THE LEONARDO DICAPRIO REVIEW

BEST FILMS: The Aviator / Catch Me if You Can Howard Hughes and Frank Abagnale are remarkably similar and fascinating characters. Ingenious, somewhat sociopathic, driven individuals, they both achieved much but seemingly could have achieved much more. DiCaprio brings forth their inner selves, their view of themselves, which is the root of their drive and therefore their characters.

GREAT PERFORMANCES YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN:

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated performance as Johnny Depp’s retarded brother, Arnie)

Marvin’s Room (Meryl Streep’s son)

Romeo and Juliet (Romeo, opposite Claire Danes)

Revolutionary Road (Golden Globe-nominated performance opposite Kate Winslet)

The Quick and the Dead (Western, with Russell Crowe and Gene Hackman) 

SURPRISING BOX-OFFICE FAILURES:

This Boy’s Life (Robert DeNiro’s son)

The Basketball Diaries (heroin addict)

Total Eclipse (with David Thewlis)

The Beach (directed by Danny Boyle) 

BLOCKBUSTERS:

Titanic (Golden Globe-nominated performance as Jack, the artist and unfortunate passenger)

Gangs of New York

The Departed (Golden Globe-nominated performance as a cop infiltrating Jack Nicholson’s crime organization)

The Man in the Iron Mask (Louis XIV and his imprisoned brother)

Catch Me if you Can (Golden Globe-nominated performance as con artist Frank Abignale)

The Aviator (Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated performance as Howard Hughes)

Blood Diamond (Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated performance as a diamond smuggler)

Body of Lies (a spy, with Russell Crowe)

THE REAL DICAPRIO:

The 11th Hour

Expect some more environmental films as Leo gets more and more powerful.

ACTING STYLE:

A serious “indie” actor caught in a movie star’s life (and body). Watch DiCaprio in “Gilbert Grape” and you’ll be blown away by the transforming craft of the true actor. A bit like his pals and/or costars Tobey, Russell and Johnny, though, he’s just too damned handsome and lucky to stick with indies. With the help of pals like Scorsese, though, his blockbusters are still awesome dramas that afford him the opportunity to dive into a character as if it were an indie.

In the meantime, notice that Leo happens to have a startling string of failed heroes, almost all on an unsuccessful quest. Whether it’s love, respect, honor, justice, family, or power, his host of blockbuster characters are deprived of their ideals.

BITS AND QUIRKS:

Over-enunciation. Stretching of the neck, usually with the head all askew. Wrenching up of the face. Squinting along with a jaw-first head bob that might be taken as agreement or as “another fine mess.” Lots of half-finger pointing.

GREAT SCENES:

GILBERT GRAPE -

Climbing the water tower and the police station scene afterward > Fighting with Depp > Burning down the house

TITANIC -

You know ‘em >>> In the water at the end > The card game in the beginning and racing to the boat > The oft-parodied love scene at the bow

THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK -

The confrontation with himself as both brothers > The prisoner learning to become a king > Watching over the dance > The switch at the end

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN -

Seducing the girls > With the presses and Tom Hanks > Escaping from the airplane

THE AVIATOR -

The golf and dinner scene with Kate Hepburn > Locked in the screening room naked and going crazy > Flying the Spruce Goose > Testifying before Congress

MARVIN’S ROOM -

Driving on the beach with Diane Keaton > The quiet scenes talking about the bone marrow > Arguing with mom Meryl Streep at Disney World