The Life of Leo

Ever since he appeared in Catch Me If You Can, and, with the- likable at times- thriller The Beach, something about Leonardo Di Caprio changed forever. A change for the better, might I clarify, as he began a journey into maturity and undertook a transformation to become an exceptional actor. Romeo and Juliet had its moments, but displayed a young, pretty and not-so-credible persona.

Regardless of the mega success of Titanic, such a role was off-putting (as a male viewer) as nothing in it challenged or affirmed any real credibility as an actor as he went through the motions. He was a boy. However, one must applaud whoever advised him to work on what have turned out to be a string of top quality films, which in turn secured his transition from adolescence to a talented, critically acclaimed professional. His talents are not to be doubted and it's therefore no coincidence how he's managed to affiliate himself with some of the best; including Danny Boyle, most recently Christopher Nolan and more frequently, Martin Scorsese.

In truth, Catch Me If You Can was solid and enjoyable. Tom Hanks complemented Leo's cheeky, as well as intelligently likeable performance perfectly. The film had directorial prowess with Spielberg at the reigns either, which helped things along nicely.

Yet it would seem from that point, as Di Caprio approached his thirties, his acting developed in a way that drew him to more serious and complex roles.

Shutter Island (pictured right), saw him, once again, play the role of a cop, but in a completely different context, which is set in the 50's. For most part of what was an atmospheric and intriguing thriller, Di Caprio played the role excellently, only scuppered by the unoriginal ending, but then, I guess it depends on what expectations you have going into it.

Notably, it has been his collaborations with Scorsese on no fewer than four features in the last eight years, that have brought him to the forefront of his profession, where he has successfully- as well as convincingly- portrayed a variety of roles. Referring to his impressive and dynamic performance as Howard Hughes in biopic tale, The Aviator (pictured left), to the undercover role of Billy Costigan in Oscar-winning, The Departed, affirms him as of my favourite actors. Another gritty and superb performance, he played the paranoia induced character well, complimented by a fantastic ensemble cast including Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen, to name a few.

Which take us nicely to his latest release, Inception, which- by the looks of the trailer- appears to be a blend of Dark City and The Matrix, which frankly excites the pants off me.

At times it's easy to define Di Caprio as a talented, yet typecast actor. Criticism directed his way suggests he isn't all that diverse. Typical of an edgy, paranoia filled role, yet surely one could define De Niro as similarly typical in the roles he played and to great avail?

The way Leo's career is going, it wouldn't be inconceivable to suggest somewhere down the line he could have such iconic status as De Niro himself. Saying that, it'll take many more acclaimed roles and a few more collaborative efforts with Scorsese et al before such legendary status is awarded.

It's fair to say that Inception will be getting Leo yet more positive critical attention and due respect he rightfully deserves. Roll on July 16th!

Sources: The Internet Movie DataBase
Photos: Google

The Hidden Gem: Brilliant films you've probably never heard of... The Belleville Rendez-Vous

The world is a cynical place. For example, were I to suggest the idea of spending 80 minutes watching a silent, French animation, you would probably find any excuse to avoid such a perceived punishment.
I'm certain a majority of retorts would include 'what, a cartoon for kids?', or 'oh no, I don't do subtitles'. If, you too, find yourself muttering the same narrow minded thoughts, then be prepared to miss out on something truly special.

Les triplettes de Belleville, or The Belleville Rendez-Vous as was per UK release title, is one of those obscure films that, whilst some may find odd, others will find utterly enchanting.
The story follows Champion who, trained by his little old grandmother Madame Souza (complete with clubbed foot), is obsessed with cycling and is preparing for the Tour de France. During the race Champion goes missing, suspicious he has been kidnapped, Madame Souza, along with their overweight and lazy dog Bruno, set off on a journey to rescue him.

To address said qualities of its silent nature, it does have small amounts of dialogue (albeit it in French) at various points, but the story is told in such a brilliant way that it has little need for dialogue at all.

The films strongest point has to be its stylistic approach, with the animation as its most appealing factor. Forget anything in the realm of Disney because these uniquely designed characters are like nothing you've ever seen and have such a sense of originality, makes it impossible not to fall in love with.
In fact, the characters are so aesthetically intriguing, the simple yet effective story plays a back seat, as you find yourself visually enthralled by director Sylvain Chomet's artistry.

The story has a sophisticated level of intelligence and humour, rendering it more adult than child orientated, which I always find refreshing in the genre. A simple and charming story coupled by wonderfully created, vibrant characters, give Les triplettes de Belleville acclaim for being not only a memorable, but brilliant film.
Admittedly, it's not going to appeal to everyone, and yes, it has a somewhat freaky look, but if you're searching for something different, then this could be for you.

Sources: imdb.com
Photos: Les triplettes de Belleville (2003), imdb images

The day I almost walked out of the cinema

Over many, many years I have excitedly scurried into a cinema full of optimism with a general positive attitude. However, for every 100 satisfying films, there is one that either, by poor judgement, deceptive trailer, or mere ill fate, absolutely stinks. It's bad. Awful to the point of questioning how on earth such an idea was pitched and commissioned, let alone conceived. Some films I have witnessed, and I use that term due to their sheer horrific nature, make me question why I decided to see such a film in the first place. I'm proud to say that as bad as a film is, I have never left mid-experience.

Gamer (2009) is an example I was (un)lucky enough to see on my Birthday last September. Starring Gerard Butler (whom I still have fond, brutal memories of in 300 (2006)) and the talented Michael C. Hall, a cast, which gave me a glimmer of hope that it might be bearable. I was wrong.

It didn't help that I walked into the theatre a couple of minutes into the film, with the surreal and utterly confusing goings on seeming even more bizarre without a starting point to work from.

So, where to begin? The acting? Story? Characters? Setting? Pacing? Structure? - All truly appalling. Thinking about it now sends a cold, Gerard induced shiver down my spine because it baffles me how genuinely decent actors decide to partake in things that can surely never have seemed like a good idea. Notably Robert De Niro is one whom, after a frankly outstanding career, branched into comedy (why God, why?) and agreed to star in other rubbish, such as Godsend (2004), to name but one.  Gerard hasn't got the decades of quality behind him, so can ill afford to make these mistakes so early.

Surprisingly it was memorable for a bizarre reason. Around a third of the way in the mish mash of colours, weird mise en scene and questionable character actions, made me worry whether my pick ‘n’ mix contained a hallucinogen. It was plain odd, without any relevance and seemed crazy for the sake of it.
The dialogue and 'plot' continued to nose dive into a pit of oblivion and found myself counting down the minutes till I could escape to do, well, absolutely anything else.
The film was epitomised by Hall's dance at the end, which reminded me of Tobey Maguire's embarrassing moves in Spider-Man 3 (2007).

The point I'm making is don't ever watch this. If you are compelled for a bit of Gerard action, then watch 300. You get to see him slaughtering men whilst sporting a magnificent beard.

Sources: Internet Movie DataBase
Photo: Gamer (2009)

The Hidden Gem: Brilliant films you've probably never heard of... Lars and the Real Girl

Occasionally someone will speak fondly of a film you simply never knew existed, naturally sparking a curiosity. No matter how many films you’ve watched, there is always something out there waiting to be discovered. Even rarer, every now and then you hear about this one, amazing film you've never heard of, but simply must see. And yes, sometimes that film turns out to be a brilliant find, a treasure, and all the more sacred because the media haven't sniffed it out and smeared it over every medium possible.

Lars and the Real Girl is one such treasure. So obscure that when I mentioned it in a room of film academics, not one had heard of, let alone seen it, filling me with self indulging superiority.

The narrative follows Lars (Ryan Gosling), a man who finds visiting his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and wife Karin (Emily Mortimer) a mightily stressful task in itself. His social ineptitude is exacerbated at work with the awkward romantic tension between himself and co-worker Margo (Kelli Garner). Just as it would appear Lars isn’t capable of forging relationships, he finally alleviates solitude by ordering a sex doll; he names Bianca, to become his ‘girlfriend’ as well as love rival to Margo. Naturally, the reaction of the tight nit community is to question his emotional stability, but is the point where the film moves in a refreshing direction. Lars attempts to integrate himself and his unconventional lover into community events anticipating acceptance. Rather than have him thrown in the nearest mental asylum, the locals agree to play along with his delusion (somewhat reminisant of The Truman Show) and treat Bianca as a genuine member of the community.

Powerful and emotive at times, the story flows surprisingly well considering the slow pacing in a lengthy film where, to be honest, not a lot actually happens. Lars’ emotional journey is a satisfying one and as things progress, it becomes apparent that the focus is on how Lars understands and comes to terms with his personality disorder. Interestingly the film boldly suggests that the compassion and support of the people surrounding Lars is more effective than any medical solution.

Heart-warming and at times sad, with a contrast of quirky positivity, Lars and the Real Girl is a compelling and thought provoking film. Supported by a cleverly written script and more than adequate performances from Gosling and Mortimer, makes for an entertaining spectacle.

Now go watch it.

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Photos: Google Images
Sources: Internet Movie DataBase