AN EMH FEATURE…OVERRATED ,UNDERRATED, OR NEITHER? LEONARDO DICAPRIO!
Comments(11)
- By EMH
First of all, let me say thanks so much for all the response to this new feature. I was hoping to get some feedback and you all delivered. I had no idea The Wizard of Oz would get so much response. Thanks again! Now let us see if we can do even better with Leo.
Here’s the knock on DiCaprio. Throngs of guys do not like him for the same reason they do not like The Jonas Brothers, or Zac Efron. They see a guy who women swoon over. They think it’s overblown, so they overcompensate by seeing him as overrated and not very talented. Had it not been for Titanic, men would think Leo was way, way cool. Supercool, even. Prove it? Okay.
He earns an Oscar nomination in 1994 for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He stars in The Basketball Diaries. Most people didn’t see this initially, but it turned out to be a popular film, and one that did not contain foofy, light, heartthrob kind of stuff. Also in 1995 was Sam Rami’s vastly underrated The Quick and the Dead. So he was in a cool western. That’s another cool guy point, and he was in a Sam Rami movie. Guys love Sam Rami. Right?
Then came his first big strike: 1996’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Girls loved it. Guys hated it. Leo’s rep suffers.
But it was Titanic that sank Leo in the eyes of guys (sorry for the rhyming). Girls lined up to see it over and over and over. If guys think the swooning over Edward in Twilight was bad, they are too young or they just don’t remember how bad it was in 1997 and 1998 when Titanic sank almost every conceivable box office record that has to do with longevity. Every boyfriend was being compared to Jack. Every girl loved the movie. It made 1.8 billion dollars worldwide. At the time, that doubled the biggest movie of all time, which I believe was Jurassic Park.
Guys turned on Leo. It was bad. But since all that he has teamed with Martin Scorsese (a guy’s director if there ever was one) three times in The Departed, The Aviator, and Gangs of New York. He has also worked with Spielberg and Ridley Scott, two other superior directors. He’s got almost a decade’s worth of nothing sappy or anything else that would pander to the ladies. He is one of the most selective successful actors Hollywood has ever seen. He has never sold out. He doesn’t even have a romantic comedy on his resume. Sorry, he is a stud! Yet, many guys do not like him.
BUT, IS HE OVERRATED?
This one is easy. No. He lost the Oscar in 1994. He was the lead male actor in the biggest movie of all time, which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, and he was NOT nominated for best actor! He has never won an award, and in my opinion, he was never nominated for an Academy Award when the role wasn’t deserving of it.
Look at his body of work since 2001:
Gangs of New York
Catch Me if You Can
The Aviator
The Departed
Blood Diamond
Body of Lies
Revolutionary Road
Of these seven films, he was only nominated for two Academy Awards. Altogether, he has three Oscar nominations, with his first coming early in his film career with What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He lost that one to Tommy Lee Jones, who took home the statue for his work in The Fugitive.
He was not nominated for Revolutionary Road, though one of his co-stars was nominated for supporting.
He was not nominated for The Departed, though one of his co-stars was.
He was not nominated for Catch Me if You Can, though one of his co-stars was.
OFFICIAL DECLARATION – LEONARDO DICAPRIO IS UNDERRATED!
So, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Maybe you have a completely opposing spin on this topic. Please give me your feedback.
See you next time,
EMH
I couldn't agree with you more EMH! He is underrated. I agree with everything you say. But he will get his reward. Scorsese's Shutter Island is going to do it. It looks like he does a great job in this film and for the character he plays and who his character is it has to be a shoe in for the Oscar Nom if not the win. I read the book the movie is based of of and when I heard Leo was cast to play that character I thought if he does this right this role will win him an Oscar. The trailer for the film hit yesterday, and it looks like he nailed the performance. Hopefully he will finally be recognized for his work.
But imagine if he had won an oscar. Then his next film would be a crappy superhero flick and his career would sink without trace – ignore ye not the curse!
I agree with you on this one though – he's not an actor that I go out of my way to catch on the big screen, but everything I have seen him in has been gold. He is a solid craftsman, and like Depp has risen above the pretty boy moniker to prove he has the acting chops it takes to be respected in this town. UNDERRATED.
UNDERRATED all the way. I had a nice string of expletives when he wasn't nominated for The Departed. Try putting other "pretty boys" in some of Leo's roles and you would get a totally different outcome. I think people need to take a step back and see that he is the backbone of these great films!
the DEPARTED is one of the best movies ever! so haters can suck it, because LEO has the MOTTs!
Underrated! I have no animosity toward this dude just cuz the ladies used to love him. He's a grade A badass. His working relationship with one of the greatest filmakers, Scorsese, says it all! My only gripe is that he is a grown man in grown man roles, but he really looks like an eternal 15yr old.
Well, I first remember old Leo from Gilbert Grape, and that movie is enough for me. He’s a great actor. And unlike some, he’s consistant.
just judging by the trailer…. i dunno about academy award winning performance.. sorry
agreed. underrated. he is pretty amazing. judging by his body of work, he can really do no wrong. he was always snubbed for an oscar ONLY because you gotta admit, there was ALWAYS someone better that year. lets be honest. but he will get his. venkman mentioned it would be with the upcoming "shutter island" but i dunno. its gotta be something pretty monumental for him like catch me if you can or the aviator. those were huge roles for him.
I have been saying for quite a while that Leo is underrated. Despite the fallout, he was actually quite good in Titanic. I really liked The Aviator. I thought that was a rather underrated movie as well. I've seen several interviews with him and he strikes me as a very intelligent person who knows exactly what projects he wants to do and does them. If he has garnered the trust and respect of some of Hollywood's top directors and producers, he must be doing something right. Who knew that a TV gig like 'Growing Pains' would lead to a great film career!
Its not just by the trailer but by the character he is playing. There is a history of Academy Award winning performances by the type of role he is playing. If he plays it right which it looks like he will, he has a very good shot.
UNDERRATED! When i was a teenager…Leo was a pretty boy…my pretty boy. (like Robert Pattison is now to the teens As I grew and gained maturity to see what's good and what's crap…He grew up on my concept and just like me, gained his maturity. it's like he's a peer of mine…I'm proud of him!