Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

I know this was a looong time ago, but he was phenomenal in What's Eating Gilbert Grape - especially considering how young he was at the time. I don't know if the depiction of his character has stood the test of time, I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being blown away by his performance.

+100
Was just going to say exactly this. I couldn't believe that performance. I think that was before he was a well-known actor (or known at all?) and I remember thinking this kid is a star for sure. I've always liked him, but haven't seen him in a role anywhere close to that one since.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with whoever said Gary Oldman and Judi Dench. Yes, 200%, and it's not about the accents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

I know this was a looong time ago, but he was phenomenal in What's Eating Gilbert Grape - especially considering how young he was at the time. I don't know if the depiction of his character has stood the test of time, I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being blown away by his performance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gary Oldman.

Leo is fine but not as diverse.

Gary Oldman is amazing. He had one or maybe two scenes in Oppenheimer playing Harry Truman and he was so good. You forget it's him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

I know this was a looong time ago, but he was phenomenal in What's Eating Gilbert Grape - especially considering how young he was at the time. I don't know if the depiction of his character has stood the test of time, I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being blown away by his performance.

And Basketball Diaries, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gary Oldman.

Leo is fine but not as diverse.

Gary Oldman is amazing. He had one or maybe two scenes in Oppenheimer playing Harry Truman and he was so good. You forget it's him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

I know this was a looong time ago, but he was phenomenal in What's Eating Gilbert Grape - especially considering how young he was at the time. I don't know if the depiction of his character has stood the test of time, I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being blown away by his performance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

I know this was a looong time ago, but he was phenomenal in What's Eating Gilbert Grape - especially considering how young he was at the time. I don't know if the depiction of his character has stood the test of time, I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being blown away by his performance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if Leo is a good actor or is just really good at choosing roles, but the combo is always good.

This. I don't think he has the range of other actors and I don't always feel completely convinced. However, he does a very good job of choosing both roles and directors (made easier by the fact that almost anyone will work with him and he has his pick of roles) and tends to pick roles that play to his strengths in the kind of understated, naturalistic acting he does. For him, it's all in the nuance. Like in One Battle After Another, his character is a version of a character he's played before, but the nuance is that he's spent the last couple decades smoking a lot of weed. And he does a really good job in weaving this into the role and milking it for both drama and humor. But it's not virtuosic. I'm not, like, transported.

The broadest he's ever gone is that plantation owner in Django Unchained, and while it's a memorable performance, it's not his best work. He does much better sticking within a narrower range, but then really exploring the subtleties within that range.