Leonardo DiCaprio has a superpower. You can call it what you like – a sixth sense, the Leo tingle or Shiva’s third eye.
But it’s there, and it’s a power most actors would give two arms and a leg for. What is it? It’s DiCaprio’s ability to pick the right project.
Since the turn of the century, DiCaprio has made movies with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Alejandro Innaritu, Sam Mendes, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan, Danny Boyle, Baz Luhrmann and Edward Zwick.
That is an enviable list of names, whichever way you look at it. DiCaprio has consistently sought to align himself with ‘greats,’ which has no doubt perpetuated his standing as a great actor.
Now, many have sought to use this point to emphasise the fact that he’s not a great actor; he just picks the right projects. But there’s a catch.
Those lofty names listed above have to want to work with him too; it’s not a one-way street.
There’s a reason Scorsese made DiCaprio his new muse, there’s a reason he has 6 Oscar nominations, there’s a reason Joaquin Phoenix and Christian Bale kept losing parts to him, there’s a reason Phoenix said this about him recently – “Leonardo, you’ve been an inspiration for over 25 years to me and so many people.”
There’s a reason Robert De Niro recommended that DiCaprio play the lead in This Boy’s Life, even though he was auditioning for another part.
And there’s a reason De Niro called Scorsese after the movie to tell him to keep an eye on DiCaprio, something that Scorsese has since gone on to say was very unusual since De Niro wouldn’t have that level of praise for another actor.
There’s a reason. But I can’t completely understand what it is. I have never quite been blown away by DiCaprio, and yet many of his peers - Bale, Fassbender, Phoenix, Hardy, Pitt et al routinely have that effect on me.
Perhaps it’s because some of DiCaprio’s greatest moments as an actor involve his signature ‘freakouts,’ red face, throbbing veins and all.
And this is certainly a matter of subjectivity, but I don’t entirely respond to that brand of acting.
'Most acting' doesn't always equate to 'Best acting.'
When people talk of Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, the ‘milkshake’ moment is the first to be brought up.
But I found his quieter, more pensive moments much more impressive and much more compelling. The “I have a competition in me” scene will forever be etched in my psyche.
Similarly, I am fascinated by performances that convey so much with so little – Amy Adams in Arrival and Casey Affleck in Manchester By The Sea being two recent examples.
I haven’t seen many such performances from DiCaprio, and even when he attempts something of that nature like he did for much of The Revenant, it doesn’t quite work for me.
Of course, he’s given some great performances along the way.
Further, DiCaprio has done an excellent job of perpetuating his image as a ‘serious actor.’ He doesn’t do comic-book movies, he doesn’t usually do the typical blockbusters, he works with experienced directors, and he more often than not, stars in good movies.
And in the age of social media, DiCaprio has worked hard to maintain that old-school, movie-star mystique about him.
All of that means that there’s a lot of goodwill attached to his name. When you think of him, you think of him starring in these great movies, directed by some outstanding directors.
You don’t associate him with many stinkers. It increases his stock as a ‘great’ actor.
I think Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor. It’s when the word ‘great’ becomes involved that I become hesitant.
But here’s the thing – if he’s good enough for Scorsese, then he’s enough for me.
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