One wonders how much [Director Martin] Scorsese is sacrificing by hitching his film-making wagon to star Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is a bankable star so studios are only too happy to finance a Scorsese film starring him, and this allows Scorsese to keep working in a youth-oriented market in the most profit-based center of film-making, Hollywood. But DiCaprio the baby-faced star (no matter how much he scowls) is the water to Scorsese’s boiling oil.
There is a sense, and it may only be mine, that DiCaprio is shoe-horned into Scorsese projects for which he is not suited, and perhaps the two should have a trial separation to see what kind of film the mature film-maker without his too-young star. - Let’s Not Talk About Movies
WWTW doesn’t completely agree with this sentiment, but it’s hard to deny Scorsese’s previous go-to movie star, Robert DeNiro, was a far better fit for his cinematic vision.
DiCaprio isn’t a bad actor, and the older he gets the more distance he puts between himself and those aw-shucks looks. But shouldn’t Scorsese, arguably one of our best directors, be teaming up with only the very best of today’s actors?
Can anyone argue DiCaprio is just such an actor?
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I wonder if it’s something about the age in which we live. Although the sales of Xanax and Prozac might suggest otherwise, ours is a much lighter era. I’d wager that DiCaprio has never really lived. You can see it in his face. Another example, closer to home (take my word for it): I’m a journalist. I’ve spent much of my career in and around think tanks. A friend of mine is a cop. He’s a detective. He’s worked sex crimes. He was born a week after me. He looks about 10 years older than I am — than we are. DiCaprio might play these roles, but he can’t inhabit them in the way actors from an earlier era could.
DiCaprio has continued to get work because of his female fan base and not on his talent. Whenever I see a good looking performer I ask myself if they’d still be famous if they were ugly? DiCaprio clearly wouldn’t be.
Ben I think studios now more than ever go for the pretty boy look rather than someone who looks real. In that regard DiCaprio is a perfect example of the standards that apply to actresses being applied to a man. But I don’t necessarily connect looks and the type of life someone has led.
I rented Paranormal Activity this weekend, loved the film, but one thing that made it work for me was the people looked like they could be your neighbors.
Opus,
The actress in Paranormal will be much thinner the next time you see her on screen … bet on it. It’s sad because she’s beautiful just the way she is/was.
Just watched Butch Cassidy over the weekend … and it’s hard to imagine a better looking male actor than Paul Newman. But he brought much more to the table than just his looks.
I don’t think Newman was that good looking, he wasn’t ugly I would put him in the catagory of looking like a real, everyday person. I’m probably in the minority with that opinion,either way he had the talent to go with the looks.
This weekend I watched 48 Hours, Nick Nolte also comes across in most parts he plays as believable. Part of that comes from knowing his limitations I presume.
I like the thinking that the ever-increasing focus on the “youth” market skews away from actors (and *especially* actresses) who show lives that have been lived – Scorcese himself, IIRC, commented wryly that fewer and fewer Hollywood actors can emote, for all of the “work” that they have had done to retain smooth faces.
I also like the thinking that female audiences keep actors’ careers churning more so than their spear counterparts. The distaff fanbase will follow a male actor from film to film regardless of subject; I long have theorized that this is the real reason for Harrison Ford’s career decline: he lost his female base.
Those reasons notwithstanding, DiCaprio is a v.g. actor, if not yet excellent – “Titanic” and its aftermath negatively impacted the talent that once shone brightly in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” but perhaps Scorcese sees growth potential in the man (or he cannot secure Damon to a long-term agreement).
D
Correction:
Scorsese = Scorcese
Why all the DiCaprio hatin’? Remember Gilbert Grape? The guy can act. And I think he choses his films wisely, stays well out of the spotlight and hasn’t f*up his life like so many other actors of his generation.
And no Opus, I’m not saying this because I think he’s hot.
He looks exactly like my brother, so I just can’t look at him in that way!
Who would have you picked for the role in Shutter Island, Christian? I thought DiCaprio did a fine job. I like him in a 1950s suit and apparently he likes them too because he sure does appear in a lot of fifites films.