I thought Brad Pitt was great in “13 Monkeys”. His crazy scene/monologue was brilliant and looks like it was filmed as one take, not clipped. If so, he really learned some very hard lines, moves, and looks.
DeNiro is also very good, and I must admit that Sean Penn can act - actually he is quite versatile (and leftist crazy).
Still think Julia Roberts is very pretty and sassy. Not bad as Erin Brockevich.
Halle Barry just looks good no matter what role she is playing. Sometimes it is nice to see a woman look like a woman and not a man-imitator.
We’ve seen a number of films by the actors/actresses you’ve mentioned, including the films you’ve mentioned.
Pitts best, and only, performance worth mentioning are his roles in Fight Club and Snatch.
DeNiro plays DeNiro. Was it a stretch for Penn in I Am Sam? One dimensional characters-all.