Guy Pearce is particularly good at playing men who make other people uncomfortable. We rate the care he takes over their behaviour, from the casual insults in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to the alarming generosity of The Brutalist.
Fi1m perspective
In The Brutalist (2024), Guy Pearce's Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr calls an architect a genius at dinner parties, and it ought to be reassuring. Pearce makes the patron loud, generous and quick to cry, so there is plenty for Adrien Brody's László to mistake for kindness. We were frightened for everyone at his table because each fresh display of generosity made him seem more dangerous. Brody lets hope show on a face accustomed to humiliation, and Pearce gives him good reason to hope. The discomfort comes from watching the two performances together.
That ability to work through other actors was already there in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), his international breakthrough. As Adam, Pearce brings an eager, needling energy to the bickering, with Hugo Weaving keeping the feeling credible and Terence Stamp giving the quieter moments weight. The insults are funniest when they sound habitual, delivered without waiting to be admired. Director Stephan Elliott sometimes gives them lines too pleased with themselves, and Pearce cannot make every one pass for casual conversation. We recommend the film warmly, but its comedy would be better with less insistence.
L.A. Confidential (1997) followed, then the memory-loss lead in Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000). He went on to alternate Hollywood supporting parts with Australian films such as The Proposition (2005) and The Rover (2014). We see little reason to treat a supporting part as a lesser use of him. The scenes with Brody give Pearce plenty to do without requiring him to carry the whole film.
Corbet gets particularly good work from Pearce, but The Brutalist loses its way in the second half, and the performance does not excuse that. We would also be reluctant to let the menace of Van Buren obscure the comic skill of Adam. The throwaway delivery in Elliott's film takes care, even when the lines are too laboured. Start with Priscilla for the pleasure of its three performers together; save The Brutalist for an evening when the company can be less agreeable.
Biography
Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, he was raised in Geelong, Australia. He began his career with a four-year role as Mike Young in the Australian soap opera Neighbours (1986–1989).
Pearce gained international recognition for his performance in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). He subsequently appeared in L.A. Confidential (1997), Memento (2000), The Hurt Locker (2008), The King's Speech (2010), Lawless (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013) and Alien: Covenant (2017). He played Peter Weyland in Prometheus (2012) and Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr in The Brutalist (2024). For the latter he received nominations for the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
On television, Pearce has played the title role in the Jack Irish adaptations (2012–2021) and appeared in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, and Mare of Easttown (2021).
