Hollywood rife with rumours that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have split
Monday, 25 January 2010
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The Jolie-Pitt split reports haven't been confirmed — but, tellingly, so far it hasn't been denied.
After five years and as many children, reports say Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are to split. Somehow it's the news we've all been waiting for. Because we have all been waiting — haven't we? Perhaps it was the way they got together, breaking another celeb heart, perhaps it was Angelina's volatile history, perhaps it was the frenetic way they acquired children — or perhaps it was just the whole crazy circus of it. But the thing had to end, didn't it?
With the Jolie-Pitt merger came the creation of a brand: ‘Brangelina’, we call it. The pair met on the set of the film Mr & Mrs Smith when Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, a woman who was, fascinatingly, the polar opposite of Angelina. Aniston was the star of Friends; Hollywood's kooky sweetheart. She was cheerful, straightforward and girl-next-door pretty. Angelina, on the other hand, was sultry, dangerous and as beautiful as a rare snake.
Here was a story, then. A story so gripping that, unfortunately, it eclipsed any of the films the couple subsequently appeared in. There was the fact that Aniston's heart was so publicly broken. And that, when the film came out, we could all go and watch Pitt and Jolie falling in love on the big screen. Add to this Angelina's history...
She is the estranged daughter of cool, hard-man actor Jon Voight. She had a dark side she chose to promote; talking about drug use and cutting herself in her teenage years. Her father even accused her publicly of having “mental problems”. Next came a tempestuous relationship with Billy Bob Thornton.
Even the film Brad and Angelina met on was wonderfully significant. In Mr & Mrs Smith they played a married couple who were assassins and who beat each other up in a misjudged parody of domestic violence. The film was awful but the chemistry between Pitt and Jolie was obvious. You got the feeling that Pitt had tried to be a good boy with Aniston, but he wasn't quite ready to grow up.
How ironic, then, that what Jolie actually turned out to be was Mom to the power of ten. The dangerous beauty led Pitt to a life of exaggerated domesticity, adopting and reproducing to end up with six children.
Pitt's career has been pretty much in the pits ever since. Jolie, arguably, has never made a good film, but Pitt had glory days in the 90s before his love life got to him. That's when he made Thelma and Louise, A River Runs Through It, Seven and Fight Club. The Noughties saw nothing to rival that list.
There's a moment in an actor's life — if he's not careful — when he, not the acting, becomes the story. Then he becomes the kind of actor who plays himself in cameos. And, sadly, I don't think Pitt in any way intended any of this. I don't think he sought to raise his profile by pairing with Jolie. I don't think he thought he'd check out of the acting game and make easy money selling his life to celebrity magazines. No — in many ways, this was injudicious love. Pitt was foolishly, lustfully, excitingly in love with the beautiful Angelina — and we all sensed a tragic Romeo and Juliet element to the story.
So there was a kind of inevitability to this unhappy ending. And yet we must also pause to rue the passing of Brangelina because this might possibly be the last great Hollywood relationship. The big-money movies star only their special effects (Avatar) and the smaller films that make it big tend to feature unknowns (Precious). There are no vehicles for the stars these days and if we don't have stars, then we're not going to have Hollywood glamour couples with conjoined names. And wasn't Brangelina by far the best when it came to conjoining?
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Give Angelina a break. At least she should get accolades for having a compassionate and generous heart to adopt and give those poor babies a better life! The good work samaritan work she has been doing and inducting Brad to such charitable causes deserves our respect. Shows that she is not one of those Hollywood stars who are so full of themselves. At least she is down to earth. Everyone has their past, nobody's perfect. What has Jennifer done since her split with Brad but jumping from one co-star's bed to another. Yes, pathetic. She has been talking about adopting...well...it hasn't happened bec it will interfere with her partying!!
Posted by JJArmani | 26.01.10, 01:49 GMT
Good grief, what a lot of trifle by Amy Jenkins. Referring to Angelina as Brad's "eye candy" rather than his significant other is another in a long line of double standards. Isn't he "eye candy" too? And to say that Angelina has not made a good film is ludicrous.
Posted by EDC | 25.01.10, 23:17 GMT
I think it's funny how everyone loves to say she stole another woman's husband. Here's a surpise he looked very willing to me. I didn't think he looked forced. Don't blame just her! Also another heads up. He really didn't make any great movies while he was with Aniston either. Than let's talk about Aniston. What movie has she been in that hasn't bombed? Everyone keeps feeling sorry for her and I mainly think it's because she is so patheic. Marley & me well everyone seen that for the dog! She is only known for a sitcom. She is B list and will most likely stay that way for a long time! When there is a power couple they have to be at the same level of power so one isn't jealous of the other... Brad knew she was pulling him down and bailed! With angie he made Babel(which won how many awards?) and The courious case of Benjamin button(3 oscars?) Yea Brad Pitt is really in the pitts right?
Posted by Shannon | 25.01.10, 21:36 GMT
'Tell me why are they both on the front of the "Belfast Telegraph"!!!!!
Posted by lilypink | 25.01.10, 21:08 GMT
Ms. Jenkins is obviously "Team Jennifer"!
Posted by Michelle | 25.01.10, 19:41 GMT
Nice example for the kids they adopted. This relationship was always doomed. 99% of major celebrity ones are. I cant be the only one to notice this can I? Surely the celebs know things are doomed to failure??? On the adoption forms, if the prospective parents fill in 'movie star/celebrity' under occupation, the adoption should be declined. Better for the kids.
Posted by DM | 25.01.10, 19:04 GMT
I had no respect for Angelina to begin with, however I was shocked at Brad Pitts behavior when he humiliated his wife Jennifer Anniston with that sleeze. In my opinion, he might as well have had her, everyone else has. I hope Jennifer leaves Pitt in the gutter he wallowed in with Jolie, that's where he belongs and what he deserves
Posted by M L W | 25.01.10, 18:41 GMT
It was just a matter of time before she "chewed him up and spit him out." What in the world was he thinking? Oh, that's right, he wasn't! What a total fool!
I just hope Jen isn't foolish enough to take him back. He's not good enough to be with her! She deserves better!
Posted by Cody | 25.01.10, 18:40 GMT
What goes around, comes around. Professionally, Angie does have the talent for Oscars and Golden Globe awards. Pitt on the other hand does not possess that kind of screen talent. He will never receive an Oscar or a Golden Globe. With the breakup, I feel for the childeen
Posted by SawItComing | 25.01.10, 18:25 GMT
Nominated 3 times for best supporting actor in Babel, Best actor for the assasination of jesse james at the venice film festival, Best supporting actor for Burn after reading... the list is endless. Not to mention producer for Troy, The Departed, A mighty heart, The time travellers wife.. So I wouldn't exactly say his career has been the pits!
Posted by MEL | 25.01.10, 16:55 GMT
It seems like Ms Jenkins is a bit out of touch when it comes to cinema. Brad Pitt's big screen escapades in the noughties are among his finest. To call that a career "in the pits" shows a disturbing lack of expertise on the topic.
Posted by Barry | 25.01.10, 15:53 GMT
Bettsie - er...I think you'll find they didn't "have" all those children - quite a few of them are adopted. And as for your remarks regarding their looks/ acting ability, I reckon there's a bit of the green-eyed monster in you. Failed the X-Factor audition, did you?
Posted by Gerry | 25.01.10, 14:47 GMT
Ermmm...not to sure I agree with the demise of Brad Pitts film since he met Anjelina. 'Inglorious Basterds' and The Assassination of Jesse James', in my opinion, 2 of his best performances throughout his career.
Posted by Carlos | 25.01.10, 14:21 GMT
Who Cares!!!
Posted by Me | 25.01.10, 14:09 GMT
Well, she did take the husband of another woman. From experience, I personally have never known of any couple, who get together under those circumstances, who go on to lead a long and happy life together. Something to do with karma!
Posted by Ivy Crowe | 25.01.10, 14:05 GMT
"Pitt's career has been pretty much in the pits ever since. Jolie, arguably, has never made a good film"
Inglorious Basterds, Burn After Reading, Babel. I don't particularly see where Pitt's career has hit the pits. Possible future films: World War Z, a Steve McQueen biopic. I don't see how it will be.
Changeling, Girl Interrupted, Wanted, The Good Shepherd. Angelina hasn't made a good film? And she has Salt coming out pretty soon?
Gutter journalism. Trash that should be relegated to the 50p gossip mags.
Posted by Ulysses32 | 25.01.10, 13:57 GMT
Oh no! what will we do....zzzzzzzz....(sigh)
Posted by Regina Fillangee | 25.01.10, 13:45 GMT
Makeup will only do so much for Jolie and Brad can't act neither can Jolie. Why did they have all these children. Don't they know nothing is forever.
Posted by Bettsie | 25.01.10, 13:39 GMT