French novelist Gustav Flaubert once famously said: “Be settled in your life and as ordinary as the bourgeois, in order to be fierce and original in your works.” Seemingly this is something that Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro has applied to both his film career and his wardrobe. The man we know as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein in Casino, Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas, Don Corleone in The Godfather and the retired executive Ben Whittaker in The Intern has spent the past 50 years perfecting an Italianate take on casual tailoring, which has remained remarkably consistent in its low-key and slightly dishevelled elegance.
And sure multiple men have developed a literal uniform over the years. Mark Zuckerberg has his grey Loro Piana T-shirts, Steve Jobs had his roll necks, Bill Nighy is more-often-than-not in his blue suits, or Giorgio Armani and blue T-shirts, all of which can seem monk-like and severe. De Niro’s approach is softer, more chilled and less prescriptive and for that we salute him.
It's also a look that is remarkably easy to pull off and will suit practically anybody. In fact, you’ll probably already own a version of the slouchy jacket and shirt that he can be seen wearing as he left The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week.
Here we present to you every time De Niro perfected his timeless style. The films honored at this year's celebration were 1917, The Farewell, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Knives Out, Little Women, Marriage Story, Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood, and Richard Jewell.On the television side, Chernobyl, The Crown, Fosse/Verdon, Game of Thrones, Pose, Succession, Unbelievable, Veep, Watchmen and When They See Us were lauded. AFI also recognized the cast and creators of Parasite and Amazon's Fleabag with a special award for their work of excellence outside the institute's criteria for American film and television.
"Our unashamed goal for this moment is to free you. To provide an oasis to the junkets and the red carpets and all the stress that comes with selling," said AFI President Bob Gazzale as he welcomed a crowd that included Leonardo DiCaprio Bradley Cooper, Kit Harrington, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the start of the ceremony. "At AFI, we do not sell, we celebrate."Mel Brooks, the 43rd AFI Life Achievement Award recipient, kicked off the awards presentation by sharing a story about his late wife, actress Anne Bancroft, and her participation in the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, which was instrumental in helping her direct her first film, the 1980 comedy Fatso.
"It fills my heart with pride and happiness that AFI was there to do that for her and to actually hear women's voices," said the legendary director-writer-actor.Each year, the AFI Awards is a casual, intimate, non-televised ceremony that attracts the top stars. During the ceremony, AFI presents short clips from the ten movies and ten television programs that the two juries had selected as the best of 2019 last month. With no acceptance speeches, there's more time for guests to mingle.
Brad Pitt got a hug from his Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino and chatted with DiCaprio. Later, he spoke with Laura Dern, met with Game of Thrones creator David Benioff and Fleabag’s Waller-Bridge, and eventually was greeted with a big kiss on the cheek from Robert De Niro, who attended the luncheon with his Irishman director Martin Scorsese and costar Ray Romano.Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos introduced himself to HBO's Succession cast members Kieran Culkin and Brian Cox telling them he enjoyed season 2. He wished Marriage Story star Adam Driver a Happy New Year and asked if he "got a little down time."
Saoirse Ronan sat with her Little Women director, Greta Gerwig, and bumped into Josh O'Connor, who plays Prince Charles in third season of The Crown. The two shared big a laugh during their animated talk, while Joaquin Phoenix and his Joker director, Todd Phillips, were deep in conversation. Closing the event, E.G.O.T. winner Rita Moreno delivered the annual benediction in celebration of all the honorees' achievements. Moreno recalled her own love for the movies, which started early on when she was a child, and inspired by the new generation of filmmakers and actors that are changing the world.
"Three generations ago, we didn't have role models, and today, I am filled with hope and love and excitement because times are definitely changing, and applaud it and I applaud you," said the West Side Story actress. As guests left the ballroom, Clint Eastwood caught up with Sam Rockwell, who was carrying his three large award certificates for his work in Fosse/Verdon, Jojo Rabbit and Eastwood's Richard Jewell. "It's been a great year," Rockwell told Eastwood.