No, The DiCaprio is not an appetizer consisting of buffalo mozzarella, with a leaf of basil, wrapped in Soppressata and drizzled with a balsamic/honey reduction, or the name of a sandwich you’d find at your local deli. This is a movie playlist with my favorite actor to dislike, Leonardo DiCaprio. But, you say, he’s the greatest living actor of our generation. I say, meh. Sure. Maybe.
Leo and I have a love / hate relationship. I love / hate him…and he has no idea who I am. A perfect balance. But this isn’t a post about my and Leo’s relationship or lack thereof, but about his films and the ones I enjoy watching him in. Note: You could add Inception to this list, but that movie is less about him and about visual spectacle and plot devices. Still enjoyable, but not because of him.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
It takes all cylinders to fire for a movie to be great. Actors, directors, writers, crew, everyone involved. It’s really a team effort. Of course, when you have Spielberg leading the charge that tends to help the outcome. At this point Leo had done; Titanic, Marvin’s Room, The Basketball Diaries, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and…Critters 3. According to everyone, he could act. I saw him as another heartthrob that soaks up screen time and that’s it. Catch Me If You Can changed that for me and I started seeing hints of him as an actor. It’s also just a fun movie, with Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken. You can’t go wrong.
Django Unchained (2012)
OK. Now we get into the grownup section of The DiCaprio. Django Unchained was an eye opener for me and Leo. He saw me, and said, look Russ you can like me, I’m a good actor and not just a heartthrob. To which I said, holy shit, you’re a terrible person in this movie and I believe you. You’re having too much fun being despicable and are one of the worst (best?) villains of all time. Django is another great in Tarantino’s list, a great western, and has some of the richest, and most interesting characters set on film. Django showed me what a director can get from an actor, and seeing Leo as a villain was a pleasant change.
The Revenant (2015)
Leo wasn’t the one that sold me on this movie, but he surprised me by not just being himself in a movie. The Revenant caught my eye because of the time period, Tom Hardy, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and his “single take” feel for a two and a half hour long movie. It’s a brutal story focused on revenge and survival that just keeps pushing along. At the end you feel exhausted, as if you went on this journey with the characters.
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood (2019)
I really liked Once Upon a Time and more so after a second and third viewing. It’s a slow burn of a movie, but the payoff is worth it. Leo is great as this somewhat aloof, egotistical, but self doubting, actor trying to survive as his world changes around him. Leo crosses many acting lines, in somewhat meta fashion, but mostly comedic that are just fun to watch. Again, another great to Tarantino’s list, but all the characters are interesting and play a part in the end.
