Adrien Brody is anticipated to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his searing performance in “The Brutalist.” If he triumphs, it will be his second statue, after becoming the youngest Best Actor winner more than two decades ago for “The Pianist.”
Between these career bookends, Brody has worked steadily in various roles that show his range as an actor. He is adept at comedy, having appeared in several Wes Anderson films including, “Asteroid City,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The French Dispatch” and “The Darjeeling Limited,” and was amusing as Salvador Dali in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.”
Brody has made some Hollywood genre films, from the horror film “Splice,” to the action movie, “Predators,” and the most recent remake of “King Kong.” On television, Brody has also impressed, earning Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Harry Houdini in the eponymous TV miniseries, and for his guest appearance in the hit series, “Succession.” But Brody, who tends to play sad characters, does some of his best work in a number of the smaller films he has headlined over the years.
Some of his most incisive performances have flown under the radar. These films show how compelling he can be on screen. It is more than just Brody’s wiry, hangdog appearance (that many fans find sexy) that appeals. It is his way of making his characters, who are often morally compromised — if not completely bankrupt — likable. Brody often expresses a world-weary charm about him that makes him pull focus. Here are eight of Brody’s most intriguing and underseen performances.
Brody previously played a trauma-processing war veteran in “The Jacket,” and he likely drew on that experience for this intriguing Australian psychological thriller. Peter (Brody) is a psychiatrist who lost his daughter a year ago, but he soon realizes he may need more help than his patients. After a series of unsettling encounters with a mysterious young woman, Elizabeth Valentine (Chloe Bayliss), Peter returns home to confront a past trauma.
Brody excels at playing haunted characters, and a scene in which he chokes up and cries while trying to say his late daughter’s name underscores just how wounded Peter is. As it becomes clear he is seeing dead people, “Backtrack” reveals why Peter is desperate to clear his conscience and “put things to rest properly.” However, that proves easier said than done, given the involvement of Peter’s father (George Shevtsov), a former cop, and a local officer (Robin McLeavy), who handles Peter’s confession.
While “Backtrack” may be somewhat contrived in its plotting, the jump scares and Brody’s moody performance remain effective.
The gritty character study was a passion project for the actor, who also produced and even composed the music and score. The film allows Brody to go deep and burrow into a character who can fix an Electrolux vacuum with the same dexterity he employs to build a powerful shotgun. Brody’s appearance looks as troubled as Clean is, and yet he is extremely protective of Diandra, who gets in a series of dangerous situations. As the drama kicks into high gear, this modest film lets Brody kick butt.
This film features Brody as Henry Barthes, a substitute teacher who tries to make a difference in and out of the classroom. He ably diffuses disrespectful students with his calm, soft-spoken manner, but he can be quick to anger, too. Henry yells at a staff member at the assisted living facility where he feels his grandfather (Louis Zorich) is not getting adequate care, and he seethes when he discovers a student abusing an animal.
Brody plays Henry’s despondent character as a loner who keeps his emotions bottled up; he tries not to care. When he encounters Erica (Sami Gayle), a teenage sex worker, Henry takes her in and cares for her. Henry also encourages Meredith (Betty Kaye), a student, who may have a serious crush on him. “Detachment” balances these storylines with a critique of the education system that fails students. The film’s concerns remain as cogent today as they did back in 2011.
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Buff and tattooed, Brody gives a full-body performance, conveying his rage when he is unfairly handcuffed, bound and gagged, or confined in isolation. He also shines in the intense scenes where Travis defiantly goes toe-to-toe with the menacing Whitaker. The strength of Brody’s performance here is that he remains inspiring even as he is repeatedly dehumanized.
“The Experiment” is a morality play about how power begets violence. Watching Brody is like seeing a soda can get shaken and then opened, and he is riveting to watch as he swallows his increasing anger before he explodes.
A young Adrien Brody stars in this low-budget and low-key romantic drama as Jack, a charming scoundrel who falls for Claire (Charlotte Ayanna), a college student studying biology. Jack, who sports a snakeskin jacket, earns money by pulling a scam in hotels by posing as a cop and robbing men who engage sex workers. He is also considered a “bad influence” on Claire, but she falls for him and even thinks she can reform him. Their relationship has some sexy moments and there is a cute scene of him interviewing her about winning a Nobel Prize. But Jack breaks Claire’s heart, and later, she breaks his.
Watching Brody torture himself by watching her self-destructive behavior is engrossing because what he lost sinks in, and he feels regret, which may be his first real emotion. Brody’s muscular performance makes Jack both likable and unlikable from scene to scene, and it is impossible to take one’s eyes off him — even if his character is all fire, no heat.
Brody is convincing in these moments, and he gets to play both tender and tough, especially in scenes that crackle, such as Porter and Caroline questioning each other while naked and in bed. But it is the little details, like Porter chewing on Bazooka gum, or him reacting to the ugliness he encounters that shade Brody’s performance. As he becomes more jaded and uncomfortable, Brody’s expressions and body language internalize his pain and make it palpable.
The first third of the film allows Brody to silently express the five stages of grief, but after he manages to escape and starts to crawl through the forest seeking help, he has hope. As his situation becomes more desperate, the Man dreams about being rescued. He also interacts with a dog he encounters. But the reality of things may be very different than what the Man experiences, which creates layers of meaning.
Brody grunts more than he speaks in “Wrecked,” and watching his face — with one eye slightly closed — as he eats an ant, or drags himself through the forest emphasizes his mental and physical pain. Brody shows how the man is resilient which makes the story compelling, but “Wrecked” shows how fearless Brody is as an actor.
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