THE 3 BEST LEONARDO DICAPRIO MOVIE PERFORMANCES

The 10 Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movie performances: Leonardo DiCaprio belongs to a dying breed of actors: the breed of the ‘superstars’. Just as the age and times of the ‘great filmmakers’ have started dwindling, so has the fate of our superstars. Today, we have a ‘boutique’ variety of entertainers: actors work for TV as well as films and probably dabble in a dozen other pursuits. But our boy is not that guy. He is still the star. He is around, but not readily available. He is working but only in the finest projects of this age. When the man is not buying islands or paintings for his mother, he is an environmentalist, a good enough hobby for a consummate bachelor in his 40s.

The greatest testimony of his stardom, though, is him being the cause of the ‘breakup’ between Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro- a romantic relationship that lasted for three full decades, giving us the finest movies of our lives. But then, Leonardo DiCaprio makes Scorsese embark on another relationship, giving us five solid movies as of now. There must be something about him because the auteur has not collaborated this long with any other actor, with the only exception being DeNiro.

When Chris Rock hosted the 2016 Oscars, he obviously trashed the lack of diversity at the Oscars, taking a dig at DiCaprio for ‘getting great roles every year’. This is where he went a little astray. No one really ‘gets’ roles in Hollywood, actors have to ‘earn’ them. Leonardo DiCaprio has been in the show business for more than 20 years. And, while he may not be ‘the greatest actor in the last two decades’, he has indeed delivered some of the finest performances in these years and that too, rather consistently. Here is a look at the maestro’s ten films which have been indeed both great as well as brave choices.

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who grew up studying the works of the legends of the Hollywood New Wave, something which he has incorporated in his films, in an extremely refined way. Inception is the brave and truly original film, to have come from him. It is a science-fiction thriller about a thief who implants ideas into the subconscious minds of his target.

This is arguably DiCaprio’s best performance. He shines as the man who, though tormented by his past, is extremely feisty in his action-filled present. The set designs and visual effects are obvious signatures of Chris Nolan. Hans Zimmer has done a very groovy score for this epic which is only short of Gladiator and Lion King. Marion Cotillard is indeed the finest French actress of the present times, to have crossed over to Hollywood.

2. THE DEPARTED (2006)
The most ‘Scorsese-esque’ movie to come out of the collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, it was quite a head-turner at the Oscars, winning “Best Director”, “Best Picture”, as well as a well deserved “Best Actor” nomination for DiCaprio. Based on a riveting story of two moles: one in the Massachusetts State Police, and the other in the gang of an Irish Mob boss, this cat-mouse chase epic was received very well by the critics. DiCaprio was intense and brilliant in the role of a frustrated cop forced to prove his allegiance to his department, while Jack Nicholson wasn’t bad either in his role of a charismatic gangster.

3. SHUTTER ISLAND (2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a U.S Marshal who is investigating the disappearance of a dangerous murderer. Scorsese’s tribute to the film noir of the 40s, and the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock, is a quiet departure from his usual films. Shutter Island is a very different kind of a movie that relies on the psychological thrill of a secluded island, it’s hallucinations and murderous delusions. All of which are delivered along with a brilliant soundtrack featuring composers like Mahler, Penderecki, Ligeti, Cage and Ingram Marshall.