Has Leo surpassed the greats?

Melion

I really think he is the best actor of all time. I would rate him above DeNiro, Brando and Pacino etc. Still only 36, incredible really when you consider he could have another 40 years of making movies.

And this is without seeing Inception.

xtal191

He's a good actor but doesnt come anywhere near the ones you mentioned, especially Brando!!

amcalester

He makes good movies and he's fine actor but I he doesn't inhabit a role in the way Pacino, Brando, De Niro or Newman do. Think Michael Corleone, Vito Corleone, Johnny Boy and Cool Hand Luke.

I can't think of a single character he's played where I've thought "no one else could have played that role" with the possible exception of Arnie Grape.

So while he is good and has a very good back catalogue of films behind him he still has a long way to go to surpass those mentioned above.

Fromvert

Yeah he's good but nothing special he always has the same expression on his face, that furrowed brow look.

Birneybau

Are you sh!tting me?
Theres better actors around today, dont get the chances as not photogenic as Leo. Dont get me wrong, I think he's pretty damn good.

L'prof

I think he's great, just not that great...for now at least!

Fromvert

I also think DiCaprio isn't even the best actor in Inception and I expect (if he gets enough scree time) Joseph Gordon Levitt to completely outshine him.

I like him alot these days.. Cant wait for Inception now cause he always chooses a great role.
Can't believe he's that age tho.. The years really fly by.

Schism

Fromvert wrote: »

I also think DiCaprio isn't even the best actor in Inception and I expect (if he gets enough scree time) Joseph Gordon Levitt to completely outshine him.

I like Levitt a lot but I doubt he'll steal the show, you never know though.

Simian!

Melion wrote: »

I really think he is the best actor of all time.

I nearly fell off my chair when I read that. I personally think he's overrated. A lot of people use the Departed as an example of how good he is but there was at least 4 better performances in that film (Damon, Wahlberg, Baldwin and Sheen).

ziedth

I think he is one of the best of his age no doubt,

And when you consider he had a rocky enough start he was held in the same light as Robert Patterson of twilight in that girls loved him but getting allot of flack.

But Newman, Pacino and DeNiro is a stretch.

I do really rate him though.

TheIrishGrover

I've always liked him as an actor and was delighted when he finally started to be accepted again as a decent actor after Titanic. I remember seeing him first in Gilbert Grape and I remember thinking "How did they get that kid to remember his lines so well?" I thought he was genuinely disabled. His Scorsese output has been fantastic and it's good to see him working with Nolan. It will be interesting to see where that partnership goes.

Is he better than DeNiro, Pacino etc? In their heyday? I don't think so. Pacino's 70's output was astounding: Godfather 1&2, Serpico, Dog Day afternoon. All fantastic performances. From the restrained of The Godfather to the volatile of Serpico. Amazing. DeNiro? in his heyday: Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Godfather 2, Raging Bull. Again, amazing.

HOWEVER over the last 15-20 years or so they have just become parodies of themselves. Pacino does his whole OVER THE TOP SHOUTING for no apparent reason thing, DeNiro does the whole monosyllabic menace thing and Jack is just Jaaaaaaaack. Sure, every now and again they have a decent role but they are few and far between these days.

So, I don't think DiCaprio has surpassed them in their prime but I do think he is a worthy successor

Anakin.S

Leo has more than held his own on screen with top actors like De Niro.

Leo is a fantastic actor he is just too young to be classed as a great, I'm sure he will be classed as one of the greatest ever in 15 or 20 years.

mike65

Who is this Leo fellow?

Sticky Romance

Sticky Romance wrote: »

I nearly fell off my chair when I read that. I personally think he's overrated. A lot of people use the Departed as an example of how good he is but there was at least 4 better performances in that film (Damon, Wahlberg, Baldwin and Sheen).

I really like them four actors but I wouldn't say their performances were better..
Nicholson and DiCaprio stole the show in my opinion.

djimi

This thread is a wind up, right?

Go watch any Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant etc movie, then come back and say you still think DiCaprio is the best actor of all time...

I like Leo, hes gone up a lot in my estimations in recent years, but hes not even close to being the best actor around currently, let alone of all time.

Handsome Bob

Undoubtedly one of the best plying his trade right now, but one of the all time greats? Not yet I'm afraid, not by a long shot.

I'll always give Leo props for evolving the way he did. To go from the likes of Titanic and Romeo & Juliet to the likes of The Departed and Blood Diamond is simply amazing. If he continues to evolve like this then perhaps one day he might be able to rub shoulders with the greats. But right now? He's not quite there.

speedboatchase

Best body of work of any actor in their 20s-40s imo. To have Blood Diamond/Departed in the same year and then Shutter Island/Inception together a couple of years later is really something else, not to mention Aviator, Catch Me If You Can, Romeo + Juliet etc. Love me some Leo, he's not the best actor of all time of course, but he's on his way to being Pacino/De Niro standard if he can continue his upward trajectory. The fact Pacino/De Niro each haven't made a good movie in around 20 years helps too

Klingon Hamlet

A few of you mentioned Inception's Joseph Gordon Levitt as a better actor---I think he will be, given the right roles. But you're overlooking one excellent actor in that ensemble:

Tom Hardy.

Easily one of the best, overlooked and underated actors of his time. Lives and breathes every role he's given (far too few at the moment). hell he's the best thing in the trailers for Inception.

He played Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis (the only good thing about that film), was in a TV show The Take, was absolutely brilliant in Bronson, very good as Gerard Butler's pal in RockNRolla. Look him up. Given the right roles, he'll outclass everyone.

ricero

Leo is a great actor in my opinion I'm shocked he hasn't picked up an oscar yet

djimi

ricero wrote: »

Leo is a great actor in my opinion I'm shocked he hasn't picked up an oscar yet

For which role would he have picked up an Oscar?

JP Liz V1

There is no doubt Leo is a great actor one of the best of his generation but he is no where near the likes of De Niro or Brando yet - he picks great roles and the fact he is Martin Scorsese's current muse helps him alot. He already has three oscar nominations and I dont doubt soon he will win.

I think Ed Norton and Joaquin Phoenix are better actors than Leo imo.

krudler

djimi wrote: »

This thread is a wind up, right?

Go watch any Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant etc movie, then come back and say you still think DiCaprio is the best actor of all time...

I like Leo, hes gone up a lot in my estimations in recent years, but hes not even close to being the best actor around currently, let alone of all time.

Jimmy Stewart just played Jimmy Stewart in everything though. Like a lot of the golden era actors they were just themselves in different movies, at least DiCaprio's roles are different, from The Aviator (sorely overlooked for an Oscar for that) to Shutter Island he's played all very different characters.

I wouldnt class him as a great just yet either, but hes on the cusp, he hasnt been in a bad movie yet, and he made a bold choice by not falling into the teen prettyboy roles he so easily could have done after Titanic.

Anthony Walsh

Melion I do believe i know who you are, did you post this on facebook last night? If so I knew it.


Edit:

It is you!!

Rabies

djimi wrote: »

For which role would he have picked up an Oscar?

Blood Diamond

djimi

krudler wrote: »

Jimmy Stewart just played Jimmy Stewart in everything though. Like a lot of the golden era actors they were just themselves in different movies, at least DiCaprio's roles are different, from The Aviator (sorely overlooked for an Oscar for that) to Shutter Island he's played all very different characters.

I wouldnt class him as a great just yet either, but hes on the cusp, he hasnt been in a bad movie yet, and he made a bold choice by not falling into the teen prettyboy roles he so easily could have done after Titanic.

To be fair Leo plays largely the same character in most roles as well, at least he has done in his last few movies. Im not going to get into a discussion about comparing DiCaprio because in my mind those golden age actors are on a different level altogether from pretty much anyone around at the moment, but at least when Jimmy Stewart was playing Jimmy Stewart he was still incredible to watch. I very much doubt that people will look on Leonardo DiCaprio in 50 years time the way we look on the likes of Stewart or Bogart these days.

marwelie

If someone who has two facial expressions (either just about to cry or constipated) can be considered the greatest living actor its a sign that the world truly has gone mad!

Renn

krudler wrote: »

Jimmy Stewart just played Jimmy Stewart in everything though. Like a lot of the golden era actors they were just themselves in different movies, at least DiCaprio's roles are different, from The Aviator (sorely overlooked for an Oscar for that) to Shutter Island he's played all very different characters.

I wouldnt class him as a great just yet either, but hes on the cusp, he hasnt been in a bad movie yet, and he made a bold choice by not falling into the teen prettyboy roles he so easily could have done after Titanic.

Well that's pretty much the case with most actors though. Di Caprio may play different roles but you can still see the person there every time. Very few are able to change. I'd say Daniel Day-Lewis is one of them, but not Di Caprio. I can't really think of many that do tbh.

qwertplaywert

You can't really argue with his films of late. Body of Lies is the worst of a great bunch, and even that was hardly a bad movie.
But to compare him to Brando, Pacino, De Niro?Madness, hes nowhere near that level. He could reach it though, if he keeps going the way hes going.

On a side note, what do people think his best preformance is? Whats Eating Gilbert Grape has to be up there, but everytime I see Revolutionary Road, I can't help thinking its his best.

JP Liz V1

The Basketball Diaries is an excellent film that is very underrated and Leo's performance in that is superb imo

ziedth

^ +1

Although, I really enjoyed blood diamond and the departed.

At a push I'd say blood diamond, it would have been one of the best movies ever made IMHO if it wasn't for the Hollywood ending.

akaspike

Since seeing him in The Basketball Diaries a long time ago i thought he was fantastic and was one to watch, got a bit worried when he done titanic, but over the past few years he seems to be getting good roles and is going up the ladder quickly.

meditraitor

All time great! not yet......... I rate him up there with pitt,depp as some of the best actors of this generation but they are way of legendary status (just yet)

Sad Professor

I think half of being a great actor is picking the right roles. And DiCaprio has shown a lot of wisdom in his choice of projects and collaborators. He's no character actor, nor is he a particularly great performer, but he carries his films extremely well. As he gets older I think we'll see him take on more challenging roles, but for the time being he's built an excellent career for himself.

Oh, and as spy thrillers go, I thought Body of Lies was bloody damn excellent.

Morlar

djimi wrote: »

This thread is a wind up, right?

Go watch any Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant etc movie, then come back and say you still think DiCaprio is the best actor of all time...

I like Leo, hes gone up a lot in my estimations in recent years, but hes not even close to being the best actor around currently, let alone of all time.

This thread in a nutshell far as I am concerned.

duckworth

I haven't liked any of his recent movies. I'm not sure he can carry a lon serious film - I haven't loved any of his Scorcese collaborations. They were good, but not great.

He was amazing as a child actor, and in my opinion has regressed. The one recent film I thought he was magnificent in was 'Catch Me if you Can'. I think Leo is more suited to these frothier roles.

mikhail

I've only seen a few of his films, but he's never particularly impressed me. I think he's a hansome, competent actor who's been given roles in a lot of good films. The hyperbole about him leaves me bewildered.

jaykhunter

Even if you are a better actor, you've gotta wait until your career has winded down before people would recognise you as such.

Nostalgia is also a serious antagonist; everyone immediately flocks to older, revered, classic films. It's incredibly subjective. But i'm really glad for him that DiCaprio has done so much great work for you, and most likely a lot of others.

But he's a great actor, far better than I thought he would be when the first time I saw him on screen.

I dunno. Great actors spawn from great scripts. There are tons of fantastic actors out there, but relatively, extremely limited great writers. Who's to say another actor wouldn't have done as good as/a better job in the same role? That's all opinion.

Anyway, this kind of statement, as subjective and inoffensive as you can try make it, will only bring out cinema snobs. Best bet is to leave your piece and expect a lot of contravening evidence.

As a side note, I have a harder time enjoying 'stage play' like performances from older films; where the role is played more theatrically, as opposed to a more realistic performance of the last ~40 years.

Anakin.S

mikhail wrote: »

I've only seen a few of his films, but he's never particularly impressed me. I think he's a hansome, competent actor who's been given roles in a lot of good films. The hyperbole about him leaves me bewildered.

You should watch 'This Boys Life' and 'Basketball Daries' good movies, they'll not change your opinion of him but they are good movies IMO

paddyismaddy

he is a decent actor but i am still waiting for one breakout leading performance thats mind blowing from him

Maybe i'm not a big enough critic but I really can't fault his work.. What would he have to do to become the best?

It's the same as music, we've convinced ourselves that the best can't come from this era.

Duggy747

He won me over in the last decade, I think he is a great actor. Probably one of the finest of his generation of actors and he's only 36. He's a good looking chap but at least he doesn't play up to that type which would be very easy for him to do.

As for him matching with the legends he's got a long way to go but it's not entirely out of his reach either. He's got at least another 40 years career ahead of him if he doesn't muck it up.

ricero

djimi wrote: »

For which role would he have picked up an Oscar?

i would of gave it to him for his performances in blood diamond and the aviator

fergisimo

Better than Al Pacino? Right now? Yes, definitely. Let's face facts, Pacino hasn't made a good movie in 10 years. Righteous Kill? Terrible. 88 Minutes? Abysmal. Gigli? Terrible again. The Recruit? Yep, once again, terrible.

In each and everyone of those flicks, Pacino has given a sub par performance. Now, in the last decade, DiCaprio has give stellar and in some cases amazing performances in Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island, The Departed, Blood Diamond, The Beach & Catch Me If You Can. Now I'm not saying DiCaprio is a far better actor than Al Pacino. Pacino is one of the greatest performers of the 20th century and nothing will ever wipe the roles he's nailed over the years. The point I'm trying to make is that Leonardo DiCaprio has proved, time and time again that he's a capable of the same feats as Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Paul Newman, etc. Maybe the question shouldn't be is DiCaprio better Pacino, etc, but instead is he the new Pacino or DeNiro?

Sad Professor

I actually remember an interview with Scorsese several years back in which he compared DiCaprio to De Niro and Brando. Pfft, who are we to argue with Marty. :pac:

I actually wouldn't rate Brando too highly as an actor. Half the time he was drunk and reading his lines off a cue card - and you can tell. But he had a magnificent on-screen presence. He was a star. And when it comes to the cinema screen, a star probably beats a good actor most of the time.

And Pacino was never short of critics. When he wasn't being accused of yelling his way through films, he was being accused of brooding his way through them.

djimi

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe i'm not a big enough critic but I really can't fault his work.. What would he have to do to become the best?

It's the same as music, we've convinced ourselves that the best can't come from this era.

I dont think thats true tbh. I would consider George Clooney to be a considerably better actor than DiCaprio. There have been times when I have watched him where I think he is one of the few of the current crop that could stand beside some of the past greats. I consider Kevin Spacey to be a massively underrated and quite brilliant actor. Jack Nicholson is another example; I could never see DiCaprio pull off a role as brilliant as Nicholson in Chinatown or the original Joker. For me DiCaprio has a long way to go before he can even compare to actors of like this.

Nicholson I agree with, he has massive presence on screen.. Clooney not so much. Charming he is but not much more from the movies I've seen.

I think each actor is limited to their their looks and personality.. Pacino in his day still couldn't carry Catch Me If You Can just like DiCaprio couldn't do Scarface any justice. Each a great movie in their own ways. I prefer DiCaprio's characters since I can relate to them more. I'm not knowledgable enough to critically compare them but I know which I'm more excited about seeing in a movie.

It's like comparing two genres of music, impossible. I don't have a favourite band because I like quite a broad range of music, I think the same applies to actors.

L31mr0d

DiCaprio suffers from being too handsome imo. He could never pull off a Ratso Rizzo like Hoffman, not without "Monster" levels of makeup.

It is for this reason that he will never stand shoulder to shoulder with your DeNiros, Pacinos, Hoffmans, Nicholsons ... etc who have natural screen presence due to the character of their features.

At most DiCaprio will amount to a Cruise, McQueen... etc.

It's not that his acting isn't equal or better, he just doesn't have the face to get the grittier roles that we'll all remember for our lifetimes.

Renn

Modern day, I think it's hard to look past Day-Lewis.

Kiith

L31mr0d wrote: »

DiCaprio suffers from being too handsome imo. He could never pull off a Ratso Rizzo like Hoffman, not without "Monster" levels of makeup.

It is for this reason that he will never stand shoulder to shoulder with your DeNiros, Pacinos, Hoffmans, Nicholsons ... etc who have natural screen presence due to the character of their features.

At most DiCaprio will amount to a Cruise, McQueen... etc.

It's not that his acting isn't equal or better, he just doesn't have the face to get the grittier roles that we'll all remember for our lifetimes.

Why is it only the gritty roles that we have to remember? It seems harsh to say that the cant stand shoulder to shoulder with others, because he's better looking then them. If he played on that fact, then maybe. But from what i've seen he doesnt.

I rate him very highly myself, as he's been fantastic in some fantastic films.

Renn

F*ck that, Nicholson is one good looking dude. Or was.