Brad Pitt received mixed reviews, and many were critical of Pitt's performance. According to Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle", Pitt was unable to "make an audience believe that he knows all the mysteries of death and eternity." Roger Ebert stated "Pitt is a fine actor, but this performance is a miscalculation." In 1999, Pitt portrayed Tyler Durden in "Fight Club", a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, directed by David Fincher. Pitt prepared for the part with lessons in boxing, taekwondo, and grappling. To look the part, Pitt consented to the removal of pieces of his
Payback (1999 film) Payback (1999 film) Payback is a 1999 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut, and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, and David Paymer. It was based on the novel "The Hunter" by Donald E. Westlake using the pseudonym Richard Stark, which had earlier been adapted into the 1967 film noir classic "Point Blank", directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin. In 2006, Helgeland issued a director's cut that differs substantially from the version released by the studio. In a kitchen of an underground abortionist, a former medical doctor puts on