As if the growth of internet piracy, declining DVD sales and the diminishing returns from 3D movies were not enough to give Hollywood studio bosses sleepless nights, the film industry was hit with another bombshell last week. News that the actor and regular contender for the world's most attractive man, Brad Pitt, 47, is planning early retirement could be enough to clear multiplexes of the female sex entirely.
Well, maybe not quite, but the Fight Club star's admission that he plans to step away from the limelight when he turns 50 has already been met with dismay by fans. During an interview with the Australian television programme 60 Minutes to promote his Oscar-tipped film Moneyball, Pitt was asked how long he planned to continue acting, to which he replied: "Three years."
When asked what he wanted to do after stepping away from the limelight, the star said: "Hell if I know ... I'm really enjoying the productorial side … and getting stories to the plate that may have had a harder time otherwise. I've gotten away with a few things."
Pitt, whose 31 films to date have grossed more than US$2.12 billion (Dh7.78bn), also implied that his family life with the actress Angelina Jolie - they have six children - might be the reason for his decision to quit.
"Their idea is that when they go out beyond the gate - because we have to live behind a gate - there's people standing there in line with cameras that try to take your picture," he said. "Their idea is that everyone has to deal with that, though the older ones are getting more savvy. It's the only thing that I get hot about, that I'm ready to fight about."
Soon after the interview, he clarified his stance during a press conference promoting Moneyball in South Korea: "I wasn't putting an exact deadline on my expiration date [as an actor] but I just see it coming and I do have an interest in the producing side."
Pitt is currently wrapping up filming on the zombie epic World War Z, which he is also producing. According to his IMDB page, the actor has just three other projects in development. They are the 1960s gangster drama Cogan's Trade from the filmmaker Andrew Dominik (with whom he worked on The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), narrating the Terrence Malick documentary Voyage of Time, and starring in 12 Years a Slave, by the British director of Hunger, Steve McQueen.
Pitt's threat of early retirement - at least from acting - may turn out to be little more than a shrewd attempt at persuading Oscar voters finally to hand him an acting gong next year. He has been nominated twice - for 12 Monkeys and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- but never won. But if he goes ahead with the plan, it will be a rare move by a member of the Hollywood elite. While many stars disappear into obscurity, most A-list actors and directors continue working until their final years.
A select few have called it a day early, however. One of Hollywood's first megastars, Greta Garbo, completed her last film at the age of 36. Like Pitt, it was the constant glare of the media spotlight that drove her into self-imposed isolation. Another classic Hollywood dame, Grace Kelly, gave up acting at 27 after completing only 11 films. Far from a life of obscurity, however, she left Hollywood to wed Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.
If Pitt does go, his decision could be likened to that of the classic leading man Cary Grant, who also retired while still a bankable star to raise his first and only child, fathered at the age of 62.
Recent years have seen a handful of the late 20th century's top leading men leave acting behind. Clint Eastwood claimed that his turn in Gran Torino would be his last and that he would concentrate on directing. Meanwhile, Sean Connery bowed out after 2003's woeful action film The League of Extraordinary Gentleman - hardly a swansong befitting the Bond legend. The double Oscar-winner Gene Hackman has not made a film since 2004's comedy flop Welcome to Mooseport. Although all three actors were still in demand when they called it quits, their ages were 78, 73 and 74 respectively - far in advance of Pitt's.
The rarity of other leading men under 70 who have opted to throw in the towel while still capable of earning $10m a movie in Hollywood's history makes Pitt's claim all the more unbelievable.
Inspired by a true story, Moneyball stars Pitt as a baseball manager who introduces a controversial percentage-based system to try to overcome his team's lack of star players. It is expected to open in cinemas across the UAE next month.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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WIDE%20VIEW
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PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BAD%20BOYS%3A%20RIDE%20OR%20DIE
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Inside%20Out%202
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Jawan
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In%20the%20Land%20of%20Saints%20and%20Sinners
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Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000