A patient has disappeared from Shutter Island Hospital US marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is called in to investigate… and it becomes a hell of an investigation, a trip into his own sanity and memories. I don’t want to give away too much, and don’t think I could anyway even if I wanted to as it’s extremely complicated, but the confusion you’re made to sit through as a viewer is exactly what the film wants you to feel. I love watching DiCaprio play crazy, and this is the craziest he has ever played. He is absolutely superb in this film.
A biopic of Howard Hughes, like his many endeavours from film directing/producing to aviation, his OCD and his womanising ways, the film feels like a jumbled up montage. This is both what makes the film enjoyable (personally) and what fails to make it a masterpiece as it doesn’t feel like there is any clear route or direction it’s headed in. I don’t necessarily think that a film must have a well structured story, but in this case I understand that some people may have felt they were up in the air, wanting to put their feet onto the ground. But regardless of whether it’s perfectly structured or not, the direction is brilliant and the acting is amazing (even Kate Beckinsale). It’s perfectly enjoyable and is great cinema!
8) This Boy’s Life (1993) dir. Michael Caton-Jones
Based on the memoirs of writer Tobias Wolff, this is about a
mother, Caroline Wolff (Ellen Barkin) and son Tobias ‘Jack’ Wolff (DiCaprio)
who escape from Caroline’s abusive boyfriend and search for a place of comfort,
in the 1950s. Caroline meets Dwight (Robert De Niro), who seems a nice guy, and
they marry and move to his hometown. Dwight then turns out to be a selfish and
abusive douche. They live under his ‘control’ in this small and caged town,
until one day Tobias learns that that may not have to be the case. It’s a sad
story because many people do live this way and may not be able to find an
escape route. The acting is great, the dialogue is great, very witty at times,
and the story is told incredibly well. The film is, like I said, quite sad, but
also gives you hope at the same time.
7) Marvin’s Room (1996) dir. Jerry Zaks
Lee (Meryl Streep) and Bessie (Diane Keaton) are sisters but
they haven’t spoken in 17 years. Through Bessie’s Leukemia and her need for a
marrow transplant, Lee and her sons Hank (DiCaprio) and Charlie (Hal Scardino) travel to see Bessie and reignite the sisterly relationship. Hank is a troubled youngster, put into a
mental institute after trying to set their house on fire, and we watch him
soften and learn to care for others. It’s a sweet little film with a pretty amazing
cast (Robert De Niro is also in the film, playing Bessie’s doctor), and
DiCaprio doesn’t falter at all. He adds depth to his character, and is very
entertaining to watch.
6) Titanic (1997) dir. James Cameron
I’ve watched Titanic many many times, but the more I watch
it, the less the terrible sadness becomes about Jack and Rose, but I am
reminded and I see that every single passenger on that boat had a family, or a
lover, that they were torn away from each other. Humanity is shown in its
truest form, both in good ways and bad ways. DiCaprio plays Jack, the poor guy, and Kate Winslet, Rose, the rich girl. DiCaprio and Winslet have great chemistry; though their story is the narrative that you follow, ultimately this is a film about
humanity, and the film succeeds in carrying that weight and depth forward to
the audience.
5) The Basketball Diaries (1995) dir. Scott Kalvert
Based on the real life published journals of Jim Carroll, the
film essentially is about the effects of heroin on Carroll, played by DiCaprio,
and his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. We also watch
Carroll confront the realisation of mortality and explore his sexual angst. The reoccurring voiceover narration reminds us
that this isn’t just a druggie film, it’s a true story. I enjoy this so
much because of DiCaprio’s performance. He is completely convincing as a mischievous youth who’s life spirals out of control. We’d seen him play all sorts of
characters before but it was the first time seeing such a dark and desperate side of him. He makes the film an engaging experience, and I think this
is one of his best performances ever.
4) Blood Diamond (2006) Edward Zwick
DiCaprio (Danny Archer) and Djimon Hounsou (Solomon Vandy)
give incredible performances in this film set in Sierra
Leone (though not filmed there) about the diamond
trade. Now I hardly know anything about the history or the politics or the diamond
trade in Africa , but I don’t feel that there was any
unnecessary violence, and I sensed the characters inside the film to be as
horrified by the violence as we the audience are. I’ve also read praising reviews
by people who are knowledgeable about the issue, so there you go. As a film it’s
perfect. A solid script, brought to life by great directing, characters which
draw us in, incredible acting, and I also love the beautiful music by James
Newton Howard.
3) The Departed (2006) dir. Martin Scorsese
A remake of the Hong Kong film ‘Internal Affairs’, Billy
(DiCaprio) works for Boston mafia chief Costello (Jack Nicholson) but is
secretly on the side of the Massachusetts Police. Likewise, Colin Sullivan
(Matt Damon) who works for the police, is secretly on the side of Costello. I’m
sure that could’ve been worded better but anyway. They discover that there is a
‘rat’ among them, and it becomes a thrilling cat & mouse chase x2 to find
out who the ‘rat’ is. The storytelling is superb and performances are
excellent. Mark Wahlberg’s Sergeant Dignam almost steals the show with his
awesomely witty dialogue and final scene of the film. Great entertainment!
2) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) dir. Lasse Hallström
This is a beautiful, tender and warm film, at times heartbreaking,
about the Grape family. DiCaprio plays Arnie, the retarded younger brother of
Gilbert (Johnny Depp). With so many things on his plate, including their extremely
obese mother who can’t/won’t leave the house, Gilbert becomes a bit of an empty
vessel, putting other people before him, not really finding any pleasures in
life besides the occasional sexual encounters with the married Betty Carver who
shops at his grocery store. He meets Becky (Juliette Lewis), who makes his life
more interesting and opens him up a bit. Gilbert could easily have become a one
dimensional character, but Johnny Depp does a great job by bringing him to life
and making him lovable. DiCaprio does a phenomenal job playing Arnie, to the
extent that some people who didn’t know DiCaprio thought he was a retarded
actor playing the role.
1) Catch Me If You Can (2002) dir. Steven Spielberg
This is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., the
famous conman who passed himself off as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer mainly by
forging cheques and being charming. Played by DiCaprio with such cheek and charm, you’re pulled into
the story and root for him. Tom Hanks plays Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who humorously
chases and tries to catch him. It’s a fun, engaging and funny ride, but there
is depth too. We see how his relationship with his parents, especially his
father, played by the wonderful Christopher Walken, affected his character and
actions, and we also take a peek into his lonely soul through the conversation
we see between Frank and Carl Hanratty over the phone on Christmas Eve. It’s a
film that I watch once every now and then and never get bored by, and I can
just back, relax and enjoy!
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