Quote:
Originally Posted by TheCunningStunt
I know what you meant, people think he used Leo-mania (a load of teenage girls wanting to mount him.) to springboard himself and think less of him for it. It's just like Robert Pattinson getting a load of success off the back of Twilight, the difference is Leo has had acting ability ever since he was a teen. I think he used Titanic to propel himself, he shook the posterboy image around 2002 and he never looked back. I don't know how anyone can't like him, he's a great actor AND he seems like a great guy. Always seems polite and talks with such passion for what he does. I have a lot of love for Leo.
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Well, I don't like him and it has nothing to do with Titanic and Leo-mania. In fact, I saw
What's Eating Gilbert Grape before Titanic and many of his 90s movies I saw around the time of Titanic coming out, so I already knew that he wasn't just some pretty poster boy and I knew what he's capable of (I actually thought he was retarded in Gilbert Grape and that remains one of his most convincing performances). I started disliking him when he hooked up with Scorsese and started playing all these angsty, tough guy roles that he's not suited for, or roles that call for some heavy emotional breakdowns that allow him to overact terribly. I can't think of a more frequently miscast actor in these high profile films today. That's why he often appears like trying too hard, like forcing the characters' acts and emotions down our throats and banging our heads with a hammer. He's obviously very capable technically, but he's rarely natural and effortless. And it bothers me personally, because he's usually in films I would like to see. But he can be excellent when he plays to his strengths like in
Catch Me if You Can which is his most natural performance in the 00s. I have yet to see Shutter Island and Inception, and I bet he's doing his usual thing with Scorsese, but I hope Nolan managed to tone down his acting a bit.
And I'm not alone in this view of DiCaprio. That's why I bolded your sentence. There are many people that liked him better when he was younger, even in Titanic, and don't buy him now as an intense, tough actor. He's no De Niro, but it feels like he's trying to be. He's one of those actors who will always polarize the audience, I feel.