Great Actor/Director Collaborations #1 David Fincher and Brad Pitt

Lying awake last night and thinking about all the things I'd like to blog about and worrying that I Love That Film has no running features, I kept thinking about all the great actor/director collaborations there have been in cinematic history. I say history, but actually I was thinking mostly about modern ones. So hopefully this is going to turn into a semi-regular feature.

My thoughts immediately turned to David Fincher and Brad Pitt who have made three films together: Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.


"They're like brothers - opposite in the way they act, but they understand each other the way families do." Taraji Henson (Bowles, 2008)

Brad Pitt gained international recognition as a sex symbol for his supporting role in Thelma and Louise in 1991. Pitt went on to secure his reputation as a handsome leading man with larger parts in A River Runs Through It and Legends of the Fall.  However his appetite for edgier roles was clear from his early work as a psychopath in Kalifornia, and his cameo in True Romance as a couch potato stoner.


On the other hand, David Fincher began his directing career in commercials and music videos. He moved on to feature films with an extremely brave debut- directing the third film in the Alien franchise. Afterwards, Fincher continued on his course of dark, challenging films by choosing to direct a disturbing serial killer film.  Pitt was on the look out for new, darker material; a film that would subvert what audiences were expecting from a Hollywood movie ‘starring Brad Pitt’

Seven (1995)

Brad Pitt plays a young, cocky and short-fused detective, David Mills.  He is newly transferred to a crime-infested, permanently rain-soaked, unidentified city to be partnered with Morgan Freeman’s older, wiser detective, William Somerset. After reading the script and being offered the part, Pitt ‘immediately signed on, with one caveat: The studio could not change the film's final scene… “They tried all kinds of things to change our minds," Pitt says. "We wouldn't budge. David isn't afraid to use an ending that works, even if it isn't the one you want’ (Bowles,2008).  This created a bond between actor and director.  

Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club is the story of an unnamed protagonist (Edward Norton) who creates an alter-ego for himself.  This imaginary friend is Tyler Durden and is played by Brad Pitt with a shaved head and part of his teeth missing.  In Tyler’s own words, he is “All the ways you wish you could be… I look like you wanna look, I fuck like you wanna fuck, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not.”  Producer Art Linson said studio executives expected “Seven in another costume” (Swallow, 2003, p.121) but got something quite different.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the life story of the titular character played by Pitt.  Born with the appearance of an old man and looking younger and younger as he grows older, it is argued that ‘both director and star would have to wade into unfamiliar waters. Pitt would have to get ugly, Fincher happy’ (Bowles, 2008).  

Will there be more collaborations? 


‘Paramount Pictures has acquired graphic novel "The Killer" and will develop it as a directing vehicle for David Fincher… produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment and Alexandra Milchan’ (Fleming, 2007).  This was reported some time ago and has yet to come to fruition.  However, there is also Fertig; ‘based on the biography of middle-aged American civil engineer-turned-World War II guerrilla fighter Wendell Fertig who with a small team of Americans refused under orders to surrender and led thousands of Filipinos in a seemingly hopeless war against the Japanese.’ (Holmes, 2008)  Fincher believes Pitt would be perfect and would sign up for the project when the script is right. 

What is your favourite collaboration of Fincher and Pitt? Seven and Fight Club are, to me, the pinnacles of both Fincher and Pitt's careers to date.

Parts of this post were already printed in an article in Media Magazine back in April 2011. 

Next up in this feature: Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese

I Love That Blog Post #5

 This week I have mostly been reading....

After weeks of chastising the modern cinema experience, Scott celebrates going to the movies http://www.frontroomcinema.com/midweek-mumble-20-things-i-love-about-going-to-the-cinema/

 Cinematic Corner keeps sharing the goodies on Prometheus… this time a very interesting short featurette http://cinematiccorner.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/god-does-not-build-in-straight-lines.html

Movies on my Mind has a fascinating piece on slavesploitation and where Django Unchained fits in with this forgotten sub-genre http://movies-on-my-mind.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/slavesploitation-genre-that-shocked.html

Another one from Cinematic Corner- a great comparison of the visuals in Black Swan and Shame http://cinematiccorner.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/visual-parallels-black-swan-shame.html

Counting down the best Bruce Wayne’s with Top 10 Films http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/11916

A great rant from City Lights questioning if Jaws will still be considered a classic in 20 years 

http://lauragrandefilm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/movie-rant-20-years-from-now-will-jaws.html

The Ten Best Actors Relay race goes on and on and this latest addition from Flickers includes an excellent choice!  http://theflickersblog.com/2012/05/15/the-ten-best-actors-of-all-time-relay/

If you haven't already read these, check them out!

The Ten Best Actors of All Time: Relay Race

The baton has been passed.  Thanks to Scott from Front Room Cinema, it is my turn to add and replace an actor on the list that has been doing the rounds since it was started by Nostra at My Filmviews.  Check here for The Focused Filmographer's update who then passed it to Scott and now here we are!  What silly decision am I going to make?  Read on to find out!  Here's the deal:

"So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the best actors. At the end of the post I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. This blogger will have to remove one actor (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. The idea is to make this a long race, so that enough bloggers get a chance to remove and add an actor. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors"

So here's the list and who I've added and replaced is at the bottom!  Long may this series continue!

Here we go…

Robert De Niro

Although he may not have had any roles that stood out in the last couple of years, he has proven what an amazing actor he is. Just think of his roles in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Godfather: Part II, Goodfellas, The Untouchables, Heat and Cape Fear.

Daniel Day Lewis

Although he might not have appeared in as many movies as some of the other actors in this list he makes up for it in the amazing performances he gives. He really disappears in his roles. Some of his best work includes My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, In the Name of the Father and Last of the Mohicans.

Charlie Chaplin

Now this might not be someone you’d immediately think of, but when it comes to comedy and silent movies he was perfect, funny and knew exactly how to make his audience care about the character he played. Some of his best work can be enjoyed in The Kid, City Lights, The Great Dictator and Modern Times.

Gary Oldman

He has proven that he is a true chameleon, with a very distinct look in every movie he appears in. His acting is always a joy to watch. Some of his best known work is that in the Harry Potter series, Leon, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the latest Batman movies and Dracula.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

He started acting in 1991 and really has had a very versatile career appearing in movies that are loved in art houses, but in mainstream movies as well. His movies include The Ides of March, Synecdoche, New York, Charlie Wilson’s War, Capote and Magnolia.

Marlon Brando

Now I must admit that I haven’t seen many of his movies, but he was stunning in his most famous role in The Godfather, but also roles in Apocalypse Now, On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire he wowed audiences.

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall has had an amazing career as well. I don’t know much about his early work, but I always enjoy to see him on the screen. His characters always are injected with something that grounds them into reality. He appeared in movies like Get Low, The Godfather, Colors, Apocalypse Now and THX1138.

Christian Bale

With quite the diverse range in roles, Oscar-winner Christian Bale goes to great lengths for many of his roles. From losing weight to almost unhealthy standards twice (The Machinist, The Fighter) to taking dance and martial arts lessons for 10 weeks for Newsies (a film which he dislikes), Bale consistently goes to incredible lengths to bring a role to life. Other examples of his great work include: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Empire of the Sun, Equilibrium, and 3:10 to Yuma.

Paul Giamatti

This is a guy who can do anything. He is the everyman of actors. From insane villains to hen-pecked husbands on the brink of depression. He has great comedic timing as well as some fantastic dramatic chops. From Win Win to Barney’s Version to Ides of March (which he owned) to Sideways. I could watch this guy paint walls and still be enthralled.

My Choice

Edward Norton

The star of one of the greatest films of all time; David Fincher's Fight Club.  He has made a career out of playing characters with two sides to their personalities.  From an 'innocent' abused choirboy with a dark side in Primal Fear right up to his turn as The Incredible Hulk, Norton does Dr Jekyll and Mr Nutcase Hyde better than anybody!  American History X and Fight Club are the standout performances of his career and though he might not have a huge filmography, his casting with Brando and De Niro in The Score was a significant baton-passing to the best actor of a new generation.

Who I Replaced

Samuel L Jackson

He may well be one of the hardest working actors around, with 139 roles to his name, but I really don't think he stretches himself too much. Yes I loved him in Pulp Fiction but other than that I can't think of a role where I'd say 'damn that Samuel L. Mother Humping Jackson is a fine actor!'

I'm terribly sorry to get rid of the only black guy on the list and then replace him with a guy who played a neo-nazi.  I promise there is no hidden agenda here!  I just hope somebody puts a Poitier or Freeman or Washington on this list soon so I can relieve some sense of guilt! 

 So, to who do I bestow the baton?  I think I'm going to go with Ruth from FlixChatter.  Let's see which actor she will replace and who will be added in the next lap of this relay!  Good luck Ruth!