Seriously? Leonardo?

The first memory I have of Leonardo Di Caprio is his role in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?", a great movie in which I think he did a fantastic job. I recall thinking that this was a kid with a lot of talent. But soon that image was supplanted by his role in 'Titanic', where he did not act quite as well and displayed a sort of egoistic arrogance that was not very appealing.

Ever since the Titanic, I've never really taken him too seriously as an actor, although he has been quite a prolific one. One would think that his long experience with acting, and the ups and downs of his career, would have given him a better grasp of the silver screen, but I have not found it so. Granted, I never saw The Aviator or Catch Me If You Can, both supposed to be good movies, but frankly the previews did not really capture my imagination. I loved Gangs of New York, but more for the directing and the topic than the acting. He was good, but not great, in that movie.

But recently I have seen two movies in which I believe Leonardo has come into his own. The first was 'The Departed', a well designed film that put him on screen with some great actors such as Nicholson and Damon. So it's no lowly compliment when I say that he was the best actor in that film by far. Not only was he believable, but he created a persona out of his lines that was engaging and interesting both in action and drama sequences.

Today I saw 'Blood Diamond', and once again I was impressed with Di Caprio's acting abilities. Working with a topic more engaging than in 'The Departed', but perhaps with a less veteran cast or director, he carried this movie and turned what could have been a cheezy political commentary into a somewhat compelling drama involving not only politics, but a human tragedy. That egoism that surfaced in the Titanic has disappeared, replaced with a sort of vulnerability that carries well on screen.

Bravo Leonardo. Keep it up. Next on my viewing list for this holiday break: The Good Shephard.