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Reader Comments (10)
This is still my favorite performance of Brad Pitt.
I would have given him an Oscar for this performance. I love it!
I read a great article that was arguing that the best Brad Pitt is the one where he gets to be a character actor.
Think about it. Which performances are his best?
I rank it like this:
1) Burn After Reading
2) Tree of Life
3) Assassination of Jesse James...
4) Se7en
5) 12 Monkees
Look at those five performances. Which one of those is a movie-star/hunky performance? They are all part of an ensemble or a character piece.
I love Brad in this. He's great in these kinds of roles.
It's still my favorite Brad Pitt performance. I could watch a film with that character as the lead. He's so funny.
@ Ben
Those are definitely not my Top 5--in fact, 12 Monkeys would be in my Bottom 5.
Best of Brad:
Moneyball
Fight Club
Snatch
Oceans 11
Killing Them Softly
I forget who said it, but there's an actress who said that Brad Pitt is a character actor trapped in a leading man's body.
@ jakey
This has been said of Pitt, Kevin Kline, Joseph Fiennes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Colin Farrell, William Hurt, Robert Mitchum, Rob Lowe, Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Reynolds...and James van der Beek. ;-)
Plenty of attractive movie star types on the surface are stronger character performers than lead players. I think Anne Hathaway should aspire to be Judy Davis. Lower her voice get real throaty and become agitated at everything. She could secure a second Supporting Actress win. Paltrow's best performances are usually supporting roles. Meryl Streep is most interesting when she doesn't have to carry a movie.
Paul & Ben -- okay, i'll play. My five favorite Brads
(no particular order)
SE7EN
BURN AFTER READING
TREE OF LIFE
MONEYBALL
FIGHT CLUB
with apologies to...
THELMA & LOUISE
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
but really, he's one of my all time favorites. I just love him. even in his middling stuff like ALLIED.