Leo's ongoing fight with Hollywood!

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2007)

Leonardo DiCaprio troubles me. Rarely have I felt as strong an empathy or understanding with an actor! Simply, i think he is truly gifted, a rare and welcome talent in todays 'shout and cry' world of acting. But why, with the utmost respect to all involved in his films, can he not stray from movies laden with Hollywood stereotypes and restrictions. Not since Basketball Diaries have i seen DiCaprio 'let rip', obviously revelling as a young actor in a role packed with freedom and interpretation. And it seems since then DiCaprio has sought out roles which, I feel, prohibit him from true greatness, whatever such a notion is.
I have a great deal of time for Hollywood, and although i feel i enjoy a wide variety of 'world' and 'independent' cinema, i am not pretentious enough to take a disliking to Hollywood or blockbuster offerings. The recent offering of The Departed seems to highlight my point here excellently. I greatly enjoyed Infernal Affairs, and unlike many, was not filled with dread when Scorsese announced his intentions to sample the movie. And, overall, i enjoyed his product, but could not help thinking DiCaprio looked far from free, a mile away from where he seemed so desperate be. The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can seemed more organic an experience, but these offerings are balanced completely by restrictive and stiff performances in Gangs of New York (yes the sets are amazing, yes Daniel Day Lewis can act BIGTIME, NO it isn't a good film.) Blood Diamond by a mile offers Leonardo the most freedom and range of his modern offerings, if not all of them. Perhaps it is the darker, selfish element of DiCaprio's character that is so powerful, or perhaps Zwick is able to prise a show stopping performance from all of his actors, Leo not being in bad company with Washington, Pitt and Cruise arguably best performances! I guess my point is that, for actors like DiCaprio, who have scores of scripts to choose from and the phenomenal power to get them made, i wish they would allow themselves to take risks! Is it the case that a film can ruin a career? Lets ask Ben Affleck, who may never fully recover from a certain collaboration! I hope this doesn't sound negative as a comment, as i say i greatly enjoyed seeing Dicaprio let loose and act as, i believe, only he can in places, but perhaps that is because not many actors are afforded the chance! And perhaps if DiCaprio strayed slightly from the Hollywood forced romantic slow motion politically edgy climax, he could reach new levels of greatness! Let me know what you think