Top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio Films
Leonardo DiCaprio's film history is filled with outstanding performances that have been well received by critics, making it hard to pick only 10 that stand out. Before his film career, DiCaprio appeared in television commercials, and then appeared in the soap opera Santa Barbara and the sitcom Growing Pains. DiCaprio's first big screen appearance was in the comedic sci-fi horror film Critters 3 (1991). DiCaprio then starred in notable roles including This Boy's Life (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Romeo + Juliet (1996). He achieved international fame with his performance in James Cameron's Titanic in 1997.
Although he has never won an Oscar, in his acting career so far, DiCaprio was nominated for three Academy Awards and nine Golden Globe Awards. He received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in 2004 for his performance in The Aviator. DiCaprio also received nominations by the Screen Actors Guild, Satellite Awards, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. DiCaprio's most notable films include his roles in The Departed, Django Unchained, and Inception.
DiCaprio is currently nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street where he plays a stock broker who runs a firm that engages in security fraud and corruption on Wall Street in the 1990s. The Golden Globe Awards will air Sunday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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10. J. Edgar
In J. Edgar, DiCaprio plays J. Edgar Hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. We are shown his life as an FBI director who was admired and feared. We see what happened behind closed doors and the secrets he kept from the world about his personal life that could have destroyed his image and career.
Most critics praised DiCaprio's role in the film, however they felt the film as a whole could have been more coherent. J. Edgar was well acted by DiCaprio, he shined as the lead role, but could not save the unclear organization of the film. Still, it is one of his most notable roles.
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9. Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is about the life of Frank Abagnale who cons the world by posing as a Pan American Airlines pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor, all before his 19 birthday. He was most successful in check fraud, so much that the FBI hired him to catch other people involved in check fraud.
This film is thoroughly entertaining, and DiCaprio's role was highly praised. He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. The film was a box office success, making over $350 million worldwide. Altogether, this film was witty, entertaining, and visually appealing, getting rave reviews from both fans and critics.
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8. What's Eating Gilbert Grape
What's Eating Gilbert Grape tells the story of Gilbert, who has to take care of his mentally challenged brother and his morbidly obese mother, all under the same roof, with no father figure. We follow the day to day life as he struggles with work and taking care of his family. When Becky comes to town, Gilbert turns over a new leaf and starts to open up and find himself.
This emotional role was one of DiCaprio's earlier work. his part as a mentally challenged kid was praised by critics for his emotional intensity and his ability to reach out to the audience and connect with them.
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7. The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby follows the life of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his dramatic lifestyle in the roaring twenties. The story is told in the view of Gatsby's neighbor, Nick Carraway. He recounts the time of chaos and corruption involving Gatsby, telling the story of what happened behind the doors of the rich and fabulous.
The film was praised for its colorful theatrics and set design, making it very appealing to watch. DiCaprio did a wonderful job portraying the rich but tormented soul of Jay Gatsby. The film altogether was well acted and well received by fans of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name.
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6. Titanic
Titanic tells the story of an old woman who recalls her time spent on the largest ship of its time, the Titanic. She tells the story of falling in love with Jack, a lower class American who won a chance to be on the ship after winning a card game. Despite their class difference the two fall in love and struggle to survive together after the ship hits an iceberg and starts sinking.
Directed, written, co-produced, co-edited and partly financed by James Cameron, Titanic gained critical and commercial success. It was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning 11. DiCaprio was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor. His passionate role was widely praised and instantly became am instant classic.
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5. Inception
Inception follows Dominick Cobb who creates espionage by dwelling into the subconscious of his targets. He is then given a chance of going back to his old life by completing a task that seems to be impossible.
Inception is filled with great acting, great cinematography, great story, and great entertainment. The film as a whole puts your mind to work, and DiCaprio's character is there to help guide audiences through the journey. His character is emotional, torn, and strong and weak at the same time. His role alone will make you fall in love with the movie. His great acting and the great film makes for a perfect combination.
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4. The Departed
An undercover cop is assigned as a mole in an Irish gang. A mole from that gang is set out to spy on the police force. When both sides learn that they have a mole, they must try to find out the other's identity so that their cover isn't blown.
With an all-star cast including DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen to name a few, this film was set up for success from the beginning. DiCaprio received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his role. Though he did not win, he was still excellent in the film, and his role was well received by movie critics.
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3. The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street follows the story of Jordan Belfont, a wealthy stockbroker who's living a fabulous life, but is brought down by corruption, crime, and the government.
While many critics and fans believed that the film glorified the excessive lifestyle is depicted, I believe it shows Belfort's fall just as well as his journey to the top. DiCaprio plays the arrogant rich guy very well, and his role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, and will be known as one of his best, well-performed films, out of many.
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2. Django Unchained
Django Unchained is the story of a German bounty hunter, Schultz, who buys a slave named Django. After learning of his familiarity with his current bounty target, Schultz offers Django his freedom once he helps him. After working through the winter together, Schultz offers Django help to rescue his wife.
Leonardo DiCaprio dominated the second half of this film. Whenever he was on screen he demanded your attention. His role was well acted and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Christoph Waltz whom he worked alongside. Nevertheless, DiCaprio did a superb job. Despite cutting his hand severely in one scene, he went on acting, incorporated his wound, and later got stitches.
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1. The Aviator
The Aviator follows the story of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer who became the worlds wealthiest man. It follows his life from the late 1920s to 1947, where he became seriously unstable due to his obsessive-compulsive disorder which grew worse by airplane crashes.
The film as a whole was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Actor for DiCaprio, and won 5. Though DiCaprio did not win the Academy Award, he did receive the Golden Globe for Best Actor. Watching this film, you follow DiCaprio as his character's OCD grew worse and worse. He brought true emotion and understand to Hughes' condition. His role was praised by critics, and the film was a box office success.