That's the only thing interesting about his performance, being 55 and having chiseled abs. Probably the most unremarkable acting Oscar win in recent memory. he was just being brad pitt for the billionth time.
leo stole the show, he BECAME that character. i'm not a leo fanboy but i would've preferred that he lost the oscar for The Revenant and instead won for this. maybe his best role ever. even the guy playing bruce lee was way better than pitt.
It was a campaigned win. Orchestrated and pushed for. He'd never won before and this was his chance.
DiCaprio got a big push a few years back as well for The Revenant, the PR went into overdrive about how he hasn't won one before and he really deserves it. When he did win everyone was over the moon and posting about it. His performance was fine but he was basically a grunting, grubby wildman. His performance in Wolf of Wall Street was far better.
Will Smith got the same this year. As did Heath Ledger years back.
Chadwick Boseman got a push as well after he passed and many thought he'd get the nod but he missed out.
So all in all, Brad Pitt won an oscar because he's Brad Pitt and he hadn't won one before and this was his window for it.
So all in all, Brad Pitt won an oscar because he's Brad Pitt and he hadn't won one before and this was his window for it.
--
Agreed, but this was his window for it BECAUSE Tarantino had written such a great character for him.
Jack Palance, who won Best Supporting Actor for "City Slickers," said: "The Oscar isn't for the actor...its for the character."
Truer words were never spoken. Some characters are in the title: Forrest Gump. Erin Brockovich. But otherwide, just great characters: Rooster Cogburn, Don Vito Corleone, Atticus Finch. I'm trying to think of some of the female winners, character wise, and I've come up with Liza Minnelli in Cabaret, and Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment.
So...Brad Pitt got a GREAT character here. Cliff Booth, the tough guy who befriends and protects his richer, more spoiled and neurotic TV actor friend Rick Dalton. Cliff Booth, content to live in a small trailer next to a drive-in with his faithful pit bull. Cliff Booth, satisfied with his low-paid life when his richer friend can't stand his. Cliff Booth, man with a mystery: did he kill his wife? Cliff Booth, war hero.
And(in the classic tradition): Cliff Booth, the strong silent hero who can beat up -- and kill if necessary -- all the "bad guys."
The "push" for Brad Pitt here materialized when it was clear what a great character he had to play in this movie. That's from QT's writing. The producers even played it right by pushing Brad for Best Supporting Actor and Leo for Best Actor. A good agreement -- Leo had a good role, too, but no chance at Oscar. Brad, did.
Superstar Pitt here joined Sean Connery, Michael Caine and George Clooney in winning the Best Supporting Actor when he was considered a leading man. Used to be the Best Supporting Actor award went to character guys -- Supporting Actors by trade (Edmond O'Brien, Ed Begley, Sr., Martin Balsam.)
Watching it again recently, I could not disagree more. Brad Pitt seemed natural in his character, DiCaprio seemed like a guy trying to win an Oscar in these days when those type of awards don't mean anything anymore. It doesn't work.
I understand the old-school Hollywood has-been dynamic and I see what Tarantino was going for. I just think perhaps there was a better actor out there to portray him.