Best Supporting Actor 2019: Brad Pitt in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Brad Pitt won his first acting Oscar from fourth acting Oscar nomination for portraying Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Brad Pitt returns to working with Quentin Tarantino, as one of the co-leads here through the misadventures of fading star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman Cliff Booth in 1969 Hollywood. Quite clearly co-lead in my mind as the film jumps back and forth between, Rick, Cliff and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in just about equal measure. The difference between Rick and Cliff to Sharon, is the first two have dialogue. Cliff though is as important to the story, and it is just as much his. This goes to sort of an old rule though where the more servile the character the more supporting they are even when that doesn't make sense. So anyway, he's lead, but with that out of the way, how about Pitt's performance. Well initially I will say I had some concerns regarding Pitt in this role, as despite very much being always positioned as the movie star, Pitt usually has thrived most when working with a complex or flamboyant character. Cliff isn't that complex, not that this is a criticism, and strangely enough is more so the movie star role than what DiCaprio has in Rick Dalton. This is in that in the first two thirds of the film, the character of Cliff is dependent on really Pitt's star presence more than anything, as he's mostly a character built around just the idea of cool, though if you break him down he technically isn't all that. Pitt's performance though takes this approach, which essentially emphasizes the idea that Cliff, unlike the very worrisome Rick, has no major concerns just happy for the ride as Rick's sometime stuntman and more often driver and general handyman.

So Pitt for much of the run time, he needs to coast on his star charisma, mostly, something he really hasn't successfully done before this point. Well this thankfully is a change of pace for that. Well firstly this approach works in creating the sense of Booth's place as just there for the ride, and acts as a straight man for the more emotional Rick. Of course none of this would work, if Pitt didn't deliver on the charisma, which he does this time around. Although DiCaprio is the one filling in literally for Steve McQueen in the film, Pitt is the one evoking that sort of swagger in his approach to Cliff. This approach that works, because well Pitt is cool here. He pulls it off having that ease, but more than anything earning that ease. He's got the swagger down, in being someone who one could easily argue has a massive ego, yet does not hate him for whatever reason. This as there is just this style and manner that Pitt manages to achieve that creates that classic sort of cool with the character. This isn't to say Pitt pulls this off just by acting like he barely cares, although that is definitely part of it, and that in itself isn't some slight thing, that takes some skill. A skill that Pitt was always set up for but did not achieve until this point, I'd say, which is a point for celebration, I suppose. Take his early scenes where we see Pitt project a man who knows exactly who he is and what he does, no matter what others view on that. Pitt is entertaining in realizing this even as he faces down Bruce Lee with a certain disregard for the legend. Pitt so owns this manner, that as he's even being a jerk with even mocking Lee's battle cry, you still like him.

It is technically easier to like him though as we see Cliff go about investigating the Spahn ranch and running afoul with some cultists. Here where Pitt makes you classically root for him in his disregarding delivery towards each of them, and just the assured glances as he remain unimpressed by all of them while trying to figure out what is going on exactly. It is even quite fun as he punches down one of the cultists who pops his tire, through the effortless confidence that Pitt projects when he quietly demands the cultist change the tire for him. Pitt owns the screen quite simply in that way that always seem intended for him, and is wholly realized here, now as that "old looking stuntman". I suppose though an addition reason why it may be so easy to take to Pitt as Cliff, in his major scenes he shares with DiCaprio, which there isn't an overabundance of, but the ones they do have are special. This as the two stars, create an old school star duo here worthy of comparison to say a Newman/Redford. This in part as Pitt plays that straight well in his "don't worry about" expression against Rick's very emotional reaction to just about everything in his career. It helps though also in the real sense of friendship that is granted between the two. This realized in Pitt's always earnest supportive demeanor he brings within Cliff towards Rick. Whether this be just some quick urging about how Italian films aren't that bad, or reminded Rick that he is indeed "Rick fuckin' Dalton" and not to forget this, Pitt brings a real proper support of a true best bud. This just is as this implied concern and warmth, again in his overall ease and chill man that is Cliff Booth.

There isn't a change for Cliff Booth for much of the film, as he keeps that easy going style which again Pitt makes watchable, I mean even his portrayal of preparing dog food and mac and cheese somehow is not nearly as banal as it should be when he's doing it, although having a trusty dog side kick never hurts things. The major shift for Cliff comes only in the last act, only because one he is called upon to inflict a bit more fundamental damage against some violent hippies, where a trusty dog side kick never hurts things. We also get a change simply because he smokes an acid laced cigarette. This gives Pitt a chance show off with what he perhaps best at, a bit of broad comedy. This as Pitt's portrayal of Cliff's reaction to the drug is rather hilarious as he waves in great interest at his own hand, and his chill demeanor is reduced to an even greater level of smiling at the world. This results in perhaps not ideal, or perhaps ideal, circumstances when the murderous hippies come calling, that he had previously run into at Spahn ranch. Pitt is comic gold in its initial befuddled reaction at them, that is wonderful as he combines it with a confusion of both substance use and genuinely at the people. He's great then in the way he so casually, and dismissively recalls "yeah Spahn" ranch noting each in a somewhat demeaning way. This particularly true in his manner towards the male hippie of having earlier met him while was riding a "horsie" and that his name was something a lot dumber than the "devil" as the cultist claims. Pitt's comedic timing is dynamite, and makes the most out of every line, he's a genuine riot before Cliff goes about dispatching of the hippie's with extreme prejudice. The one moment there that needs definite mention in the carnage is Pitt's reaction as Cliff finds himself stabbed with just casual "hmm" that is great. The scene is set for Pitt to run with, and he does. That is the highlight of what here is just a very entertaining performance by Brad Pitt. The character is pretty to the point, and Pitt is to the point in this turn. This in delivering wholly on the promise of Brad Pitt the movie star, though while also bringing out a healthy dose of that comedy that helped to keep him in the good graces of many.