Brad Pitt: 5 More Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Jackie - Killing Them Softly

Brad Pitt had previously worked with the director of Killing Them Softly on Andrew Dominik's previous feature, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, delivering a quite, introspective and enigmatic performance which justly earned it a place in the previous overview of his roles here at WhatCulture. For Killing Them Softly Dominik and Pitt's collaboration continues the study of violent men, this time in the context of organized crime after the collapse of the economy in 2008. Pitt stars as Jackie Cogan, a hitman with a tendency to kill his victims unexpectedly so as not to give them time for fear or despair. Here is Pitt acting with restraint, utlising his effortless cool charisma to underscore a man whose emotions by necessity have to remain in check. While Killing Them Softly doesn't achieve the same status of masterpiece as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Dominik's stylish direction and additional great performances on top of Pitt's contribution make it an effective, powerful crime thriller.