Pitt kills them softly with news that Angelina is not in Cannes

BRAD PITT walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival last night before the premiere of his new film Killing Them Softly.

Directed by Andrew Dominik, whose The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford also featured the star, the picture is a crime thriller concerning the chaotic aftermath of a heist. Pitt, who also produced, plays a class of philosophical assassin.

At a press conference earlier that day, Pitt mused upon the film’s political subtexts and its many outbreaks of violence. But he must have known that there would be inquiries about his fiancée Angelina Jolie.

“She’s not here. She’s prepping a movie,” he explained.

Over the sighs of disappointment, another journalist wondered about rumours concerning the couple’s wedding date. “We have no date. We really, truly have no date,” he said. “Those were just rumours. I am still hoping we figure out marriage equality in the States before that date.”

Following that reference to gay marriage, Pitt went on to ponder the film’s reflections on the state of American society. Killing Them Softly begins with an optimistic campaign speech from Barack Obama played over scenes of urban deprivation.

“I was there that night in Chicago when Obama won,” he says. “It was an amazing night. People were out on the streets. They were connected and jubilant.

“I don’t see the section that’s chosen as a statement of failure. It’s a real expression of hope. It talks to our toxic divide where it’s more about the party winning the argument than about the issues themselves.”

Pitt confirmed that he leaned to the left, but also made it clear that he is no communist. “Capitalism unchecked can run amuck. But I’m a capitalist,” he said. “It is corruptible – whether it’s human nature or it’s a choice. We just need much stronger regulation.”

The usual host of stars have been pounding the rainy pavements at the festival this year. But the focus of the event remains the main competition.

There have been strong notices for films such as Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond the Hills, a gruelling drama set in a Romanian convent, and Rust and Bone, the latest from Jacques Audiard. But the runaway favourite for the Palme d’Or remains Michael Haneke’s harrowing Amour.

The Austrian director’s picture stars Emmanuelle Riva as a woman dying slowly and angrily from a stroke. Hardened critics shed tears at the press screening.