Denzel Washington nor Idris Elba nor Chadwick Boseman nor John Boyega nor Daniel Kaluya nor Winston Duke nor Sterling K. Brown nor John David Washington nor Daveed Diggs nor LaKeith Stanfield.
Nor am I.
10
My husband and I saw "Once Upon a Time..." twice in 3 days. Both Pitt and DeCaprio were outstanding. My husband opined that they were so good because they each obviously respected the other's talent, and were willing to stand back and let the other guy "shine" in his scenes. The ending of the movie was indeed a showcase of each man's acting ability. One of the best movies I've ever seen. Would go again tomorrow.
18
Brad’s epically unintelligible but somehow authentic Irish “Tinker” accent in “Snatch” is what convinced me this guy was a great actor. Heck, even my Galway-born mother said hearing him speak in this role triggered flashbacks.
21
Giving awards for 'best acting' is stupid and Marlon Brando knew that as far back as the 60s. In fact, the whole awards process is just a marketing stunt. That said, I dont think he did much to deserve a nomination in Once Upon a Time... it was Leo's film all the way. What I like about Brad is his range. He can be scary (Kalifornia) but he's actually at his best in comedies (like George Clooney). Especially when they work with the Coens. His turn in Burn Without Reading was hilarious. And of course Fight Club, which was a total scream. But then how can you not be great when working with material of that calibre?
4
I agree with Barbara and Kimberly -- Snatch is Pitt's best role, by far. Strange how it is NEVER mentioned.
11
no mention of PItt's work in "Snatch"? Hilarious and heartrending - and to stand out in that bigger than life cast was an achievement indeed.
6
SNATCH by far one of Pitts BEST roles!! That gypsy dialect could not have been easy....plus he is funny, thoughtful, nuanced..he is genius!
10
I have loved the cinema and power of film since I saw Shane in 1953 with my father.
I can honestly say that Brad Pitt is much, much more than a handsome face. He is that, sure, but inside, he is a character actor who oftentimes disappears into his roles. I am thinking of Inglorious Basterds, Fury, Benjamin Button, Moneyball. His performance in Troy was underrated in my opinion.
He is a pleasure to watch, and it has been wonderful to see his career blossom over the years. He is most deserving of Academy recognition next month.
10
“Fury” was the movie that showed me Brad Pitt and Oscar are destined for each other. That didn’t happen, so I’m happy for Mr. Pitt it looks like this is the hear.
5
Anyone can act. Anyone can do anything, if they have the passion for it. I know: it does't fit your capitalist dogma.
1
@Thomas Paine to state the obvious:...yes, anyone can do anything...but no one can do everything well, and not everyone can do even one thing among the best of all the people that do that one thing...so, yes, anyone can act...many, however, even with passion and hard work would be mediocre at best...
7
@Thomas Paine No human can deadlift 10,000 pounds.
1
Please spare us any sympathy for beautiful people.
The vast majority of the rest of us who are at best average . . .but more likely worse. . .would gladly tolerate anything they have to put up with and more. . .to receive the tremendous advantages that good-looking people have over everyone else in every field of endeavor. Anyone with the gall to say otherwise who does have physical beauty. . .let them trade places with the rest of us for a time and then ask them if they want to make the change permanent.
As Marlon Brando was honest enough to admit, "Acting is just a craft." Many, many people could do as good a job or better than these supposed icons of the screen but simply don't have the looks to get the parts.
14
Reminds me of what owner Penny Chenery said of the foal Secretariat: "He was wonderful looking, almost pretty to be good." Sometimes you can have everything.
4
For me the reveal of Brad Pitt the actor came with his turn in 12 Monkeys. I wasn't a fan, he didn't even register with me, but that performance - as lunatic as it was - was a reveal. Beautiful or not, the guy can act.
John~
American Net'Zen
7
I've been a huge fan ever since 12 Monkeys, and Fight Club and World War Z. He's a great actor, very overlooked. He's amazing.
9
I find Brad Pitt neither particularly good-looking nor a particularly strong actor. Quite honestly, I believe the obsession with Pitt's looks says more about a preference for a Eurocentric beauty aesthetic than anything else.
That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.
13
Perhaps I missed it in this article, but I really liked him in “Seven”. Also “A River Runs Through It”. Brad has a pleasing shell, but from what I have seen from his interviews, he seems pretty down to earth.
6
I have forever downloaded in the hard disc of my mind the supreme moment of unadulterated pleasure when Brad Pitt graced the screen in Thelma and Louise. We all knew, right then and there, just what lay ahead, all that larger than life and nothing but superlative will do; because the word movie star, baby, was invented just for you.
13
Imagine the incredible acting talent we'd have if beauty was not such an important selection criterion.
Even today, many of those who are now the "serious" actors started out being selected at least for their looks.
I've nothing against any of them, but I'm glad that I wasn't born an immensely talented actor who just didn't have the right bone-structure or hair to make it ...
4
Pitt is one of our greatest male actors. His few scenes in The Tree of Life as a young father are riveting, intense and complex.
10
I've been a professional actor for 30 years. I'm a few years older than Brad Pitt and remember distinctly his breakthrough performance in Thelma & Louise. I've always had a high opinion of him.
His performance in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is absolutely top-notch. His role is unusual - a low-status character, a bumbler, almost a loser, but who has great integrity, courage and inner strength. Pitt succeeds brilliantly in playing this quirky, contradictory man. I really admire his work in this film.
27
I found it telling that, at the Golden Globes ceremony, Brad Pitt said he would have liked to bring his mother to the event but gossip would abound about his new love interest. He is more than a pretty face...
25
Brad Pitt is truly an incredibly gifted actor who also happens to have won the world's genetic lottery. He's so beautiful it hurts to look directly at him, much like staring into the sun. I can't help but wonder how much of what you describe though is truly his being underrated given his blinding beauty or the roles he gravitates towards? Is this the Academy's inability to see him as anything but the shirtless Apollo, or more about the Academy's tendencies to honor performances for roles in which the actor both transcends and quite literally transforms? DiCaprio in The Revenant, Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club or McConaughey, who became skeletal while delivering an incredible performance are a few that come to mind. If this kind of recognition and affirmation were the priority for Pitt, he could deliver. I kind of love that he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. At least, not seriously enough to select roles motivated primarily by Oscar gold.
13
Well, the article did not mention "Meet Joe Black". This is my favorite Brad Pitt movie (I've only seen one).
I think he was portraying a being who, having no emotion himself, was observing living people having emotion. To me, each character was differentiated by showing how he or she experienced emotion, such emotion being based on the life situation in which they found themselves in at that particular moment. I'm trying to say that I think that human emotion was the central focus of the movie.
Brad Pitt's role was to be an observer and to portray the interest in and puzzlement at or enjoyment of when and how other people felt then expressed emotion. It was not to portray the usual aggressive sexpot.
This difference in the lead character's stance made it a breakthrough part for Pitt in my opinion. Maybe that movie just slipped the column author's mind.
8
@Rbts
Rbts from Texas hit it on the noggin.
It was in Meet Joe Black, a mediocre film in which one has to struggle hard to suspend disbelief, that I first realized that Pitt could act and act well--to the point that he completely transcended the 3rd rate vehicle in which he was appearing and literally carried the whole awful film on his (beautiful) shoulders.
It was a difficult part in which he as an actor had to portray a non-human learning how to mimic a human; in other words how to ACT. He was brilliant in Thelma & Louise,Fight Club and Once Upon a Time, but it hit me first in Jack Black that he is much more than a pretty face.
6
He was terrific in Snatch - his dissolute confidence completely defined the film and made it a cult classic.
11
He’s absolutely underrated, I agree. He’s simply and originally Brad Pitt.
13
I’ve always thought people had trouble looking past Brad Pitt’s good looks to see what a good actor he is. He’s had many great roles in the past, but In “Once Upon a Time...” his cool was the perfect contrast to DiCaprio’s desperate insecurity as he feels it all slipping away. He is a good “buddy” to other strong actors, but in “Ad Astra,” he carried the film on his own; you could feel his pain and feeling of abandonment. I’ll always go to a film because Brad Pitt is in it, not in spite of the fact.
9
Oh, the shade thrown Brad Pitt’s way. Loved him as Cliff Booth in “Hollywood”. And loved him maybe more as Roy McBride in “Ad Astra”. The latter may be my favorite movie of the year. Say what you want, Pitt has endured. And just keeps getting better with age...
11
Ad Astra and Pitt’s performance both were awesome.
3
Great article.
8
Eye heart Brad Pitt.
4
Brad Pitt looks like a fit teenager with wrinkles. Cary Grant, in contrast, was a handsome man.
24
@Anon9 Good comparison. Have a look at Cary Grant n Father Goose at the age of 50 vs. Pitt now at 57.
10
I would like to see A.O. Scott write the same article about Charlize Theron. Good luck with that.
13
I haven’t even read the first sentence of this piece....but am mightily struck by the contrast between the image for this story and another NYT story running concurrently on 'Hollywood trying to end sexploitation.' Really??
5
@arjay quite the irony isn’t it? I guess it’s essential for literal minded folk like us to comprehend that, while women can be driven to distraction (and endless lascivious commentary as this section bears clear testimony) there is no corresponding mechanism to advise them of their hypocrisy in robbing men of any such equal opportunity.
2
@arjay Like a certain Dowager Countess I wonder, Does it ever get cold on the moral high ground?
2
Such a good article. I thought so much about Paul Newman and Robert Redford while reading this article. The three of them in my mind sound so much alike. They are/were the kind of guys you'd want to hang out with and they seem like they would hang out with you, everyday type guys.
28
I lost Pitt during the Bruce Lee scene. He's done great work but somehow his coolness as Cliff didn't push him to an award-worthy performance.
3
Robert Redford was prettier... but not as interesting to watch when performing. So I gotta give Brad credit there. He is much more a character actor and that's what makes him watchable. I think he gets it and really enjoys that aspect of his performances. Good looks get people to look at you, but interesting character keeps people watching to see what happens next.
17
Ad Astra was my favorite movie of the year! Totally underrated film. Not only was it about the trials of loneliness and the distances between fathers and sons, it had an epic moon-car laser-gun battle.
7
Brad Pitt did not treat Jennifer Anniston very well as a husband although they seem to have mended their friendship. Brad Pitt did not treat Angelina Jolie very well as a husband (allegedly due to substance abuse) and it is unknown whether they will end up as friends or not. So, in the past Brad Pitt was not an attractive man. Attractiveness is more than someone’s looks and his treatment of his two ex-wife’s shows an ugly and immature side. So if we are in the business of judging poor Brad Pitt let’s just limit it to his acting abilities and not his attractiveness.
19
@Madeleine Brett Duh??
3
@Madeleine Brett
We might also want to rely on information beyond that gleaned in the celebrity press. To what extent are you privy to Pitt's private relationships..?
24
@arjay Brad Pitt NYT interview September 2019.
4
Poor Michelangelo. This illustration effort remains an affront to the masterpiece, first with a fig leaf, then with a poorly photoshopped proportionate head replacing the intentionally excessive noggin that David was sporting.
8
My favorite Pitt role has to be in Burn After Reading. As the dimbrain Chad, the only muscles he flexed were the ones between his ears.
25
I’m not sure I had seen Pitt in a movie before “Burn This”. But as I watched that movie, I realized the hype about him was not, in regards to acting skill, just hype—his portrayal of an earnest goofball was terrific and believable. Makes me laugh remembering the goofball. So this is the great Brad Pitt, I thought, funny as all get-out and unafraid to go against his pretty-boy image.
8
@whaddoino
I got your numba, I got your numba!
4
I beg to disagree with this article. Ad Astra was a boring movie and Pitt offered a bad performance. I couldn't finish watching the movie. Later I was on a plane and someone else was watching it so I could see the movie but not hear it. Pitt's was so stone-faced the whole time that it was amusing....I think he's conventionally pretty but not a good actor.
5
If you think Ad Astra was a boring movie then you weren’t paying attention. But wait. You think Pitt is a bad actor. Now I understand.
1
The head on that statue looks disproportionately small for that type of Greek statue.
5
It's not a "Greek statue".
2
Like most of us, I have no idea what he’s really like, but I’d put up with a lot before I’d send him packing!
17
Gotta disagree with commenters that dismiss Pitt's talents as the work of an easy-going beautiful man playing himself. Not to detract from Ms. Dargis's analysis but to appreciate Brad PItt you have to discuss a performance she neglects: Brad Pitt's Sergeant Collier shirtless scene in Fury.
That scene in Fury is incredible and complex and sublime as anything in film, and it works because Brad Pitt is at the center. However, unlike the scenes referenced by Ms. Dargis, Pitt's Sergeant is scarred, damaged and hard -- and incredibly real. Watch the scene and study his emotions. When I was a junior enlisted in the Army Reserves in the late '80's, all my Platoon/First Sergeants were weary Vietnam vets. I watch Pitt's Sergeant Collier, and I see them. Throughout cinema, few other true talents, like Willem Defoe, have been able to pull off that type of performance.
Brad Pitt's Sergeant Collier resonates with a lot more American men than those that embrace Fight Club (with or without irony) -- and Pitt's performance as Sergeant Collier is more deserving of analysis than his performances in Fight Club or Thelma and Louise.
One other thing about Brad Pitt's beauty trap. Pitt also stands apart for his production work with Plan B. Pitt's intellect and the films he backs proves he's not just a pretty face -- but he doesn't get the credit (not even in this article). No other actor -- male or female -- has gone on to help make such great films and that work is true beauty.
54
Pitt has learnt to act over the last 30 years and after being under the wings of some of the best movie directors. Now, he is a good actor.
4
Mr. Pitt's good looks sell movies. His performances are shallow and self-conscious, sometimes almost cringe-worthy. He plays the same character: Brad Pitt. Sadly, his good looks have held him back in learning to act. That makes for a very long motion picture. There is no there, there, which may mirror Society.
7
@Kathryn true. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a torture to watch. After that I am allergic to Brad Pitt movies.
I'm a former talent agent and am here to tell you that there are SO MANY great-looking actors and wannabes out there who fit the "guy-babe" category, but Pitt seemed early on to at least try to transcend his looks, which trust me, isn't easy to do in show biz. Pretty people often have to work twice as hard for roles that play against their blessed genetics. I've seen A LOT of gorgeous men (and women) fail in their pursuit of stardom, often because casting directors and producers can't see past it to save their lives.
While I've never been his biggest fan talent-wise, occasionally his subtle, nuanced character portrayals catch me completely off-guard and even I have to admit that his skills are aging nicely as evidenced by his top-notch work in "Once Upon a Time...", my favorite performance of his to date. It can't be easy playing off a juggernaut like DiCaprio, but Pitt more than held his own - so much so, that I went to see it a second time (almost unheard of for me), just so I could really look more closely at HIS work.
And for the record, I'm not AT ALL ashamed to admit that being a "woman of a certain age" - 66 - even I couldn't ignore that the guy at 56 yrs old looks unbelievably AMAZING in the shirtless roof scene! Eye candy that's worth grabbing your glasses for! Hey, I may be old, but I'm not above enjoying a beautiful view!!
42
I do believe that beauty among men is unaccepted by the Society. Beauty is considered something for girls, not for serious and active men. Thus handsome men cannot be considered by critics among possible winners of whichever type of Oscar, Globe, Prize... However, this is not a problem for the guy, is a problem for the Jury.
8
I like Pitt okay. I watched the clip from Thelma just now. Pitt was, in the words of Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp, doing "his best James Dean." On the other hand, while Dean worshipped Brando, he largely lifted from Montgomery Clift. (Michael Parks did Dean his whole life.) Everybody has sources. Writers learn from reading; actors learn from watching actors. Pitt, who seems like a fine fellow, has graduated to himself.
12
Pitt isn't underestimated for his looks, he's overestimated. Nine times out of ten his performances are mannered and self-conscious, with a reliance on awful accents designed to suggest the serious Streep-like actor he isn't. A less beautiful actor wouldn't stand a chance. For every ok "Once Upon a Time" there are five "The Assassination of Jesse James" that plummet in credibility when his pouting mug overwhelms the scene.
17
@Greg Thank you for being the 1 or 2 out of 450 comments not to be afraid to say "you know what, he's not all that." And you're correct. Most of the commenters here seem like rabid Tiger Beat fans rather than NYT readers. Oy.
5
His problem is that it is very difficult to see the character behind his act, one always sees Brad Pitt. Perhaps only in Benjamin Buttons I was drawn by character, maybe interview with the Vampire. And no I dont see his torso, I see his masseter, his eating, his signature 'wild'.
3
Life has many memories of births, deaths, love, weddings, trips, things big and small, though I absolutely remember watching Pitt in Thelma and Louise. Even after he stole their money, I wanted to know who he was and his next role. And of course the turquoise T-bird with Harvey Keitel pleading with the girls.
8
What's more attractive? The cool or the looks?
But a combination of the two: such a rarity to behold!
10
I don't know a single movie, where Brad Pitt's looks aren't relied on, and he does rely on them. He's a character actor, and he is a supporting actor; he's not a lead actor. I can't name a single movie, where there isn't some shot of him eating or him making some doe-eyed, dimple face. He always gets roles where he is surrounded by better actors, and therefore, the movie is always carried by someone else or makes him look better. Fight Club- Edward Norton; Ocean's 11- Clooney, Matt Damon; Babel- Cate Blanchett; Meet Joe Black- Anthony Hopkins; The Mexican- Julia Roberts; Troy - Eric Bana; Case of Benjamin- Cate Blanchett.
His performance in Once Upon a Time was okay. And he'll basically be getting a lifetime oscar, but Pesci's performance is more deserving.
8
While I haven’t seen all of his films, by a long shot, I have never heard anyone say: Oh! We have to go see this! Brad Pitt is in it!
5
@Sascha My family would laugh at that! When queried as to why I'm going to see THAT movie, the answer is always: "because Brad Pitt is in it!" DUH. He is so much more than eye candy.
4
Love me some Brad, but I draw the line at the critic's argument for the philogyny of his roles. He is currently nominated for an Oscar in a "Once Upon...", which includes an extended sequence of a woman being torched alive by his character after her head is bashed in. The primary blame for this homage to such X-rated grindhouse as "The Gore-Gore Girls" (1972) belongs to director Quentin Tarantino, who thereby ruins his own masterpiece. That said, Brad took the part, didn't he?
2
@ptownfreddy You should probably watch a film before you get sanctimonious...(or maybe you just can't tell the difference between Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio (whose character "torched" the would-be mass-murderer you refer to).
1
Pitt deserves recognition for his acting chops - just as soon as Cruise gets his.
4
@John I agree! Cruise has ten times the range of Pitt. Cruise joins the Kirk Douglas, Burr Lancaster Club of physical actors with chops. Neither of them would have goofed around as Achilles.
3
Describing Legends of the Fall as a "risible dud that turns him into a golden sex pony" is a massive injustice. This film was an epic, beautifully shot feature about a father's expectations and sibling rivalry that almost tore a family apart during WWI, and Brad Pitt is the glue that holds it all together. (It also won three Oscars). Sure, he rode around on a horse with his hair blowing in the wind, but his acting on the ground was rooted in amazing heart and realness. The rest of this article lacks all credibility after this poor assessment of the film.
34
@Ross If you like the movie, I hope you've read the original story by Jim Harrison, one of America's greatest writers. It's truly brilliant.
3
Divided nation maybe but not when it comes to our love of film. Reading these comments you see we can disagree but we all know what we are talking about and what we think quality looks like. Nice to remember we have this national shared interest in something our country has excelled at producing.
14
Brad Pitt has always been easy on the eyes, but of late, he seems to have settled with ease into his late 50s. He's more relaxed, less twitchy than in his youth and going with the flow. He seems confident, happy and enjoying life. He is beyond cool. I love his smooth demeanor, unpretentious Midwest ways and work. I also respect him as a man -- since he stood up to Weinstein back in the day.
60
I couldn’t quite seem to articulate how I’ve felt about Brad Pitt, but you certainly have done so. Thank you. This is spot on.
12
I never thought of Brad Pitt as good looking. He's average. I know guys who are not actors who are awesome looking. I cannot think of any actor, past or present, who are as good looking as these men I've met.
6
@Art in Athens GA
Boy are you wrong. Some beautiful men become less when they open their mouths’. No so with Brad Pitt. He just is - so so beautiful handsome lovely just amazing too look at.
9
@LCF
I was not impressed by him in "Thelma and Louise." He looked like a little boy and still does now that he is older. Sorry, you haven't met awesome looking intelligent guys in real life.
I think Pitt is a very good actor, and has improved with each movie. I thought he was great in "Once upon a time...", but my favorite of all Pitt's movies is "Burn After Reading". He plays his hapless character so well and makes me laugh every time! He's drop-dead gorgeous, AND very talented. What a winning combination!
26
A River Runs Through It. A great heartbreak of a movie and perfectly cast — Pitt as the beautiful prodigal son and Craig Sheffer as the older, more responsible son. The fly fishing scene with Pitt in the river while brother and father watched this fleeting moment of perfection was, well, a cinematic ode on a Grecian urn.
53
@LMT I'm never quite sure why I love that movie so much. Is it the story, the characters, or Montana? I know for sure if I ever win the lottery I'm buying property on the Gallatin River and never leaving.
6
I knew when I had found the right guy when my mother mentioned that he was ‘better than Brad Pitt’. She was right - I wouldn’t ever trade him for Brad.
4
As a man, I can say without doubt, their are many as good and better looking actors then Brad Pitt. Sure he's great looking, but come on. Give anyone a list and rank 1-10, You'll see a of 1's clustered for best. His style points are better then his looks easily.
4
Th physical beauty on subject here is TWO dimensional.
How many times in our lives we've seen what a distorted view of the camera, reinterprets what we see when the sense of depth is eliminated. Models have been talking about it forever; at least th honest ones do.
Perhaps that's why movies are so beloved around th world. The physical reality we all see all the time is altered and performance art compensates... sometimes.
Maybe? Maybe not. Now don't get me started on th replay rules in the sports world...
Greetings from Southern California. This was a while back, but my daughter and friends were shopping for gifts at a local surf shop, and in walked Brad Pitt and his significant other at the time, Jennifer Aniston. A large, noisy place went dead silent for a minute or two, and then everyone went about their business. Life in Hollywood.
9
@ Geoff Case
He and Jen were on Ventura Blvd in a furniture shop, trying to leave in their parked car on that street and the police had to be called. Traffic stops, ppl stop, the day stops. These things happen now and then with certain humans.
It’s not just looks with Brad, it’s the way his mouth sits, the way any cloth hangs on his body, the face yes, the hair yes, his calm humble speak, it all came together. Same with Liz Taylor- some DNA just happens that way and it’s magic and past the DNA part of it, it’s just unexplainable.
24
While I really enjoy the mans work, I think he's very talented, to pen a piece about the trappings of his good looks is a huge waste of time.
I don't feel sorry for a minute for him as he appears to have achieved what he set out to achieve.
And for the love of God can we all stop watching award shows, talking about award shows, worrying about who will or won't get nominated or for what reason. Egotistical nonsense capped by the lies of winners telling us how much the love US!
They don't love us they loath us, maybe they love our money. Ok, that's maybe a little overly cynical...but not much.
18
It can be tough for us regular guys to give credit to handsome, wealthy, famous leading men for their artistry. It has to be said that Brad Pitt is not only a big celebrity but an incredible talent. He'll be remembered for his range as much as his romantic intrigues. Sure, a few duds, but Snatch, 12 Monkey, Thelma & Louise, and Fight Club would be a stellar Hollywood career for anyone.
8
I saw "Ad Astra" recently and concur with your assessment of Brad Pitt's acting in that role. He made the movie.
12
I agree! He was the lead and carried the film beautifully. Very complex character and he did it justice.
3
I've always thought he was a fine actor and fun to look at too. Neither is mutually exclusive.
But my regard for him soared when Gwyneth Paltrow told the world how he 'used his fame and power' to protect her by confronting Harvey Weinstein in no uncertain terms when Weinstein made a grab at her, a fledgling movie star.
And then, when asked about it, he shrugged off praise and said it's beyond time for Hollywood to come around to respecting women.
139
I think Mr. Pitt's breakthrough came in
" The Tree of Life ".
13
Whatever your thoughts on "Legends of The Fall," and mine are certainly different to your's, it is the ultimate in cinematographic worship of Pitt, which only supports your case that he has a magic that attracts camera and audience alike.
7
would you ever run a story about an actress with all those semi-dressed clips?
4
The most attractive people are those comfortable in their own skins. If you happen to be beautiful as well, then you get Brad Pitt.
13
My plumber is a lot better looking, and more masculine, than BP. Whatever I need to tell him when he comes to my house, I have found that shouting from a distance works well.
9
@NEVT can I meet your plumber?
3
Um, I think we have a plumbing emergency over here. Send him our way ?
3
I would have mentioned Fury, Inglourius Basterds, and Burn After Reading as examples of Pitt's range.
17
As well as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Gorgeous moving cinema with a strong performance by Brad. Completely underrated.
1
In OUTH When Tranatino was sharing the script with Burt Reynolds he said "Brad Pitt? He's awful good looking for a stunt man!" and then he said... "You gotta put that in the movie." and it is. I watched Hollywood for the 4th or 5th time as it played on a monitor across the aisle and another row on a long dark flight from LA to Boston. No sound. Instead I watched it just enjoying the acting. Brad Pitt can really act. And the look on his face, the expression, the nuanced response when that line comes? "That's what they tell me." He knows. But man can that guy act.
8
decent looking, yes. fit body,yes.
my type? no.
3
What is it about Brad Pitt and the N Y Times? We all like and respect Pitt, but, jeez, how many stories in recent weeks on Pitt does this make? There are other noteworthy actors to cover, too.
8
My view of Brad Pitt changed after seeing him in "Burn After Reading," in which he seemed in on the joke about appearance obsession.
9
What made me start paying attention to what he was capable of was what he did for Joel and Ethan Coen in "Burn After Reading."
9
Um, Michelangelo didn't put a fig leaf on his David.
2
I thought I had run out of estrogen till I saw your illustration on Brad Pitt... (P.S.: I´m 79 end never missed his movies)
35
Thank you for the impeachment distraction!!
19
Isn't it possible that actors with good looks really aren't great actors and have really just banked off their charisma and looks. I have seen many good looking actors play parts and they just aren't believable in the roles they are playing. The "Persona" is playing the part and not the soul. Brad Pitt is an actor, who for me, is just not believable in the parts he is playing and whenever he is starring in a movie, I immediately vote no on seeing the movie. Maybe some day he will blow me away portraying a serious character and not these irreverent, jokester, farce parts that he is so comfortable playing.
2
That’s a bit of a jab against Malek and Redmayne. Benigni deserves it though (or rather he didn’t).
1
Well written article and could only have been written by a woman to provide its breadth and honesty. Pitt is a very good actor and as you said underrated although I think he was miscast in his role as Achilles. What you said about flow is an astute observation and perhaps something that all of us could consider with regard to our own chosen roles and professions.
3
@Kevin Barr
You are right, Achilles was taller and more beautiful.
Pitt's performance in "Meet Joe Black" was amazing. His subtlety was somehow lost. If you watch it again and look at his facial expressions, he is like Robert DeNiro in The Irishman. He is acting with his face, not his voice. I think he is one of the best non-Oscar winning actors anywhere. He is vastly underrated.
9
Pitt is 56. He and DiCaprio would have been great playing in The Irishman but I don't see them playing 35 year olds anymore. Pitt made a few good movies but there's younger guys out there. They should get a break.
2
A very wordy way of saying the man is gorgeous AND a great actor and, from what I've observed, a decent guy.
26
Besides being beautiful and talented he seems to a be a good down to earth mid western boy, good manners, polite, soft spoken, humble.
6
I opened the comments assuming I would see a lot of people arguing that Pitt is overrated, a bad actor, blah, blah, blah, as so often happens in comments about celebrities and entertainment topics in the Times. What a refreshing surprise to see so many positive comments instead! I think that is a true testament to Pitt’s talent and likability and good choices in films. If he had only played the romantic lead, he might not be so well loved.
9
20 years ago i took my oldest daughter to italy; a wonderful, fun trip. during that time brad pitt was working on some film in italy. the first 3 times i said "hey, is that brad pitt?"; she went for it.
there are some actors i will go see their movies just because they are in it. mr pitt is one of those actors.
2
As many fans, I've loved Brad Pitt since "Thelma and Louise", one of my all time favorite films, but beauty aside he is one great actor i.e. "The River Runs Through It" and "Seven" to name a few, but also a wonderful comedian as shown so well in
"Burn After Reading." A very talented actor, indeed.
11
Unlike most people, I don’t find Pitt attractive, and really don’t understand what other women see in him, other than being blond and, at times, having a good body. (Ditto with diCaprio). For just good looks, give me gorgeous Gregory Peck, or, in modern times, Matthew McConaughey, for instance.
But as a result, I appreciate him much more as an actor.
5
I dismissed BP for a long time, but with age he is much improved and his acting confidence shows. Loved him in Ad Astra. You can’t count on looks alone in life.
2
I still remember, as a teenager, seeing Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise and feeling stunned by his good looks. He was comparable to no one. Not even Newman or Redford. I still feel like that today. He is a delight to see in movies because he’s an amazing actor and delicious to watch.
14
What I find most endearing about Mr. Pitt is his ability to pretty much disappear when he's not on screen. Sure, he's been in some high-profile relationships, but it seemed more like Pitt was just the unwitting other half basking in the halo of his more notorious partner. Nowadays you never see him mentioned in the press, despite being in the A-list of the A-list, unless he is working on something. The result is that one can watch him inhabit a character without mentally drifting toward whatever is happening in his private life. I wish more celebrities would disappear like that!
15
I agree that Pitt should have been nominated for “Ad Astra;” he was excellent in an under-appreciated movie that seemed to me more Greek tragedy than science fiction thriller. And speaking of the Greeks, I have to say I found putting Pitt’s head on a classical sculpture more tasteless than clever or funny; it seems to reinforce stereotypes rather than question them.
2
Pitt was simply superb in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He may well be entering his golden years in terms of artistry, as well as, uh, "maturity." He seems to have learned a lot.
8
Brad Pitt does have a great walk. I noticed it years ago the only time I ever watched Oprah Winfrey. He slinked onto the stage gracefully and effortlessly in a way I never noticed before.
This non-Hollywood watcher was duly impressed.
Pitt was never my type, I but always thought he was a very good actor. Maybe that is why; I was not distracted by his looks. I do think he has great charisma and presence which takes you beyond being a good actor into being a star. He is watchable in a way that goes beyond good looks.
An Oscar is long over due.
6
At the movie theater, when Pitt bares his chest, a majority of the women audibly gasped in pleasure. That group reaction is one of my favorite hilarious moments in cinema.
22
Is that statue real or Photoshop? The character Cliff was great in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. A perfect casting for Brad Pitt!
3
I’ve always thought he was an underrated actor - I’m not much of a movie person so the first time I ever saw him was in “snatch” where he isn’t doing the pretty-boy thing, and I thought he was hilarious. I’ve watched him off and on since then, having to navigate the space between his absurd beauty (yes, yummy - but a man who can think is so much more interesting, and he clearly has a brain between his ears!) and being able to become his character, and I’ve generally been impressed. It’ll be nice to see him be acknowledged for his work, even if he doesn’t take home an Oscar as such.
7
Super sweet eye candy. Please, may we have more Brad Pitt. ;-)
Hope he takes home an Oscar for his stellar performance in Once Upon A Time...
8
Thank you for the Thelma and Louise clip. I can never watch it enough. My favorite all time movie scene. What a gorgeous specimen! And that boyish, cowboy accent; that thick sunshine hair! I think I will start my days from now on by watching Brad Pitt in that clip. Yummy!
22
I enjoyed his work with Cate Blanchett in Babel. Especially the scene where he helps her relieve herself.
2
Oh my, you are so wrong about Legends of the Fall! But you're right on about Ad Astra. Pitt has been doing great work for so long, we all take him granted.
5
I never undervalued Brad Pitt. Just sayin.
27
He made an impression in True Romance, in which I think he was in one scene, laying on a couch, stoned.
8
Agree that he was brilliant in Ad Astra. And he is in a spacesuit the entire time.
3
On one of the Ocean movies, Brad Pitt and George Clooney are sitting at a bar trying to deal with a problem. Clooney talks, Pitt, with his head on tye table, just stares. Says nothing but communicates everything.
I've always been in awe of that stare.
7
"True Romance" contains my favorite Pitt performance. It's very brief, but is so funny and effective. I see in Pitt's performances a talented actor.
What I don't, however, experience watching him is excitement. It's as though he played a meteor in Thelma and Louise, where it shines brightest just before it descends.
I'll use an Old Hollywood example to illustrate what I mean.
"Waterloo Bridge" starring Vivian Leigh and Robert Taylor contains a shot that truly took my breath away. It begins with a shot of camera lingering on Robert Taylor's face as he's gazing off into memories. Talk about a drop-dead gorgeous face he had.
Alas, Mr. Taylor's screen presence lacks excitement.
On the other hand, when I see Clark Gable in "It Happened One Night", true, he is isn't as facially gorgeous as Taylor, but he's exciting to watch.
Brad Pitt is today's Robert Taylor. Beautiful, but absent excitement. Perhaps that's why Pitt is good at being a character actor.
3
One of the interesting things about Brad Pitt is our reaction to him. Why has this particular man inspired so much swooning for almost three decades? Usually men who are aware of their own beauty, as I think Brad must be, as any good actor would be, are ultimately not received in a positive way. Andy Warhol said words to the effect that men who obsess about being pretty aren't very pretty. Brad is able to walk the fine line between his innate animal confidence and awareness of his beauty, and he acts like his beauty is not a factor in anything. In this sense he truly is a great actor. His apparent unconcern with his looks frees us all to gaze away.
10
Good looking people are a dime a dozen. The good looks and muscled body may be the first attraction you feel. It's the authentic acting skills that draws you in and keeps your attention. Brad Pitt is a consummate professional.
27
Brad Pitt says he is not perfect which of course is one of the reasons is he perfectly perfect. I will watch him in anything.
12
Film is a visual medium so it's no wonder that beauty is often conflated with talent in that business. Pitt's beauty and his flow, as Dargis labeled it, enable the audience to receive and perceive his acting. If I want to look at him, which we all do, I will *see* him. To me, that is what this current Oscar nomination is all about. There are actually very few people who could captivate in the rooftop scene like he does. It works because we want to look at him. The director and the cameraman know that, so they give him to us. Because Pitt knows that, every gesture he makes conveys something about the character. Isn't that great acting?
6
fantastic analysis of what would also amount to the proliferation of the female gaze....
4
Being famous has to be as fun as being a dear on opeing day. Brad Pitt seems to handle it well and doesn't take himself too seriously. He's top shelf.
6
I try being a dear every day. It’s not so bad.
2
I don't follow celebrity culture, and have no clue what actors have won what awards. I just enjoy good film.
That said, it's hard to get away from Brad Pitt; at least, for those of us who wait on line at the supermarket. Initially I viewed him from afar as just another pretty-boy, until he started playing more complex characters and doing a great job at it.
Perhaps his enormous versatility as an actor is nowhere better exemplified than in the Chad Feldheimer character in 'Burn After Reading.' If Brad Pitt can pull of playing a total dork, I thought after watching the movie, He can play any role well.
11
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
Brad's favorite of his movies, and mine too.
8
@Jane Neal YES!! And not just because Brad Pitt's in it.
2
Thank you for mentioning! Completely underrated and absolutely stunning.
1
I see a similar issue in other fields. Not that I suffer from it myself, but beautiful women in the sciences sometimes get taken less seriously or are even harassed more than those of us with average looks. In retrospect, I appreciate my average looks.
Another person I think suffered from this issue recently but finally overcame it is Leo Di Caprio, who like Pitt is considered a heart throb by the public, yet has consistently turned in fine performances in a variety of roles. He finally got his Oscar after being overlooked for a long time.
4
@ms Also Ryan Gosling - great actor and also very handsome. Especially with his "lesser known" films like Fracture and Drive. Nominated twice for an Oscar but no wins.
6
What a well crafted article. I especially liked the way you spoke of Mr. Pitt's sublime lack of self-consciousness and that it isn't swagger, but flow. He does have that. He could choose to be a strutting peacock, but he just doesn't feel the need or desire to play that role in life. That's commendable.
7
Another under-appreciated Brad Pitt role is "Tree of Life." He should have won Best Supporting Actor and wasn't even nominated.
19
Legends of The Fall was made on a $30 million budget and took in over $160 million at the box office. I wonder how many people are laughing about that. Additionally, if I gave you a movie camera are you telling me you would also have won an academy award for Best Cinematography like John Toll did for Legends of the Fall? None of this would have happened if it weren't for an excellent set of actors who brought to life Jim Harrison's novella, including its star, Mr. Pitt. Using the word risible to describe this movie is simply snobbish.
29
I cannot thank you enough for this article and for finally giving Brad Pitt his due. Everything articulated here is true, plus another: Pitt has served as an ideal model for men of his (my) age since he began. He showed how to be sexy, attractive and tasteful when young and voluptuous, and how to age gracefully and remain healthy and appealing. That is not easy. Look at other male stars of his age and see how they’ve been brought low by excess, bizarre personality revelations, inability to grow up etc. His Cliff, in Once Upon a Time, is yet another brilliantly crafted character with great appeal and a lesson in acting your age but not surrendering to dotage. Lastly, Pitt has always been enormously welcoming and embracing of his sexuality — we gay men thank him — and never afraid of being homoerotic or accepting, in many ways, a feminine role in a film or magazine layout. He’s the first big star I can think of who’s unafraid of gender fluidity in his public persona and for that we should all thank him.
BTW, Cary Grant never won an Oscar for an actual performance. Let’s not repeat than mistake.
39
Not really a fan, but admire his grace, elegance. Like him in the Oceans movies and Seven.
3
"(Brad) has always moved with the absolute surety you see in some beautiful people (and dancers), the casualness of movement that expresses more than mere confidence, but a sublime lack of self-consciousness and self-doubt about taking up space, something not everyone shares. This isn’t swagger; this is flow."
-- This is a beautiful explanation on how any of us might learn to move through life beautifully.
33
I saw Thelma and Louise and didn't even remember that Brad Pitt had a role until I read this article. I just recall when he was named sexiest man alive - by People Magazine, maybe? - the cover had his picture and the caption "Brad Boy" and I thought, yeah, "boy". Most straight women, myself included, are not that taken with men's looks. But wasn't it Melissa Ethridge who famously said Brad Pitt could change her mind about not being attracted to guys?
3
Most straight women aren’t into men’s looks? Since when?! Says who?! I wholeheartedly disagree with this!
7
I liked Legends and thought it was a great movie. I also love Brad Pitt. He is long overdue recognition...pretty or not. Good for him and the movie industry.
8
Pitt was so good in Tarantino's movie because he was playing himself. Cool, handsome and supremely confident. He deserves the Oscar.
7
"As a reminder, Rami Malek, Eddie Redmayne and Roberto Benigni have all won best actor."
I think this sentence was unnecessary and ill-considered.
51
@Deb S. I also found that an odd non sequitur... Was that a dig at their looks or their inconsistent acting careers?
7
@Ed I took it as a dig at their careers, but either way I would have edited it out.
7
@Deb S. I took it as a comment that first-time noticed performances can and do win Oscars when "stars" can have their great performances overlooked because they are in so many movies.
The star I think was really denied an Oscar they deserved was George Clooney in The Descendants. Great movie and great performance.
10
"Redford has been nominated only once for acting (he lost)."
See? The Oscars do get things right every now and then.
3
Beautiful people are so incredibly privileged in this world I find it hard to sympathize with their "struggle".
22
@SG More than money, fame, power or intelligence, physical beauty is the primary prognostic of having a happy life.
6
@Ed I think Jeremy Meeks is a great example of how powerful beauty is in our society.
3
Like, I am sure, some other people, I never really took Pitt seriously as an actor until I saw him in Burn Before Reading. I usually did not watch his movies or pay much attention to him if he was in the movie.
As time has passed and as I have gone back and watched some of his earlier work, my respect for his craft has grown. Now I go see a movie with him in it because he is in it and I want to see him act. One of the most skilled actors working today.
12
"... what remains beyond doubt is how Pitt, with his bloodied face and sculpted physique, became an emblem of contemporary masculinity and its contradictions."
Right, I certainly see the "emblem of contemporary masculinity" (or at least the straight, white, buffed, and sometimes battered, version) in Pitt's various performances, but the "contradictions"? Manohla has half a thesis here. The article never delivers on the part about how Pitt's roles challenge anything with regard to the conventionally gendered and hetero-sexed masculine imaginary that colonize our fevered brains. That's not Pitt's performance problem so much as Dargis's problem analyzing Pitt's performances.
1
I've seen almost (minus Ad Astra) all Brad Pitt's work and he's unforgettable. I applaud this great over due assessment of this man's work. To me, Brad's seeming casualness permits the character on the written page to embody him and thus authenticates the characters he plays .
7
To draw parallels with sports: Brad Pitt is to acting what Tom Brady is to sports. Other men (myself included) have wanted to discredit/disparage their accomplishments because it's just not fair. We want to say, "their looks helped them achieve greatness." Yet, this causes cognitive dissonance. I've been watching the both of them for the better part of 20 years excel; they're as good as advertised--and that good looking. The worst part: they know it, too.
12
@Randeep Chauhan You forgot to mentioned the thousands of hours of workouts, reading and great nutrition that make Brad and Tom look and act the way they do...
1
Just a passing reference to the recognition Pitt recieved for his great performance in 12 Monkeys. Proved without a doubt he was more than a pretty face. He lost to Spacey in the Usual Suspects. Hopefully, the Academy will give him a statue this year.
6
Pitt's performance in "12 Monkeys" has always been one of my favorites. I found it original and entertaining. I don't think it would be fair to hold it against him that he keeps himself in shape and has good genes when he's capable of work like that.
7
I don't think he's a particularly good actor. He's been in a handful of movies I've liked, and he's certainly been good in a few of those. But he is a "good actor" in comparison to the current crop of what passes for "actors" today. He is not a "good actor" in general. Seems nice - wish him well.
6
Brad Pitt was perfect as the former baseball player, smart-as-a-whip baseball GM in “Moneyball.” Pitt has the physical grace to sell playing a former pro athlete, and the acting chops to portray someone who thinks three steps ahead of his competitors.
He kept his shirt on throughout the movie. You almost forgot what he looks like.
Almost.
12
If only he explored acting in complex ways. I have never found him beautiful. Just blond, bland, and fit. Not a star. A certain degree of personality and ability. Like Keanu Reeves without the mystery.
2
@Pank Go see Ad Astra.
3
@Rockets Or Babel
1
You construe all the inchoate utterances, clumsy, faltering exchanges , and feigned turmoil as “mystery”?
1
Someone has a little crush ;)
7
I first noticed Pitt in Thelma and Louise for obvious reasons and for awhile thought of him as just another pretty face. Then I began to notice the nuances and skill in his acting and stopped noticing what he looked like. He developed himself into a top notch actor and I'll see any movie he's in.
7
Not just actors. First time I saw Elvis I was drawn to his physical beauty; then I heard him sing. The singing kept me with him the rest of his career.
Good looks can get you in the door; talent keeps you there. Jen and I hope Brad wins his Oscar.
4
I vividly remember the movie poster from "Legends of the Fall" featuring Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn hanging on my wall in the mid 1990s as a high school student. It is still one of my favorite movies with Brad Pitt, along with "Seven Years in Tibet." All of my friends were swooning over Brad Pitt at the time, but my crush was interestingly on Mr. Quinn, and still is! Something about his ability to transition between Irish and American accents. I still appreciate Brad Pitt's talent though, especially in his most recent role. Kudos on the Gold Globe.
5
@JM Aidan Quinn, now there's a male star actor who's beautiful and gifted!
6
I like Brad Pitt as an actor ... but a whole exhaustive column on how and why his being so handsome keeps Hollywood from acknowledging and rewarding his talent?
I sincerely hope the next column delves into how and why being Black keeps Hollywood from acknowledging and rewarding one's talent.
Now, that is a piece I would read from start to finish.
Not to make everything about race.. but, we are having a Oscars ain't Diverse Enough moment.
For all of the mediocre white actors who have been nominated and won, Hollywood could have found a mediocre person of color to nominate and reward. I do not say that jokingly.
Food for thought..
26
How is this article the first I have seen on this issue, when it is an issue that has been entirely true of woman actors since, I don't know, forever?
7
Brad Pitt will get OSCAR for his superb performance in that scene with Bruce Lee, and not for revealing his chest as writer of this article mentioned.
4
The academy award isn't about acting anyway.
3
@marek pyka - Never has been. All of the awards shows are very political and are there to drive an industry forward. But never in my life have I stood in front of a movie theater looking at the marquee showing three films and choose the one with the most award winning actors. Same with music. I could care less if you have a Grammy. I LOT of my favorite artists never won the award until they either died or got old and got some lifetime achievement award.
4
Best humble brag ever.
"Nobody appreciates my work as an actor because they are too distracted and mesmerized by my good looks."
2
oh nice review and fun topic. brad's superb, and grows even better with age.
3
Mickey Mantle's story as told by Jane Leavy in the "Last Boy and the End of America's Childhood comes to mind on several levels.
He had an almost classical Greek male body, without the drug enhancements, a little thicker than the famous "Discus Thrower" who grew up in a poor mining region of Oklahoma and despite all his gifts, and the disciplined hitting regime his father imposed upon him, he derailed in good part with the class gulf's burdens of a country boy come to New York City when it was the epicenter of the American Empire - with the more decadent downside of that hidden out of view. And I am not a "decadent decline" disciple like religious America, having read better historians describe Rome's troubles as much deeper than that.
But I digress...we need a fuller bio of Brad Pitt to make comparisons, but I appreciate Dargis' realization that gender beauty fixations cut both ways.
3
@William Neil Interesting. Not exactly sure what to make of it but very interesting indeed.
Pitt was always out in the ether but I tended to be ambivilant about his work, enjoying his portrayals here and there. Then I saw Once Upon a Time...and I left the theater gobsmacked. He captured a certain kind of complicated cool, capturing the ways and attitudes of people who are plugged in yet purposefully off the grid. His character, Cliff Booth, has his own moral code--he's a good guy you root for and want in your corner--but underneath his easy charm and glow there's something not as pretty, very American.
4
Agreed. Brings to mind Steve McQueen, who Pitt seems closer in type, ‘cool masculinity,’ to (albeit Pitt has a greater acting range) than James Dean who’s sensitive and vulnerable side competes equally with his looks.
4
Brad Pitt is 56 years of age. He deserves a table full of Oscars for not only still being as beautiful (if not more so now) as he was 30 years ago, but pricipally because he is the true essence of Tarantino's movie. To paraphrase Ms Dargis from a previous article, I could watch Pitt drive and walk and work shirtless for endless hours. Of course I'm biased since this 73 year old fogey has a mad crush on Brad Pitt, more now than ever before. I cannot help but smile every time I think of him.
11
I can predict every single action and facial movement he'll make in a movie. I know I'm not the only one.
3
@linda5 - To be fair, I can predict everything De Niro will do before he utters his first line on the set. But I tend to like dependable products.
1
Dependable products are great, but acting shouldn't be a product, especially a dependable one.
3
@linda5
I'm quite good at that game too. Acting is a craft, and sometimes you see the tools in use. Sometimes that's quite interesting in and of itself, and not always bad acting. I don't think of Pitt especially. He's delivered many good performances.
2
In acting, celebrity and most likely many many other occupations, a woman has to achieve a beauty standard to get noticed for talent;
a man, on the other hand, has to overcome a great beauty standard.
His cross is her mountain.
10
Nonsense. Pitt pretty much just plays himself in every movie, like Tom Cruise and many other movie stars. Contrast him with Christian Bale, who masters any accent and completely transforms himself, and you see how far he is from being a great actor.
11
Bale is a fantastic actor. No question. I’ve been watching him since “Emperor of the Sun”. That said, I can NOT agree with your assertions. Yes there is a difference between being a “movie star” and a character actor... and it’s true that with movie stars it’s near impossible for them to disappear into a role once they’ve achieved their massive notoriety. Only Meryl Streep is consistently able to do this. Great as he was earlier in his career, it’s hard for Robert Di Niro to not be seen as himself. Nonetheless Brad Pitt IS a very good actor. He and Paul Newman share that (blessing and challenge) of being so good looking that their skill is often overlooked.
7
@Greg I take it you've never seen Snatch, Fury, 12 Monkeys, or Burn after Reading for example.
7
I'm just happy to read something to take my mind and life off the dumpster fire that is this country right now.
Brad Pitt is a nice distraction.
223
I first became aware of Pitt as something beyond a pretty face when I watched the Guy Ritchie film 'Snatch' - with Pitt as an almost incoherent Irish gypsy boxer. It was a revelation - and, by the way, a very funny film.
12
@David
"Almost incoherent"? :-)
Agreed though, great role and pretty overlooked.
3
Occasionally at certain angles Brad Pitt reminds me a little of Robert Redford for whom I can't recall a movie where his bare chest was the primary focus. Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke's prison yard shirtless scenes he only looked like a normal guy. Where were the personal trainers back then?
4
My husband and I have an agreement. I am only allowed to cheat on him if Brad Pitt pursues me. Just this once.
8
I'll never forget seeing Thelma and Louise when it first came out and when Brad took off his shirt the intake of breath of everyone in the audience was LOUD!
12
In these woke times, I wonder how we would respond if a male critic wrote a similar essay about a beautiful actress.
3
@Mark Siegel
If we search around, I am sure we will find that it has already been written.
7
Not being a Tarantino fan, I frankly wasn't expecting "Once Upon a Time…" to be, well, the experience that it was., which for me was just great. This is a film that still sticks in my mind months afterward, and I can pretty much say it's because of Brad Pitt. Ms. Dargis has described the general sensations accurately, so I don't need to go there, but I think that without Mr. Pitt's ease of performance — it feels like a non-performance, he is 100% the character (unlike what's-his-name, the other one). His screen persona was such that I'm wondering why he wasn't nominated as Best Actor rather than supporting, especially considering that the other one barely made an impression (not on me anyway and evidently not on Ms. Dargis either) and that the film and Mr. Pitt's performance bring most of the attention to his character. His was the pivotal role, and without him and his perfect portrayal, there's basically no film.
4
@lars It's the studios that decide which category the actor will compete in - not the academy. So even if the academy wanted to nominate Pitt for the leading actor category, it could not, since he was "entered" into the competition in the supporting actor category. As long as the studio can make the case that he was somehow the second banana (even if just a TAD second) instead of the equal co-star, the academy will permit this. It's a simple calculation - the studio wants the most Oscars it can get. It does not want Pitt and DiCaprio competing against each other and negating each other, but figures it could maximize their chances for more Oscasr by having one in best performance category and the other in supporting.
The very unfortunate downside of this, however, is that authentic supporting actors who have had exceptional performances are being more and more pushed out of the competition in favor of these stars who are only technically supporting actors. It has altered the whole nature of the category
5
Here. Here. You nailed it!
2
Couldn’t agree more. That was very well put.
1
I like Brad Pitt as an actor ... but a whole exhaustive column on how and why his being so handsome keeps Hollywood from acknowledging and rewarding his talent?
I sincerely hope the next column delves into how and why being Black keeps Hollywood from acknowledging and rewarding one's talent.
Now, that is a piece I would read from start to finish.
Not to make everything about race.. but, we are having a Oscars ain't Diverse Enough moment.
For all of the mediocre white actors who have been nominated and won, Hollywood could have found a mediocre person of color to nominate and reward. I do not say that jokingly.
Food for thought.
At times, it seems as if Hollywood has an 'anything but' mindset when it comes to acknowledging the work and talent a diverse pool of actors.
p.s. Brad Pitt will be just fine.
5
I enjoyed this article, and typically enjoy Brad Pitt's acting, too. But at the same time, sheesh. I mean SHEESH. When a woman actor can barely be taken seriously, when roles for women rarely veer from arm-candy or victim-in-need-of-rescue, when the rarest of rare films can even come close to passing the Bechdel test... its hard to cry for a successful, talented, beautiful man with an endless choice of juicy roles that can't catch an awards break.
9
I was never a Brad Pitt fan - his earlier performances often left me cold and I sometimes wondered if he'd even be on screen if he looked like anybody other than, well, Brad Pitt. But my opinion started to change when I saw Benjamin Button, one of Pitt's best and most dynamic films, demonstrating his capacity for both physical comedy and dramatic subtlety. In a phrase, he became something much more than just Brad Pitt. And in 'Once Upon a Time ," I have to admit: those sequences with Pitt driving around downtown LA while we, the audience, gaze at period storefronts and movie marquees from the late 60's comes very close to the essence of the pleasures of cinema.
Vary few actors can channel that.
12
I love your discussion of movement and flow in actors and dancers. Another great who moved beautifully was Paul Newman.
26
Yes, Brad Pitt really should have been nominated for an outstanding performance in Ad Astra, which he totally carried on his back from start to finish.
5
Malick's "Tree of Life," (not a perfect movie), Pitt's patriarch character is about to board a plane, he receives a phone call, you cannot hear any dialogue over the noise but the extreme close-up of his face tells you exactly what he's hearing over the phone. I mean, context also is a clue but... The shot lingers, nothing else moves, his face reads whole paragraphs. It's not quirky facial tics or eyes darting, it's watching a human being, devastated, cut to ribbons. It's a stunning moment I've watched over and over. (by contrast, and not just throwing shade here, Sean Penn in the same movie seems to not know what year it is)
14
Yes! To Malick films!
2
Brad Pitt has tons of range in his acting but the roles in which he really shows his range are the zany, off kilter characters: Twelve Monkeys, Snatch, and Burn After Reading. But probably my favorite Pitt movie is Spy Games.
3
" 'Fight Club' demonstrated Pitt’s talents as a wingman, an ability to smoothly fall in step with a male co-star or trail in the other man’s shadow ..."
Yep, I've felt for a long time that Pitt is basically a funny, quirky character actor trapped in the body of a leading man. He just seems more fun to watch when he's not bearing the burden of everyone's gaze. (Spare me ever having to sit through "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" again.)
4
I'm going to have to disagree. Playing the cool attractive alpha male stereotype over and over isn't impressive acting. It's just playing the Brad Pitt character. I've seen I'm going to guess 12-15 of his movies and he's always fine but always seems like he's either acting (meaning not creating an apparently real person, ala most Daniel Day Lewis performances, but more like, oh look I'm acting sad or I'm acting mad) or playing the cool Brad Pitt character. Once upon a Time in Hollywood is no different. How anyone could think his performance is better than Leonardo DiCaprio's, who created a complex character with diverse emotions who seems like a real person, is beyond me. I'm in the camp of people who think that if he wasn't so handsome that he would be nowhere as sought after in Hollywood. Comparisons to especially Paul Newman in the article are absurd. He was twice the actor (Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) that Brad Pitt will ever be. I will say good things about his performances in Legends of the Fall (the agony and loneliness and lost quality of his performance) and in Tree of Life, but I just don't get all the hoopla about his role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
6
I find that my beauty, body, mind and soul, gets in the way of much in my life.
Women swoon over me, and I have to tell them that I have one true love
4
@Paul Brad Pitt?
3
@Paul
Yourself?
1
This is also a beautifully written piece, thank you. If Pitt doesn’t win this Oscar he surely will in the coming years. He just seems to get better with age.
Another memorable line/scene of his from Thelma and Louise was to Thelma’s dorky husband,
“I like your wife.”
6
I worked with Brad Pitt on set once. He was one of the most genuine, unassuming talent I've ever worked with. He introduced himself to each crew member (it was a small set) and interacted with each of us in the most professional and honestly friendly manner. It was not a put on, the next day he remembered your name and the conversations you had with him.
105
@j24 How talent works with crew has nothing to do with how talented they are, Faye Dunaway is a great actress. It's nice for the crew, but no one cares.
@j24 - Thanks for sharing your experience.
15
@Pank j24 wasn't talking about talent but referring to the man's character. And yes people do care as to whether someone treats others with dignity.
52
I've been rather indifferent to the (undoubted) charms of Brad Pitt the man but not of the actor. He's pitch-perfect in Burn After Reading, among others. But as you rightly point out, the Academy wastes its awards on showboating and 'playing so-and-so' roles.
5
His role in the film "FURY" is excellent. Had zero to do with his looks.
2
Watching his unbelievably understated acting in Ad Astra made it easier to appreciate the sheer enormity of his skill as an actor. There was nothing of the centerfold persona in a single frame of the film. It was about the character's struggle as a man: as a husband unable to show love to his wife, as a son who both adored and hated his remote father, and the conflict between his unflappable public facade and the man he truly was - slowly being destroyed by his inability to achieve the perfection of his public guise. At the end of this journey, he is transformed by the knowledge that all men - his father - himself - are fallible, and that it's okay. It took incredible craft to achieve that tightly wound balance throughout the film. While I thoroughly enjoyed his work in "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood," a role he carried effortlessly and beautifully, I still recommend seeing Ad Astra to see the actor at the pinnacle of his craft.
6
I have a great deal of respect for actors such as Mr. Pitt who take every role seriously and bring their A game to their work but do not seem to take themselves too seriously.
Also appreciate that we do not hear about his personal issues or unnecessary life dramas.
Lastly kudos to QT for the level of detail that went into the production of Once upon a time in Hollywood. Every aspect of this film was flawless.
1
I’ve never undervalued his acting, that’s on you.
10
I think Brad Pitt is a wonderful actor.
He is charming almost despite his good looks.
I find him humble, humane and comedically self deprecating.
A guys guy, and a ladies man, without being the dominating personality.
He strikes me as a generous actor. He never hogs the scene or the screen and let's whomever his starring with shine.
20
Might I suggest to the NYTimes Readers of this piece to hop over to Vanity Fair's site to read the interview with Lee Grant. A brilliant actress! Per the interview, Female actresses are considered "washed up" at 30. A facelift at 36, just so she could "look 29" and work! And her recalling a PA calling Faye Dunaway, in the 1970s, in her acting prime, a "Fat Pig." Men in Hollywood will never have to go through what women do, handsome or not. I love Mr. Pitt's acting but gimme a break with this articel.
12
@TripleMs Lee Grant was brilliant, but also limited. Method acting ruined a lot of gifted people. She was not fortunate in some ways, maybe she made some poor choices, but that's life. She's not the only one. But she's perhaps the biggest complainer.
@Pank Did you actually read the VF interview? if so, I don't really understand how this is your assessment. But then, I don't actually know you. In any case, I highly recommend it.
1
That man is breathtakingly beautiful. The only blonde man I’ve ever loved. Btw: he’s a fantasy actor as well.
2
If the work is good, it speaks for itself, you don't need PR via NYT article.
1
Exceptionally good male actors have always had trouble being taken seriously by producers and the public. Aside from Newman and Redford, there was Tyrone Power, Cornel Wilde, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Gary Cooper ... many, many more.
4
Thank you for this piece and for giving Mr. Pitt his due. Long over due, I’d say. Good on him.
2
The article fails to mention, and people may forget because the movie was a dud in the box office, that in Meet Joe Black, Pitt is wonderful, and so insanely handsome that it was hard to look right at him during the movie.
11
That's quite a love letter, Manohla!
2
The writing of Manohla Dargis always speaks to me.
4
He was good in "A River Runs Through It," but in Tarantino's film I would say Margo Robbie, who is extremely beautiful, comes across as the better actor. Beauty does inform how you think about and judge an actor for sure, but some beautiful actors seem to just be good actors as well and are able to escape some of the beauty curse a bit more easily. Brad Pitt often seems to be playing the same good looking guy with the same swagger, which is probably because this is often what he is cast as. Would be interesting to see him in a role where his looks are disguised, like Charlize Theron in "Monster."
4
@Anonymous
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
2
People looking at beautiful movie stars is not new.
However now there are more means to remain beautiful longer.
1
Though not the focus of this article I cannot help but add that Mr. Pitt has also been a welcome presence with his production company Plan B Entertainment which has produced such vital films as "Moonlight", "Twelve Years a Slave", "Last Black Man in San Francisco", etc. For this, he also has my admiration.
99
Thanks for the article. I agree, Brad scares everybody to like or even approve of him. He is a consummate artist, and he practices his art with the utmost care, and tireless work. And why shouldn't he be approved by his peers (ummm, that is a wrong word there are very few of his peers) I meant folks who also practices the art.
1
About 10 years ago, I wrote a piece about the rare mainstream movie scenes designed to spark straight female desire. (Although things slowly evolve, most are still aimed at sparking straight male desire). Of the bedroom scene in "Thelma & Louise," I noted that the slow caressing camera movement down Pitt's torso is one of the few times in movies that we see the female gaze accurately represented. (The camera mimics Thelma's lustful, awed appraisal of JD at the foot of her bed just before they begin to make love.) Notable since the male gaze is so ubiquitous that we rarely even notice it but just experience it as what movies are.
Pitt has had a rare willingness among male stars to take what's usually a female position: to be the object and not the subject in the movies he makes. I think that's a large part of what makes him so appealing to women, but perhaps why his acting talent has been undervalued by many, especially the powerful straight men in Hollywood. I think his literal nakedness and vulnerability on screen makes them deeply uncomfortable.
Not to mention the issue of jealousy. As Dustin Hoffman once famously said, "Next to that kid, we all look like onions."
147
Your comments are so interesting. Thank you.
7
@Nelle Engoron best comment yet. Agree 100%- that scene is sexy because it represents the female gaze. And HE’s sexy because he doesn’t mind being the object in movies.
12
@Nelle Engoron Excellent take on his appeal. He embodies a strange mix of confidence and vulnerability; as some have said, a little like Paul Newman. It's sort of like they're thinking, I know I look like I've got it made, but also know how ephemeral that is for anybody, and that the joke may be on them.
17
I was riding in a car and we drove by Brad Pitt in NYC going about 25 miles an hour. I saw him for a split second and I said, "Pull over, that's Brad Pitt." My brother, who was driving, guffawed, "How could you even tell?"
We pulled into a parking lot and parked perpendicular to the sidewalk. Sure enough, Brad Pitt walks by, glancing at our car.
My sister and I did the worst thing, we ran out, ran toward him, and were silent. We were so weird! He took out his cell phone to make a call, and we joked that he was calling Jennifer to end it because he'd just met the love of his life (we didn't elaborate on which of us was the true love, wasn't worth it).
Anyway, I cannot imagine what it would be like to look like Brad Pitt. It definitely must have it's equal share of benefits and downsides. He is not handsome, it's honestly something else. He is not of this world when it comes to beauty. I saw Julia Roberts once too and she is the same. I actually thought she was homeless first because she was dressed so terribly but then I saw her laugh and I was mesmerized. I suspect she dressed in a way that she hoped was less noticeable, but she was effervescent. I honestly wouldn't want that burden (and to have to age with that must be a truly do a number on your mind). Brad Pitt is extraordinary, both in beauty and acting. It makes me think of Bill Murry saying "People always tell me they want to be rich and famous. I always tell them, 'Try Rich First."
7
I skipped Thelma and Louise when it first came out (didn't interest 13 y/o me all that much) so my first introduction to Pitt was as Floyd in True Romance. His scenes with Michael Rappaport and James Gandolfini were pure gold and he was one of the most memorable, hilarious, and enjoyable parts (all in about 2 minutes of screen time) of a very good movie that had each in spades. Was also a decidedly unglamorous role, to say the least.
4
It's interesting to consider Brad Pitt's value in relation to his income. Sometimes it's about respect from peers, but I'd say Mr. Pitt has been justly rewarded for his work. Certainly better than women who act (of equal beauty and talent).
3
This article seems like even more objectification of Mr. Pitt. He is too "pretty" for my taste but I think he is a fine actor. I wish I could see him in more comedy roles.
3
Interesting and well written.
One Brad Pitt movie not mentioned is "A River Runs Through It" in which Robert Redford massages Pitt. Or was it the other way around?
I'd give Pitt the Supporting Actor Oscar just for the way he easily two-hopped onto DiCaprio's roof to fix his antenna in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
That moment embodied "stunt man."
10
@samludu | As I watched Pitt last summer in 'Once Upon a Time', I got the impression that his distinct air of indifferent nonchalance was a product of being ticked off because either - he hadn't gotten DiCaprio's role or that he'd gotten into a personality conflict with DiCap, or Tarantula (sic), or both.
I’ve watched many, many films over the course of my life but two scenes remain indelibly engraved in my brain: Robert Redford in bed with Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, and Brad Pitt in bed with Gina Davis in Thelma and Louise. Who’s with me here?
6
Thelma and Louise - classic Pitt.
Burn after reading second best.
Inglorious bastards third (despite his badly faked accent)
3
always said he was underrated as an actor )
2
For me it started with "A River Runs Through It" I've been a huge fan ever since. The guy can act and he tries to pick worthy projects. And great projects from Plan B too. I mean come on! How do you not love Brad Pitt?
11
I was ho-hum about Brad Pitt's acting until I watched "Fury." That's when I felt the full force of his movie star perfection. He'll only get better as he gets older!
4
The difference between beautiful men and beautiful women in Hollywood, is that the men are allowed to age out of youthful beauty and still find work. Women, not so much. If they're not Meryl Streep, who is beautiful in her own way, but not in a Hollywood kind of way, they have to undergo plastic surgery, which then becomes a topic of discussion and mockery.
Redford--a real product of LA, since he was born and reared there--worked until he decided not to; so did Clooney, who has found other things to do. I'd argue that he is not so much beautiful, but drop dead handsome. Not that it matters.
9
I 'fell in love' with Brad Pitt when I first saw him in some jeans ad. As a teen I was glued to my TV whenever it popped up.
30+ years later I still have a soft spot for him - and i am so glad the man is a terrific actor and graces our screens with his talent and beauty on a regular basis.
A gem. I adore him. Nice tribute.
2
I would totally do him based on his acting
25
Einstein's beauty came from the exceptionalism of his brain. Who will remember Brad Pitt's masterful beauty one hundred years from now? We know Einstein's, Da Vinci's, Rembrandt's and many others' beauties.
3
We will remember his humanity and fine acting.
8
great article! Thanks!
1
These are an awful lot of words to talk about a phenomenon that has been happening to actresses since the dawn of movies.
22
"Like Newman..." One of the best paragraphs I have read in my life.
However. Horrible actor. States in his recent interview with Anthony Hopkins - I'm famously not a 'crier' - what he meant is 'actor.' Chews scenery (prop food) in nearly every movie to distract from is overwhelming vapidity.
2
He's the Mensch! In today's America he'd be president if only he'd enter the race.
3
This reminds me of a very beautiful woman lawyer I knew years ago. Men would stop talking and stare when she walked into the room. When I knew her well, I asked, “Does it hurt your career that you are so beautiful?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “While they are adjusting their ties, I just walk up and stick them with a shiv.”
That is Brad Pitt.
14
Hollywood likes female beauty but has given good-looking male actors the cold shoulder. Brad Pitt is a prime case in point. Tom Cruise is another. Keanu a third. It’s a shame. Brad Pitt has done outstanding work for decades. Hollywood has been shooting itself in the foot, showing what a sham its awards criteria is, by ignoring him.
2
I think Brad Pitt's work has always been valued, by audiences and critics alike. It's true his looks have made him the coverboy that he is, but I don't think it's negatively affected his career. He's had great roles for thirty years.
Btw, can I dare to say what I've said before to shocked and gasping coworkers and friends? I don't get the Brad Pitt thing. Is he handsome? Of course. Is he so much more handsome or attractive than all the other leading men? I have never thought so. I wonder sometimes if I speak for the silent majority.
4
Oddly, and after being brought back to shore by Manohla Dargis with her fine profile of Brad Pitt (an unfortunate last name), this viewer of the awakening of 'Thelma and Louise' was the victim of a memory glitch having failed to envision Brad Pitt as a rising star in the above ground-breaking Hollywood creation. To the honest, he restored embers of romance in his Achilles performance of 'Troy'.
Male beauty with a heart, for this movie watcher, would be Gregory Peck, who confessed in a documentary that in youth, he was deliberating the priesthood - a swooning of nuns and female soldiers might have taken place.
Forwarding this latest feature of a resilient movie reviewer to a relentless admirer of Robert Redford, and to another friend, highly appreciative of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', which might help to make their day sunnier on their adventurous road to the Oscar nominations.
2
@Miss Ley, how interesting. I've never once thought that his name is unfortunate.
@Susan BK,
All the better, since this viewer cropped a line from Robin Williams's wonderful performance in the Oscar-winning award for Dead Poets Society.
1
You missed the thing we love most about Brad Pitt: his sense of humor.
73
One of the reasons that Pitt feels so confident ‘moving through the world’ is not his beauty but his physical fitness. Writing that off as a given discredits Pitt’s work on his body as much as it discounts his acting because of his pretty face.
21
Brad Pitt is a reliable actor and has improved with age, but I'm sorry. I'm not going to feel outraged that he's allegedly faced a double standard or believe that he's some sort of superstar artist about masculinity, whatever that means. Can't we leave some of these cliches-overused tropes on the editing table?
7
In other words, Brad Pitt is a very good actor who is very good looking.
12
I have been saying this since I saw Pitt in Babel.
1
How would you explain Warren Beatty?
I remember seeing 12 Monkeys and thinking this guy can act. He stole the show. Easy on the eye too.
5
Pitt, Newman and Redford, the three amigos. Have always admired them all as actors and just plain good men. Pretty good role models.
12
I was scrolling through the cable channels days ago and came upon Troy. Brad Pitt plays Achilles. He is indeed mesmerizingly beautiful and I am not even attracted to blonde men in general. But he also has a face which is serious. And he does move very gracefully. One cannot keep one's eyes elsewhere when he is on the screen.
5
Brad Pitt may have faced some of the same “pretty face” issues as Paul Newman, but Brad Pitt is no Paul Newman.
8
@Baba No he isn't. But he's as good an actor. The fact that he i "no Paul Newman" is moot.
6
I stopped reading about the Academy Awards after they gave Eddie Redmayne (a second rate actor) the best actor award.
Brad Pitt's in a group that includes Peter O'Toole, Ian McKellan, Ralph Fiennes, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlie Chaplin, Robert Redford, Peter Sellers, Richard Burton, Orson Welles, Steve McQueen, Max von Sydow, Montgomery Clift, Marcello Mastroianni, and on and on.
13
It used to be beauty and skill as in Brando, Dean, Clift. I miss those days.
4
Hard to think of another one on his level that can get us to hear him, not just see him. Ever notice how he fills the lens in every scene. Doesn’t always matter what he’s saying or conveying. Legit movie star. Look up the photo of him wearing a name tag at this year’s Oscars luncheon. If that’s not who he truly is, then there’s nothing left to know. He’s held on this long; I hope there are many many more films and projects ahead.
2
Wonderfully written, highly perceptive article, that wishes to break through the gloss and to clarify and correct our wayward, hackneyed, mistaken ideas about masculinity. Congratulations!
3
No mention of Meet Joe Black, which Anthony Lane called the most underrated film of the year (1998), so I broke down and saw it. Pitt carries the film. I began to think he was a great actor then.
10
He’s always been beautiful, as have so many in Hollywood. But he also displays a willingness to be a good guy, a good person, to do the right thing, in life and in the roles he chooses. His talent has developed over the years. He is no longer just a pretty face but an actor who tries to offer substance and meaning in his characters.
Glad he has lasted and is aging “beautifully.”
10
Plus, he’s got great comic timing. Check out his acceptance speeches (also well constructed) at SAG and Golden Globes this year.
16
i finally appreciated pitt's genius in, of all things, ocean's 11. his comic timing was impeccable, and he conveyed more with a look than i've seen many an oscar winner do in a weightier film.
19
Amen. Pretty actors have a tough time getting cred. Look at Leo. Newman. Clooney. Kidman. et al. And he should have won for Babel.
8
@Roy Oh yes, Babel.
2
I'm not watching a movie because Brad Pitt takes off his shirt but because he comes off as likable and he can carry the role. Most actors are simply being themselves placed in the role of a character. Pitt is fun to watch onscreen. I couldn't care less if he was shirtless.
7
Escaping from reality is nice, but most do it to their detriment. We have many real problems and Hollywood is simply a distraction for those who don't want to face the truth. There is not even any truth in the films and TV shows, they all just pander to a childish set of beliefs. It may be entertaining, but it doesn't really help in any way except to allow people to ignore reality for a while.
Humans are going in to a time of great turmoil and suffering. Perhaps more people need to pay attention to the details of reality.
3
I feel sorry for you, that you take no pleasure in popular entertainment. You are also wrong when you say there is no truth in any of the shows, probably because you haven’t seen any. You probably don’t like popular music either. Quoting a couple of great pop composers, “What a drag it is to be you.”
5
Watch Sullivan’s Travels. Think about the Golden Age of 1930s movies and screwball comedies that helped people endure the Depression and world wars. You may not need a good laugh or a momentary break from bleakness, but stories have given comfort, humor, inspiration, and hope for millennia in all formats.
4
Taste is a slippery slope. It’s easy for people like the commenter we both replied to, to look down on low brow entertainment and make cliched statements about people sedating themselves with it when they should be doing something serious. But it’s nonsense and myopic. They’re not the arbiter of what is art and what is trash. Times may seem hard, but they are not harder or bleaker than any other time in human history. We’re all living and learning and a lot of us need a laugh or cry provoked by something containable rather than the enormity of “real life.” The Greeks and other ancient cultures told stories for catharsis and because people connect through them, they engage empathy, and sometimes a laugh over something silly can keep you going.
1
Brad Pitt as "Floyd the roommate" in True Romance brought it home for me. You could sense the joy, humor and willingness of Brad Pitt to just be in a great movie and do what needs to be done to make it great. I'm loving how he's aging in the insane world of Hollywood and appreciate him more than I ever did.
30
It is articles like this that make the New York Times important, despite all its very obvious failings. This article opens up to the public that men and women share experiences at a time when the general trend is division. Seeing how being something many of us daydream about can actually hold you back is so revealing. I also love the way Ms. Dargis puts things in historical perspective. The article is why I look forward to the publication every day. Thank you.
18
Hum? What happens in another few years when the physique begins to “sag”, which is inevitably part of life. Maybe critiques of his acting will take on a new dimension since the body will no longer be the focus. Let’s hope that he will be as good an actor as Cary Grant and Paul Newman late in their careers. They still had magnetic appeal.
2
@Jersey girl, did you read the article? The point is that he IS a terrific actor, like Grant and Newman before him, and remains appealing physically.
9
I worked for a year in one of our country’s most renowned drama school. Many of the students, male and female, were very beautiful. All were also very gifted actors. The school has something like a one percent admissions rate, no joke. Some became big stars, others did not. But yes, one can be beautiful AND supremely talented.
306
As an extremely talented and beautiful person myself, I concur!
179
@Stephanie i've always thought you were just eye candy....obviously i was wrong.
28
@BC That's the beauty of Hollywood and Fame in this current era -- talent has never mattered so much. The public can so quickly react or reward.
6
Once upon a Time in Hollywood.....I'm from the Bronx but tip my hat to Tarantino for LA,Hollywood showcase but Pitt was masterful as Cliff. Underplayed coolness beyond perfection walking through life and taking it as it comes. Does not get any better. Please give him his due. Best supporting actor OSCAR.
449
@Richard Spiro -- I concur.
Watch Pitt in two great movies to get a taste of his versatility -- Tarantino's 'Inglorious Basterds' and the Coen Bros' 'Burn After Reading' -- the two roles couldn't be more dissimilar, and he is Outstanding in both.
A Treasure, this man is.
22
@Richard Spiro
i'm still trying to understand why he isn't up for best actor - much more memorable than leo and felt like more screentime too
5
i saw a george clooney interview a number of years ago when he was asked how he handled fame and crowds.
he said, this is close to verbatim, 'if it gets too crazy, i'll point in the distance and say, "hey look. there's brad pitt"! they all run away and i leave"'
846
@brupic That was a good laugh!!
36
@brupic That's like what Dustin Hoffman said he does if he wants a good table at a restaurant. He says he's Al Pacino.
43
@JL i burst out laughing when i saw the interview.
14
One gets the sense that despite his talent and beauty, he generally doesn't take himself too seriously, if he can avoid it...angels can fly because they take things lightly. I suspect it is a personality thing, in addition to talent and beauty. Flow is a great word for it. Very few of us are that self-confident.
516
@Michele Underhill
Brad Pitt recently admitted he had such a long term drinking problem he "revoked his own drinking privileges." He has admitted to smoking so much pot he disappeared in one decade in a haze. Been married 2 or 3 times.
In other words, lower your hormones and recognize he's a regular guy like the rest of us with the same regrets and anxiety who happens to be in a pretty package. I like him a lot, a lot, professionally and personally, but he's a mere mortal despite the film reviewers hyper-ventilating.
115
@Michele Underhill , Actually, it"s angels can fly because they take*themselves* lightly. a crucial distinction.
13
@AG
Sure, he's got a great physique, but it takes more than that for me to get googly-eyed over a man. (And I *am* heterosexual.)
Pitt's probably a decent, personable fellow, but I've never understood the over-the-top adulation.
This is quite the homage to Brad as actor and beauty king. I've enjoyed his work in many movies -- but never given thought to how much he -- and others -- might suffer as a result of being overly gorgeous, their suave beauty muting their talent. (My wife says I'm in safe territory here myself.)
On one level, it's about time someone bring talent-over-surface to the fore for men. Yet, I'm wondering if the praise here is over-wrought. If Brad himself is suffering, which is possible, I'd be more worried (a little anyway). But celebrity, the movies, and the celebrity-worshipping public adore beauty -- and humankind has been in love with it since that woman rose up out of the clam shell thing.
As an aged guy now, it's socially difficult to praise the physical beauty of about any woman, without feeling guilty -- but I can see beauty in many women, in Brad Pitt and other cool guys, in poetry, in nature, in art, in the 2020 Corvette, and a lot of other things.
My point is, maybe let's celebrate Brad's talent first, his beauty second -- but mostly, the beauty in anything and everything anybody possibly can see. Goodness knows, the times need a lot more beauty anywhere we can find it.
647
@SGK
I don't feel this piece is about Brad Pitt "suffering" because of his beauty, but about how his beauty impacts the way an audience and our (U.S.) cultural as a whole treats him.
That People quote is... wow.
I do think the reviewer misses a crucial point in Fight Club about how Brad Pitt, gorgeous as he is/was, is set against an even "prettier" man -- a young Jared Leto, 26 in the movie, who's character is 'Angel Face'. Pitt's character mangles Leto's character's face in a beating, saying that he wanted to destroy something beautiful (rough quote). If that's not a comment on cultural tension with masculine beauty, I don't know what is.
29
@SGK: In college I briefly dated a stunningly attractive woman, a six-foot-tall Scandinavian goddess who silenced a crowded room by the mere act of entering it.
Several times she described the loneliness of beauty, the difficulty of forming close relationships because of her physical appearance. Self-confident and cocky guys considered her a conquest; sensitive guys thought they didn't stand a chance.
I experienced this only second hand, in the form of sly and approving nods and smiles from guys I didn't even know, as if she were a trophy.
It was heartbreaking, really. She was a kind, very bright and introspective person who struggled with being objectified and stereotyped.
I was thankful to be just a decent-looking young man, athletic and fit, but nothing too special. That gave me a lot of freedom.
140
Thanks for your comments. With age one finds comfort in beauty whether in nature or humans. Now I describe looking at handsome men as “art appreciation” but I have also learned the value of goodness in men overall. WhenI saw Brad looking out of his car window in Once Upon A Time all I could think is “Wow” and roll my mind back to the Thelma scene when he jumped out of the screen as a star.
21
I admire actors who don't think they are too big to play small parts in good movies. I would watch him in anything.....
747
@Carol Smith yeah.... but doesn't the presence of big stars or superior actors often overshadows other acting and affect the focus of the story line?
I never forget "awestruck" feeling when I first saw the statue of David in Florence. So, this statue of Brad is a little letdown to me.
3
@Carol Smith He's hilarious in 'Burn After Reading' - after watching him embody - with absolutely no self-consciousness - a beautiful idiot, I knew he would be game for anything and be fantastic at it
8
I'm a straight man with no interest in the chests of other men, and I've dug Pitt since his "True Romance" stoner, followed by Tyler Durden up to "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" despite its gratuitous shirtless rooftop scene. I did recently hear a female friend talk about wanting to see that movie just for that scene, so I guess it's important to some. But not to me. I'll go see something if he's in it because he's always interesting to watch and listen to.
6
What’s not to like about Brad Pitt? His charisma exudes in every role. At this point in his career he’s become a fine producer making interesting choices. I agree he has wonderful comedic timing. But the game changer for me was far from the California sun kissed good natured stereotype. The Tree of Life directed by Terrence Malick.
7
Front Page is Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur not Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant. Wink wink.
The female interest in Fight Club is like Fanny Price in Of Human Bondage. A woman the writer does not know what it is to love as a stand in for the man the writer cannot not love.
And female desire for pretty men has never been News. One famous example being Vronsky. Tolstoy didn’t get it but Anna did.
Also not news is how some turn whatever they are attracted to in life into a seminar topic in their own little seminar that never changes. Pitt is a worker who works. The end. Sometimes The Work works. Sometimes not. It gives me more sympathy for what Quentin is up against. Even though his female characters have the interior monologue of a switched off robot, and his males not much more other than scratching themselves and fighting, if he took his critics to heart he would never had made a movie anyone could sit through.
I think the writer is correct in saying Mr. Pitt's acting has been undervalued. He's an outstanding actor. There's much to be said about instinctive understatement in acting and Mr. Pitt isn't one for overacting, which we see so much of today.
His career has been overshadowed by his beauty, masculinity and his private life. It's a shame, but these days, as we build up a star in the media, we're also tearing them down with gossip.
He's paid a very dear price for his career and no matter how much we opine about his beauty or wealth, we can't forget to acknowledge his acting craftsmanship. It's obvious in each role he accepts, how much thought and effort goes into shaping his character.
He can't change his looks, but he can surmount them with incredible acting chops. He's one of our finest actors.
49
“...the dudes who flock to the fight club, hysterical...”. Zing! Good one, Ms. Dargis.
1
I've long believed that Pitt is underrated as an actor.
He can most certainly play against his kouros-like beauty as he did in "12 Monkeys," a hilarious turn as a gonzo mental patient.
Once I saw both "Ad Astra" and "Once Upon a Time..." last summer, it seemed obvious that this would be Pitt's year to win some serious gongs.
5
Johnny Suede
Johnny Suede
Johnny Suede
3
Great writing, but magnificent Illustration. Only one quibble: the Leaf needs to be much Larger.
Just saying.
9
I think Brad Pitt plays all his roles to the hilt, while never "quite" going over the top. Quite a feat. I felt he deserved an oscar for his performance in Troy. In his opening battle scene when Achilles kills his oversized opponent so effortlessly,the utterly convincing physicality of that role could have been reproduced by "no one." But MORE, in that scene he expressed, without a word, Achilles's complete disdain for his own role in his own fate. And THAT is not given the respect it deserves. His tragic role---as the guy who was "not too bright" and heartbroken because he was merely a toy of his king (albeit a favorite one)---was very well played. Every line, every scene was spot on. But the nature of the role disqualified him for an award. It would have been like giving Tina Louise a prize for playing Ginger, a role that ruined her career. Even if someone thought she was a great actress, she had played the bad actress too well, and that was all anyone could ever see. And yes, Brad Pitt is beautiful. I still remember the thrill of seeing him in Legends of the Fall. I fell in love with him a little as he rode by on horseback. I remember an interview, way back when, ( I think after "Seven Years in Tibet") he said he kept his life in perspective by reminding himself that he was "a man who wore makeup for a living." It was something like that, anyway. I think I ran into him once, in a Starbucks in downtown Austin. He found it humorous to see my jaw drop open in slow motion.
27
A great actor.
Joaquin Phoenix is also a great actor.
Brad Pitt is a great actor and an old time movie star.
I've loved Pitt since "Thelma and Louise." How funny was the J.D. character? Very.
My favorite Pitt roles are "Twelve Monkeys" and "Fight Club."
One of the things Pitt has going for him - aside from his beauty and his intelligence - is his fine sense of humor.
We see Pitt's humor in roles like the "Ocean" movies, where he always seems to be riffing on being a movie star.
We also see it in his masterful turn in "Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood." The scene where an LSD-addled Pitt initially reacts stupidly to his home invaders is hilarious.
Give Brad Pitt his Academy Award.
Pitt's the most iconic, talented and beautiful actor of his generation.
That he can also laugh at himself - repeatedly - for our pleasure - is icing on the beautiful cake.
179
@fast/furious We see Brad Pitt's humor in "Burn
After Reading" as well. Hilarious performance!
4
@fast/furious
That was not a stupid reaction; that was a veiled stupid reaction. Cliff was lucidly opaque to deal with the dope with the gun.
1
@fast/furious
Agreed -- Twelve Monkeys is fabulous, and both Pitt and Bruce Willis give excellent performances. A terrific and often underrated film. Pitt's comedic chops, when he gets the change to exercise them, are great.
6
Yeah, I know a bunch of male rights geeks love "Fight Club" but weirdly -- or not -- I know quite a few very proper middle-aged women who love it as well. I'm one of them.
I'm not exactly sure why, unless it's that women, particularly well-behaved women, understand the constant performance that is required of those the world admires. Or thinks it does.
Also, Brad Pitt and Ed Norton.
10
During this year of Fellini at 100 I think the way Marcello Mastroianni was framed by his relationship, in Fellini's films, to women and feminine psychology is worth remembering. Marcello is the prototype for Pitt, the male sex symbol working in meaningful films.
As if Pauline Kael wrote for Playboy, we watched Marcello's missteps with women because those moments somehow explained the confusions of the new era of sexual freedom.
Pitt and Marcello also share an incredible talent for clowning around with their masculinity. This takes their performances towards the metaphysical, by that I mean we can see a transcendent masculine presence precisely because of the humor in their performances.
21
@Smokepainter*
I greatly enjoyed this analysis. And I feel the connection is spot on.
Oh what a joy if the NYT could produce writing as stimulating as this!
7
Smokepainter,
Thank you for writing this.
You are right on.
Best, 8 1/2.
4
Sorry but his work is undervalued? He is one of the most popular and successful actors of all time...
14
Two comments:
1. Pitt is getting rave notices now because he has become a great actor. He was not particularly good early in his career, in my opinion, and was in the game primarily BECAUSE of his looks. Not a whole lot different than Matthew McConaughey.
2. Being a "beautiful person" can very much be a double-edged sword. It can certainly give on confidence, but it can also make one self-conscious about standing out, knowing people are paying attention.
It’s the character “Floyd” in True Romance that does it for me. Perfection.
8
There can be no article written about Brad Pitt and masculinity without mentioning his role in Snatch. He so completely inhabits that role and shows us many sides of masculinity: his anguish and rage watching his mother burn, his sad satisfaction upon exacting revenge for her death, his brotherly camraderie inside the trailer and huddled outside. Every bit of that role was pure emotion. I hope I never see anyone try to emulate it.
22
Absolutely right. That may have been his best performance.
4
I know nothing about film making, but I do understand decision making. I think the roof scene noted here is a director's decision, with the actor doing his best to execute. Can't hold the actor accountable for the scene's content, only on how it was performed. N'est-ce-pas?
1
Love Pitt, but Ars Astra was unquestionably in my opinion, the worst film all year. Does anybody want to explain the stranded in space hungry for blood baboons to me, for example?
5
@Michael Nobody does. Because it is not important. And Ad Astra was one of the best films of the year.
1
@Michael
Some sort of research project being conducted. Frenzied, starving animals escaped and loose in the wake of the catastrophe the ship experienced. I got that. Yes, it was a disjointed shock that wasn't explained outright, purposefully, which made it feel remiscent of 2001, a space odyssey and seemed sort of a cool choice in the moment. Didn't bother me at all. Memorable movie, strong performance.
Counterpoint: Both Pitt and DiCaprio are very lucky middling actors. Hollywood has been very very good to them. Compare either of them to Paul Newman in his mid-50s and there's the stark difference in abilities. The one thing about Pitt is that he is totally Hollywood but hasnt had plastic surgery (yet). Perhaps Pitt wants all of Clint Eastwood's parts.
6
@K Henderson
Let's hope Pitt never has plastic surgery.
He's aging beautifully.
12
@K Henderson That's rough -- DiCaprio has range -- and he's mesmerizing. Pitt -- if any knock on him -- he has never and seems to not ever take over a film -- that could be his personality -- and it's fitting he might win for Best Supporting Actor.
1
“But Pitt has always moved with the absolute surety you see in some beautiful people (and dancers), the casualness of movement that expresses more than mere confidence, but a sublime lack of self-consciousness and self-doubt about taking up space, something not everyone shares. This isn’t swagger; this is flow.”
Enjoyed the article but not the above statement. Isn’t it possible that his confidence is not connected to his looks? When a child is young, they aren’t so aware of their looks (at least Pre Facebook/Instagram). Perhaps his confidence is rooted in his upbringing and activities like sports, etc. Who knows? Ask his family - maybe he always had that quality. To say his “swagger” is based upon his looks seems narrow and lessens him as a person.
16
@Kim I read something years ago in which Brad Pitt said that when he was still a young boy his mother sat him down and told him that in his lifetime he would get a lot of attention simply because of the way he looked. He found it ridiculous then and seems to have carried that attitude with him all along. He deliberately made himself unattractive for several years, I'd say.
I believe he may have also had some good talks with Robert Redford on these subjects.
3
Critics hated "Troy."
Outstanding movie.
Critics loved "Ad Astra."
Terrible movie.
7
I am an admirer of BP's acting skills. He has been good since at least Fight Club and he efficiently underplays his way through all of the tedious (except for the first, despite Soderbergh's talents) Oceans films.
Add to that his physical charisma, or, at least, his cinematic attractiveness. The camera loves him as it loves Denzel, as it loved Newman, as it loved JFK and Marilyn and so on. Unlike acting, such a quality cannot be taught or learned.
Regarding his celebrity...
He, and Al Pacino, and Jack Nicholson before him -- and who knows who else -- have self medicated themselves daily with cannibus or alcohol or something else because our mind boggling and insane modern level of celebrity obviously requires a calming of nerves, a calming of anxieties. How does one take the edge off? Average people on other continents and in other countries knowing and fawning over your face. It is not natural to the human experience...even when Ceaser was on Roman coins, he could easily change robes and walk around his kingdom unrecognized.
I'm surprised that we don't see even more celebrities flaming out by overdoses, suicide, etc.
1
He looks amazing for a man of any age.....bet no asks if he has had any work done.
29
You hit the nail on the head with this comment. If he were a woman who looked that good at that age, the plastic surgery speculation would be rampant.
33
@Lawrence He seems to actually smoke too -- read another GQ piece or something where he was lighting up. That usually does not help aging looks....
@Lawrence, of course he has!
5
I too discounted Pitt's acting talents as light-weight. True, some of his roles did not really seem to require much heavy lifting, but as I came to realize about Cary Grant and definitely Paul Newman, making things look easy on screen is hard. Newman famously admitted that getting older was liberating--finally people might be able to see beyond those baby blues and see what an extraordinary actor he was and always had been. Same for Grant, who could breezily play in a romantic comedy, but deliver the goods in a drama. His turn in "His Girl Friday"--is phenomenal--who else could play such a terrible devil with such gusto. Yes, I was pretty swoony when I watched Pitt take off his shirts on the roof in Hollywood, but I left the theatre declaring, "Hey, he can act too!" My money is on him on Oscar night. He deserves the award.
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@SNA One of the oddest things in screen history is that Cary Grant never got an Oscar for any of his roles. The weirdest example was Jimmy Stewart getting best actor for Holiday--Grant was clearly the one to get it for that picture; Stewart's was a (marvelous) supporting role. In that case it was a make-up for Stewart not getting it a year before for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; unfortunately Grant never got one later on for say, any of his Hitchcock roles, etc.
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Stewart got his Oscar for “Philadelphia Story “ and I agree- it was really for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington “. Ronald Coleman beat him, but 1939 was a magic year in movies.
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I'm a little surprised that Dargis didn't mention Pitt's performance as the father in Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life". That was his performance that really stuck with me and convinced me that he had talent beyond his movie idol looks. "Ad Astra" showed some of the same qualities, but the overall mess of the screenplay overshadowed his accomplishments for me.
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I never saw "Thelma and Louise" so I cannot comment on Pitt's "beauty" in the film. My favorite Pitt role is the stoner/slacker he played in "True Romance." It's a small part but he nailed it. He was hysterical. I am a huge fan of Paul Newman and for the most part his body of work is excellent and he should have won Academy Awards for "Absence of Malice" and "The Verdict." These two films did not focus on his good looks. And if you want to talk about sexy good looks, Al Pacino in "The Godfather," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Serpico." Al's looks in those films are the perfect example of what "bedroom eyes" means,
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My fave role of his too!
And remind me again how many Oscars hath Harrison Ford? Han Solo? Indiana Jones? Rick Deckard? And a few more. Eh? How many? Maybe 'the academy' figures if your movies make TOO much money, you're disqualified. Jealousy? Probably.
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I just need to know where I can buy that statue. #BradasDavid
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@Louise?!? On the Cape? Is that where you and Thelma ended up?
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@Susan BK Yup! Over the cliff and onto the sandbar!
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"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
It is amazing in our culture how beauty is honored and dishonored at the same time. Beautiful women are honored when they put on makeup that tamps down, even effaces, that beauty. Charlize Theron. Nicole Kidman. Sometimes actors are so great that the public doesn't see beyond that to the beauty. Meryl Streep. Beautiful men get their awards when they distort their bodies. Daniel Day-Lewis. Robert De Niro. This year's Joaquin Phoenix. I don't mean to imply that their performances are not great, merely to suggest it is the distortion for which they are being honored. Think of Tom Cruise and "Born on the Fourth of July."
De Niro is not normally thought of as a particularly beautiful man. Certainly pleasant-enough looking back in the day. Once I saw him in a two-character off-Broadway play with Shelly Winters in which he played the beautiful young gigolo to her aging actress. He ACTED beautiful, and he convinced the audience that he was as gorgeous as the young Brad Pitt.
When Pitt burst on the scene in "Thelma and Louise," all that the world could talk about was how sexy and beautiful he was. But if you look at the clip of that scene in the article and pay attention to his face and how his body moves, you see what a fine actor he was even then. Well, he might get an Oscar this year, but if not, he can take comfort in how long it took Paul Newman to get one.
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@Jonathan I agree. When we walked away from the theater after seeing Thelma and Louise, it was his superb acting that was talked about more than anything else. He went flawlessly from the super confident guy to just a scared kid when caught. I said then, that young man is going to high places. I loved him in Tree of Life, as well. Perhaps, and much like Paul Newman, his roles and rewards for acting will come along more often now as the middle aged actor he has become.
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I'll die before understanding how having such an expressionless face can be called acting. In movies, editing and a bunch of others tricks can make no acting like acting.
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In Thelma & Louise, Mr. Pitt's abs were more memorable than his chest.
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"Golden sex pony." Writing like this is why I miss Manohla Dargis.
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Crush
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Male stars can endure past their beauty years to reveal the extent of their talents, if the talent is there. Women, on the other hand have a few brief years, and are then shoved out of the industry, talent or not--99% of them, anyway.
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@The Poet McTeagle: Women's time in the sun does however start earlier. Not enough to compensate for the earlier culling, but increasingly an advantage as this discrimination withers.
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@The Poet McTeagle
Meryl Streep.
Judi Dench
Maggie Smith
Ellen Burstyn
Sigourney Weaver
Fionnula Flanagan
Vanessa Redgrave
Betty White
among many.... many others
might beg to disagree
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McTeagle,
Your spot on comment reminds me of my reading a life-wisdom story written in 1960 by Lana Turner. She said that in Hollywood, people can be so stunned by ones physical beauty that they can’t see past it. This means, as Turner said, that when a women’s beauty fades (inevitable, actually) she is discarded. And never were any other qualities appreciated, like maybe intelligence or an empathetic heart. Turner expressed her own dismay as she realized the fleeting value she would have in the movie business.
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I very much appreciate this article, but I am shocked at the omission of Brad Pitt's work in Terrence Malick's 2011 masterpiece "Tree of Life", considered by many to be among the greatest films ever made and in no small part to the performance of Brad Pitt as the father character, Mr. O'Brien. It is the masculinity of his character in contrast to Jessica Chastain's Mrs. O'Brien's femininity and their complexity which makes it such an amazing self-introspective movie.
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I completely disagree. In my opinion, Brad Pitt cannot act. No matter what role he plays, instead of inhabiting the character, he is always Brad Pitt.
Actors of his ilk are in it for the money. They make millions, jet around the world, and are afraid to risk everything by taking a few much-needed acting lessons.
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@Kittiecorner Uh, nope. Did you even read this article? He studied acting for years, has a great interest/involvement and talent for architecture, and is the rare actor who actually does give back. He's grown so much, and transcends his obvious great looks. Perhaps educate yourself before climbing up on your soapbox.
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@Kittiecorner
I imagine that your opinion is a constant, that with a few word changes to adjust to the situation, you have pretty much the same opinion about a great many things that many of us find to be wonderful.
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Two movies. Burn after reading. Twelve monkeys. See if you still think he’s always the same in everything after those two turns.
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And let's hear it for Brad Pitt in "Snatch" (2000) by Guy Ritchie and "Burn After Reading" (2008) by the Coen Brothers.
More than just another (very) pretty face, Pitt has brilliant comedic timing and is only getting better with time.
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@N. Smith , I haven't seen Snatch (or if I did, forgot it), but Burn After Reading shows Pitt unafraid to be ridiculous and hilarious, with no "beauty" hangups at all. It's probably my favorite of his movies. I didn't enjoy T&L, thought it was a dumb movie, with some memorable acting by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. Pitt was just eye candy, as far as I remember.
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@J Houlding
I had to see " Thelma & Louise" a second time to even register seeing Brad Pitt, so I know what you mean.
That said, please try to see "Snatch" -- both Pitt and his wildly unusual accenting it are brilliant!...and funny, too.
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@J Houlding
Pitt has a talent for manic, indeed insane, characters, including the guy he played in Burn After Reading, but especially the madman in 12 Monkeys. That's the work of his I love best. His eyes are remarkably expressive of a paranoid mania.
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1991 and still ongoing. I can imagine Brad Pitt playing 'James Bond', mentioning James Dean and the imho righteous comparison made me smile. Thanks for the beautiful article, let's enjoy 'James Dean 2' in the future. ( - :
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I’ve always thought Brad Pitt was an exceptional actor..I love his Midwest twang and delivery makes him sound authentic.
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my wife informs me that it wasn't the bared chest that sold her on brad pitt, it was the bared six pack.
also, the stetson.
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The quintessential 'gorgeous' was Patrick Swayze. Pitt doesn't hold a candle to him.
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@signalfire, and he never did a thing for me so it's a matter of taste.
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My favorite Brad Pitt role was as Death in "Meet Joe Black".
He more than held his own with the always superb Anthony Hopkins in a very well done movie. And, no, I didn't mind his Jamaican accent in one of the movie's best scenes.
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@Don Oberbeck
Oh, Christ. He does a Jamaican accent? Ugh. I was starting to like him!
@Don Oberbeck His scenes when he spoke patois were indeed compelling. . .
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@Don Oberbeck
I imagine MJB is a movie that Pitt would rather forget.
Supporting actor for Once Upon ...? I haven’t dug up the stopwatch but Pitt is on screen a LOT, seemingly as much as Leo, who is equally fab.
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Everything you have written is true, yet it is difficult not to see Brad Pitt the celebrity in each role. If you can enjoy that--celebrity--then Brad Pitt is wonderful. If you find it distracting, annoying, beside the point--then Brad Pitt is to be pitied. Tarantino should direct him forever. I'll see every film.
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I hope he hates this article. Women have long objected to the kind of physical tear-apart and put together fawning analysis of their bodies .
I believe he is a serious actor of great talent and I am sad he has to play this game.
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@Kathy Millard
Did you actually read the article? It describes how his talent, naturalness, and intelligence as an actor has been undermined for years by his pretty-boy image, and that perhaps this is finally being put to rights.
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Brad Pitt's performance in "Tree of Life" for me sealed his bonafides as a major actor.
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@m EXACTLY....
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@m Yes. He was brilliant in that.
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@m Agreed! And it's a very "un-Pitt" role in that he's an ordinary suburban dad with absolutely no glamour or appeal. I grew up in the suburbs in that era and he impeccably and powerfully conveyed what an authoritarian father was like then. Pitt commits fully to the character, not holding anything back so you will like him more as an actor or see the "hey I'm not really this guy" (as many actors might do).
The moment when his son considers that he could kill his father is amazing because you have been brought into that near-homicidal feeling towards Pitt's character. My spouse found it so close to his own relationship with his father growing up that it was very hard for him to watch.
I think if the movie consisted only of that storyline, it would be considered a small masterpiece.
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A paean of american masculinity with a pudic leaf on Michelangelo masterpiece; what a irony.
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No "Snatch" mention? No one knows what he was saying in that movie, but you knew what he meant. Body language, intonation, facial tics. That's talent.
No one watches that movie for anything but those scenes of him. Hysterical. That's enough for most film watchers.
But everything else you said...agreed.
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This is one of those "I want to know what time it is and not how the clock works" kind of article.
Well written, though, but a lot words to say Brad Pitt is a movie star.
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i'm assuming that's pitt's double hopping around to the roof top
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I have never understood his appeal and have never been interested in his movies. Lionizing pretty faced film stars is silly.
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@Chris He is an excellent actor.
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@Chris You just made the author's point, and the point of many commenters here--dismissing somebody because he is "pretty faced" is silly.
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His performance in Twelve Years a Slave was revelatory.
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While watching Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, it occurred to me that Brad Pitt’s career could easily trace that of Paul Newman’s later roles. Character roles of flawed souls whose parts are enhanced by the charisma, good looks, and charm of the actor.
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@Ellen, my thoughts exactly!
2
Brad Pitt is actually an excellent actor. That said, it's damning him with faint praise to credit his performance in Ad Astra, not through any fault of his own, but because that movie was a piece of badly written junk, from the point of view of a science fiction fan.
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I first truly noticed him in "Legends of the Fall", and it was for his looks. I haven't seen everything he's done, but his acting is spot on. I actually forget it is "Brad Pitt" when I'm watching a movie he is in. That is the mark of a great actor, and that much more difficult to achieve when you stand out for your looks.
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@Diane Ferguson Legends of the Fall was mentioned as a "dud". Not so - it was an epic dramatic story and one we enjoyed re-watching many times. My daughter had the whole script memorized as a young child!
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@Diane Ferguson . I actually forget it is "Brad Pitt" when I'm watching a movie he is in. That is the mark of a great actor, and that much more difficult to achieve when you stand out for your looks.
Agreed! I know I will be vilified but that is why I do not like Meryl Streep. No matter what movie she is in (except the earlier ones) I can never get into her character it is always Meryl Streep as... Julia and Julia is one such example.
4
@Zoenzo
Out of Africa?
1
I don't watch many new movies anymore.
I find them on the whole too scary.
The ones I watch now are from the thirties and forties.
With guys like Humphrey Bogart, Warren William, William Powell,
and Cary Grant.
Not necessarily pretty, but smart, caustic and witty, who appealed to women like Mary Astor, Katherine Hepburn, Rosalind Russell and Myrna Loy, who still appeal to me.
30
@A. Stanton...
I agree with what Warren Beaty said back in the nineties in Vanity Fair Magazine:
"Hollywood makes a lot of Movies every year... and most of them just are not very good."
"There is no such thing as a Movie Star who is younger than you are."
Unfortunately I will be 65 in March.
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@A. Stanton It's good to hear from the 146 year olds once in a while :)
2
@A. Stanton I never, ever say this, but in this instance, I just can't pass up the opportunity...
OK, Boomer.
6
Pitt’s series of exceptionally unattractive hair cuts, or rather lack thereof, and lame facial hair have done much to undercut his pretty boy image. One assumes this has been by design. A fine actor nonetheless.
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@Ethan - Burt Reynolds wore different hair styles and facial hair that were not beauty enhancing; he remained helplessly beautiful. Pitt is the same. Not Leo, IMHO.
5
Pitt haas turned into a class act and performer. Age has made him reflect and the outcome has been some truly amazing performances with insight and sensitivity.
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no mention of Snatch? to me, his best performance.
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@enuf not sure if it is his best performance, but it sure is weird, stunning, and terrific to watch...
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Totally agree
3
@enuf I totally agree!
3
Extreme beauty is a trap- and those trapped there are completely disallowed from even remotely discussing it. Only others may comment upon it and demurrals are required, despite it literally being the first and often only characteristic ever mentioned or perceived by others. It is universally agreed that extreme beauty is a blessing that over compensates the individual and allowing others to consume it as they choose is the required payment. To "complain" from within it is unacceptable. "Squandering" extreme beauty due to age, illness or misadventure is a salacious topic filled with schadenfreude so deep that possibly only the loss of a great financial fortune rivals it.
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@MrsWhit I can't remember the last time I saved a reader's comment, but I saved this one. Excellent.
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@MrsWhit, yup, I agree with Sam Francisco: you've written an excellent comment, the best in response to this article, in my humble opinion. Thank you.
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You do not earn extreme beauty which when you have it also complicated how you see yourself for better or worse. I think it is harder for women than men given the common objectification of women and desire for trophy partners by men. I guess like having money you are never quite sure why you are loved.
12
Pitt has had a few good performances, but has yet to make up for turkeys like A River Runs Through It, and rationalizing Fight Club, as done in this ode to bare chests, is almost inexcusable. The real challenge is not comparing Pitt movies to Pitt movies. For example, his performance in Moneyball is a 2 to Costner's 10 in Draft Day, while his 4 in Mr and Mrs Smith shrinks compared to any of the principles in any Bourne movie. Hollywood continues to prefer fluff to acting.
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@K8vale I think I understand acting enough to wonder how you couldn't like Pitt in a river runs through it. He embodies the elegiac tone that is threaded throughout this gem of a movie, based on the equally memorable story.
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@renee agree, one of my favorite movies...Pitt is great, as is the entire cast...
9
@K8vale Fight Club was a fine film and Pitt's performance was everything you could want in a movie. It requires no rationalizing. The fact that contemporary Americans can't appreciate satire unless it's blatantly obvious is not the fault of the film or anyone who worked on it. Not their fault that right-wing idiots treat it as a training film. Maybe they'd be a little less excited about it if they knew the author of the novel on which it is closely and well-based is a gay man.
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