New pictures with “Die Hard” we will not see – the actor ended his career due to illness.
In March this year it became known that Bruce Willis ends his acting career at the age of 67 years. The reason – aphasia – a disorder affecting the ability to speak, write and understand speech. Mass viewer Bruce Willis will be remembered primarily as “Die Hard” John McClane. However, in his biography there are also atypical roles. We tell you about the movies where Willis goes beyond the role of an indestructible policeman and proves that he can be a shy cop, a lost victim and even a soft underdog.
Kingdom of the Full Moon” (2012)
Habitual role of a policeman for Willis and long-playing vocation of the servant of the law is broken by the unusual tenderness of the character. “Die Hard” here clamped, a little awkward, shy, but infectiously cute. Such a role was not often seen in his career: a charming hero without a pronounced masculinity. For this role, he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award as best supporting actor (which is a rarity for an actor who has been awarded the Golden Raspberry more than once).
“The Nine Yards” (2000)
A cheerful and positive movie about good neighborly relations. Dentist Nicholas Ozeransky led a quiet and measured life. But acquaintance with a new neighbor Jimmy Tulip put an end to it once and for all. Tulip was a professional killer and stole ten million dollars from his boss. And Nicholas’ wife Sophie decided to turn Jimmy in to his former boss. This role is as if created for Willis: ironic, sly, radiating charisma hitman, who reflects on life with eloquent quotes.
“Death to her face” (1992)
Black comedy with a star cast and an original plot. Plastic surgeon played by Bruce Willis – smudge and soft underdog, which again breaks out of the usual associations about the actor. In the movie the other characters are mostly soloists, but not to get lost against the background of such an ensemble of actors is expensive worth – Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Isabella Rossellini harmonize with Willis. By the way, the movie won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, beating out “Alien 3” and “Batman Returns.”
“12 Monkeys” (1995)
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One of the most important pictures of the 1990s, a philosophical dystopia about the paradoxes of time and a dystopian future. In addition to Willis in the movie brightly showed himself Brad Pitt. Director Terry Gilliam gave Willis a list of typical acting clichés, which he had to give up during the filming of the movie, it included and “steely blue-eyed look” – Bruce’s calling card. Willis here again in the atypical image of a withdrawn and lost man – the victim. It is worth noting the importance of the entourage and atmosphere, creating an original manner of narration, which further helps to immerse yourself in what is happening on the screen.
“Slevin’s Lucky Number” (2005)
Bright crime thriller, where there is not so much Willis, but without his charisma, the movie might not have become a cult. It is noticeable that the authors were visibly inspired by the coloring of Quentino Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Willis here is blatantly calm and reasonable. In the hero Willis with the pseudonym Smith and the last name Gudkat (“My Name is Gudkat”) guesses another nameless hero of westerns, which similarly solved all problems.
“Unbreakable” (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero drama. In many ways, it is an underrated picture that was ahead of its time but was not a big box office success. The movie turned out to be highly controversial, and in it the director tried to deconstruct superheroics as a genre, which he succeeded in doing. However, over time, “Unbreakable” earned cult status, and Shyamalan directed the spin-off “Split”, where Willis has a small cameo surprise, and then the crossover “Glass”. In “Unbreakable” Bruce Willis is self-sufficiently silent and mysterious, it is difficult to see a superhero in him, but the movie is worth watching for the sake of the ending – it will put everything in its place.
“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
So much has been written about this movie that it may not be worth talking about. But Willis for this role, of course, deserves a special mention. Bruce plays an athlete named Butch (“the name does not mean shit”), who at the last moment disrupts the contractual fight, than incurs the wrath of a powerful gangster.
At the time of filming only Willis could boast star status, but shooting in a modest and independent “Reading” was a great success for the creators, and favorably affected the career of Willis himself. He managed not only to demonstrate his acting range, but also to earn millions of dollars thanks to the interest from the fees.
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