List It: Leonardo DiCaprio

[Dave]

You all know how it works by now, so let's just get into it.

1. Shutter Island
2. The Wolf Of Wall Street
3. Django Unchained

Yes, my list might be very recent but I sincerely think that Leonardo DiCaprio has been on his finest form lately. In fact, his best working years have been from 2010 until now. But don't get me wrong, there are some very notable exceptions before 2010 that should have made the list. The main examples are The Departed, Blood Diamond, Romeo & Juliet and Titanic etc. Still, I firmly believe that the last 5 years have been a ridiculously good spell for DiCaprio. He has continually churned out hit after hit after hit like he never did before. He has so thoroughly moved away from his pretty boy steroetype to confirm himself as one of the finest actors in Hollywood.

The first movie I want to talk about is Shutter Island. I have no idea why, but this is the finest Leo film I have seen. From the first moment until the last, it just has that big film feel. Something which is not lost on me by any means. The twist at the end always gets me because I am just a sucker for shit like that. But Shutter Island kept me guessing the whole way through and I couldn't help but get drawn into the story. So much mystery, intrigue and quality acting made this film absolutely perfect for me.

What can be said about TWOWS that hasn't already been said? I actually think that he should have, finally, won the Best Actor Oscar for this film but he was beaten by another superb performance. I just think that he has deserved it and this film was so different from anything I have ever seen. It wasn't preaching, it wasn't trying to prove a point. It was just 2 hours of sheer fun and games. It was hard not to get caught up in it and the following Oscar hype. But it wasn't to be. Another year and he would have won it. Still, an amazing movie with Leo at the helm. Safe.

Django is my final selection because I feel as though Leo's performance as Calvin Candie was the highlight of the movie. He may have been in “better” films but the entire cast of this movie just hit it out of the ball park and none more so than Leo.

Now you go.

 

[L@RISANO]

Titanic:

First time I saw him in a movie was in this all-time blockbuster. At that time he was a hearthrob, no doubt, and his acting was actually pretty good also.

the Departed:
The guy died in one shot from a minor character in the movie...what more can someone want? But seriously, I love how he went about his role in here and the fact he managed to shine with so much other stars shows how great of an actor he is.


Blood Diamond:
One of my absolute favourites, this movie was, and Di Caprio was A+ in it, with his accent and all. I got sucked into the emotion of the movie itself also. His character was brilliant also, as he was basically painted as a mercenary and then became quite the opposite by the end when he died...

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

The Departed

I believe that his role in The Departed suddenly made a lot more people realise how seriously he should be taken as an actor. Sure, he wasn't in bad films or performing poorly but this marked a transformation from him being more of a 'pretty boy' into an actor that could nail playing a character with lots of subtleties and always on the edge between tragedy and hope.

Shutter Island

Carrying on what I was saying before, it isn't until you watch Shutter Island the second time around that you realise how fucking awesome Leo is in this film. Scorsese handling a 'whodunit' thriller was brilliant enough but the whole cast was completely spot on too, with Ruffalo in particular being a great supporting character, especially at the very end of the film when he and Leo share a brief moment of potential revelation.

Wolf of Wall Street

I almost opted for Inception but because I have seen Leo play enough out-right tragic roles, his turn in WOWS was a breath of fresh air as a personification of hedonistic capitalist greed and how much fun that life-style could be.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

First, I'll start by saying I'm big fan of Leo and his career, and to narrow this down to three is tough.

1. The Aviator- A true powerhouse performance from Leo. Leo did a wonderful job of embodying a larger than life figure, but DiCaprio truly showcases his talents during Hughes' OCD moments. Two moments that stick out are the dinner scene, where someone touches Howard's plate to take one of his peas.

And the other happens in the bathroom, when the man on crutches asks Hughes to hand him a towel, but he refuses. The looks of disgust and discomfort on Leo's face are perfect, and Leo's body language during the OCD scenes add a more realistic touch. DiCaprio's transformation from a powerful billionaire to this deranged recluse is superb, and DiCaprio really nails Hughes' descent into madness towards the end. The Aviator is a grand spectacle with a top notch cast, it's one of my favorite biopics, and it's one of the better DiCaprio/Scorsese collaborations.

2. The Wolf Of Wall Street- The character transformation doesn't resemble the thorough chronicling in The Aviator, because one minute Jordan Belfort is this soft-spoken and shy guy, and in the blink of an eye, he's this power-hungry (and wealthy) loudmouth. Still, Leo delivered another Oscar worthy performance in TWOWS. The intensity, the energetic speeches, and who, can forget the Ferrari (everything from beginning to end) scene, when Jordan tries to stop Donnie from using the phone?

Leo's speeches ("I've been a rich man, and I've been a poor man....and I choose rich every fucking time!" is one of my favorites) throughout the TWOWS are exceptional. He's able to convince you to believe in what Jordan is saying, and the way DiCaprio constantly tows the line between the aggressive and hungry wolf, who's chasing the American Dream, and the greedy and soulless stock-broker is impressive.

As far as Oscars go, I'm pulling for Leo to win one someday, but unfortunately, 2014 was not his year (again). Matthew McConaughey was the right choice, and if I had to go with a second choice, I would go with Bruce Dern from Nebraska.

3. Django Unchained- Extra bonus points for DiCaprio taking a real chance with a villainous turn for Calvin Candie. Honestly, when I read the description for the character, I was on the fence for Leo pulling it off, but he nailed it. The scene at the dinner table, when Candie finally learns the truth about the ploy to rescue Broomhilda is a good example of Leo showing off his versatility, and I'm hoping he'll take a chance on another villain in the future.

Now if we're talking about snubs, and Leo deserving a nomination AND an Oscar win, Django is the film you need to look at. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds? Yes. Waltz deserved the Oscar for his performance, but Waltz was upstaged by DiCaprio in Unchained, and there's no way around it. Maybe you can make the argument for DiCaprio needing more screen time, but either way you look at it, DiCaprio is the true stand out star in Django Unchained.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Leonardo Di Caprio has become arguably the finest actor on the planet, which I would never have predicted in his early days- everything he does now touches to gold, and looking at the list of films he has done you realise what a talent he is.

1. The Wolf of Wall Street

A magnificent film, showing how unbelievable wealth can change a person, with Jordan Belfort ending up a drug-addicted hedonist who crossed so many boundaries. The scene at the club house is hilarious, and Di Caprio is fantastic in the role of Belfort. He deserved an Oscar for this performance.

2. Blood Diamond

Probably my favourite Leo film, and one I always tell people to watch if they haven't seen it. I think his South African accent is spot on, and the way he changes from being a total mercenary intent on using Soloman Bandie for his own gain to actually caring about the man at the end and trying to help him.

3. The Departed

What a cast list! The Departed is truly a classic film, and even with the likes of Nicholson and Damon, I'd say Leo's performance is just as good as theirs. This was probably the first Di Caprio film where I was really able to see what a great actor he is.