Table of contents:
Brad Pitt He has been one of the quintessential movie stars in the industry since the 1990s. Like Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, and Tom Cruise, Pitt has a proven track record of mixing prestigious projects with blockbuster entertainment that inspire audiences to go to the movies. Pitt has actually done some of the best work of his career as a producer, as Plan B Entertainment is responsible for some of the best movies of the 21st century. In fact, Pitt won his first Best Picture Oscar as one of the producers of Steve McQueen’s 2013 masterpiece. 12 years a slave Several years before he won an individual trophy for Best Supporting Actor in Quentin Tarantino’s Once upon a time in hollywood.
One of the admirable things about Pitt is that while he’s known for his charisma and public persona, he fits the description of “an actor’s personality in a leading man’s body.” While he was known as the heartthrob of a generation, it would be unusual for today’s young stars to take on experimental roles such as Fight Club, Se7en, 12 Monkeys, Snatch, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Or even what Pete would do later in his career The assassination of Jesse James at the hands of the coward Robert Ford. Even “crowd pleasers” tend to be more artistic in nature, like the hugely popular heist comedy Ocean Trilogy praised by director Steven Soderbergh.
Pinpointing Pitt’s best and most underrated roles isn’t easy given the intensity of his career, and the number of new entries that could be added in the future. Despite a very public divorce case that could drag on for many years, Pitt is set to reunite with Clooney in the Apple TV+ movie Wolves. However, Brad Pitt’s films certainly deserve more credit than they received at the time of their initial release.
8 The river runs through it
The river runs through it It was one of the quintessential “movie star” roles that proved Pete could be a leading man. At the time, small comedy parts were in format Wonderful world And Johnny Swede and engraving in Thelma and Louise And less than zero What a likable leading man could be is not proven. While he is cheesy at times, The river runs through it It is one of Robert Redford’s finest achievements as a director. It feels like a spiritual precursor to what Pete would do a few years later Autumn legends.
7 sleepers
sleepers It feels like a movie that’s almost entirely forgotten about without just cause. This brilliant drama from director Barry Levinson explores the plight of childhood friends Lorenzo Carcaterra (Jason Patric), Tommy Marcano (Billy Crudup), Michael Sullivan (Pitt) and John Reilly (Ron Elward) as they are caught between the warring influences of their local parish priest (Robert De Niro). and a ruthless gangster (Vittorio Gassman).
The boys’ innocence is interrupted when they are thrown into a facility for juvenile offenders and mistreated by prison guards. Of all the characters in the film, Pete’s role as Sullivan is the most thoughtful, moving from the trauma of youth to becoming a lawyer and standing up for his friends.
6 Seven years in Tibet
Seven years in Tibet It is based on the incredible true story of an Austrian climber who ventures into Tibet in the midst of war, only to be accepted by society during the height of the conflict. movie like Seven years in Tibet It could easily be accused of being a white savior movie, but fortunately, the film shows that Heinrich Harrer’s character Pete is bolstered by his experiences and is not there to “civilize” them in a way that could be seen as disrespectful.
5 Mexican
Mexican is one of the studio’s more bizarre comedies in recent years, though that may be the product of director Gore Verbinski’s bizarre sensibilities. Although the dynamic between Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini is more interesting, Pitt adds some of his own unique comedic charm to his role as an ex-convict working to pay off his debt to a gangster.
4 world war z
Despite being in “production hell” for years, world war z It ended up being a really great movie about the collapse of society that just happened with zombies. Brilliant filmmaking from Marc Forrester and Pitt’s emotional performance as a father in crisis made it easy to ignore that the movie earned a PG-13 rating.
3 Advisor
The late great Cormac McCarthy’s only screenplay credit was Ridley Scott’s 2013 crime thriller, Advisor, which explores various misdeeds and violent crimes that occur after a shady lawyer (Michael Fassbender) attempts to buy a diamond ring for his fiancée (played by Penelope Cruz) from a strange dealer (Javier Bardem). It’s bizarre and shocking, but many of the best scenes are the ones involving Pete (in his signature cowboy hat) as Fassbender’s ruthless advisor.
2 By the sea
There is perhaps no better window into Pitt’s marriage to Angeline Jolie than this 2015 movie By the sea; While it is the second movie they starred in together after 2005 Mr. and Mrs. SmithJolie directed a 2015 film about an older couple trying to reignite the passion in their relationship despite the meddling of a younger woman (Melanie Laurent). The similarity of the narrative to the tabloid stories about their relationship is uncanny, but Pitt does a great job of giving a truly menacing (and often chilling) performance.
1 Babylon
In the following decades, Babylon It can be considered one of the forgotten masterpieces of its era. Ironically, this film about the end of an era feels like it represents a form of filmmaking that the industry will no longer indulge in. Who better to be the coolest movie star in the world than Pete? It’s one of the most self-referential roles of his career, and writer/director Damien Chazelle enjoys giving Pitt a role that pays homage to some of his past work and legacy in the industry.
