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Image courtesy: Reuters
In an exclusive interview with iDiva.com, Brad Pitt talks about his new role, his family and his experiences of India.
What made you sign this movie via text message?
1254 Andrew and I are good mates and have known each other for a while now. I was more than happy to oblige when he asked me to do Killing Them Softly and yes, Andrew explained the basic idea of the movie over a text.
How did you connect with your character Jackie Cogan?
1254 I believe George V. Higgins was a fantastic writer for his time. I was so spellbound after watching The Friends of Eddy Coyle that I ordered 10 novels written by him and Cogan's Trade was the third that I received by mail. The moment I lay my hands on the book and started reading it, I instantly realised that it needed cinematic treatment: great characters, great dialogue and a very simple plot. I had originally imagined the film as a drama but as I got into it, it struck me that this was a story of an economic crisis; a crisis in a criminal economy supported by gambling, and the problem was caused by a failure to regulate. I've always felt that crime drama is essentially about capitalism, since they show the capitalist idea functioning in its most base form. This is exactly what the situation was in 2008 post the recession and hence I decided to take an old plot and link it to one of the most recent economic events that manifested the lack of governance and control.
What was it like working with Andrew Dominik again?
1254 Andrew has become a great friend of mine and The Assassination of Jesse James remains one of my personal favourites. I thought it was one of the best movies Andrew has made till date. I am fortunate that he chose me to play the principal character of the infamous gang leader. It will always be a special film as I won the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival for playing the legendary outlaw. We developed a strong bond since that film. For Killing Them Softly, he just had to lay out the story and we were done. I was hooked. This is our second gangster outing but this one is set against a political backdrop.
You have not done a light-hearted movie in ages. Don't you feel like doing a light movie or a romantic comedy?
1254 It's not like I am against romantic films or doing anything light-hearted. But I am at a stage where I like bringing some kind of profundity to my role. If I get that in a romantic or comedy film, I will take it up.
What are your wedding plans?
1254 (Laughs) No plans yet. Other than, we're gonna do it.
Have you seen any Indian movies lately?
1254 The last Bollywood movie I watched was 3 Idiots that featured Aamir Khan in it. It was impressive!
Do you have any plans to come to India again? What did you like/ dislike about your last trip to our country?
1254 On my last visit, I got to see a lot of India. There is no place like it. It’s so diverse – both the south and the north – that one cannot get to see all of it in a couple of weeks. But I found Varanasi absolutely staggering. I have never seen anything like it before. The city just spills into the River Ganges. It’s really, really extraordinary.
You are one of the busiest and most popular actors in the world. So what do you do when you get time to spare?
1254 Of course I stay busy but whenever I get time I thoroughly dedicate myself to my children because their happiness means a lot to me.
Are you a strict father?
1254 It's not about being a strict father but yes, sometimes you have to be firm just to make the young ones make the right choices and know the difference between good and bad.
How do you and Angelina Jolie make time for each other and for your family?
1254 We always make sure that our family and kids are our main priority. Our happiest moments are probably in the evening before the kids go to bed. We often play together in our pyjamas after dinner and it's like having a party sometimes where we're all dancing and jumping around and being silly. That's when you really feel the beauty of having a family. It's our little world.
