The Washington Monthly

May 8, 2004

TROY....When I first saw the ads for Troy, I was appalled: pretty boy Brad Pitt as Achilles? Give me a break. It seemed like just another sign of the impending breakdown of Western civilization.

Then last night I saw the ad again and started thinking about Achilles a bit more. And suddenly it made sense. As Charles McGrath puts it:

Achilles, sulking in his tent, is less an angry warrior than an insulted star waiting out a contract dispute.

That's right, isn't it? I mean, that's really right. That's who Achilles was. So Brad Pitt is actually the perfect matinee idol to play him.

My fingers really didn't want to type that sentence, though. Has Achilles at last been cast perfectly? Or have I drunk a little too much Hollywood Kool-Aid?

—Kevin Drum 8:45 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (0)

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