The Best and Worst of Leonardo DiCaprio

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Films starring Leonardo DiCaprio that I've seen:
Titanic
Catch Me If You Can
The Aviator
The Departed
Blood Diamond
Body of Lies
Revolutionary Road
Shutter Island
Inception
Django Unchained
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Revenant 

Best Performance: Revolutionary Road (2008)
DiCaprio has never shied away from a challenging role at any point during his storied career and while it's certainly not his most acclaimed or well-known contribution to the world of cinema, I found this to be his most transformative and rewarding performance by far. His turn as a 30-year old man, who along with his wife (an equally superb Kate Winslet) have become disgruntled with their seemingly idyllic life in suburban Connecticut, paints a heartbreakingly convincing picture of an emotionally-conflicted person who believes he sacrificed his identity in exchange for a safe existence that isn't nearly as fulfilling as he had hoped.

Worst Performance: The Revenant (2015)
It's really a damn shame that this had to be the role for which the Academy handed DiCaprio his "Sorry for not giving you one sooner" Oscar. Like the movie itself, his performance in The Revenant is a repulsive piece of "look at me" showmanship that has nothing going on beneath its faux deep arthouse surface. No amount of grunting, foaming at the mouth and pained expressions could convince me that Hugh Glass was anything more than a boring protagonist in the most pretentious revenge movie ever made.

Best Film: The Departed (2006)
Mob movies have helped define Martin Scorsese's legacy as a director. Of all his outstanding contributions to this iconic subgenre, this sits at the top of my list of favorites. The Departed is a masterfully-crafted crime saga that is overflowing with terrific dialogue, vivid characters, sensational acting, unexpected narrative turns and nerve-frying tension.

Worst Film: Titanic (1997)
Here marks the precious moment in time where James Cameron's artistry went down the toilet. Due to my age, Titanic was the first movie of his that I ever saw and let me tell you, I just can't understand how the same person behind this 52,310 ton cinematic garbage vessel could also be responsible for birthing an elite action sci-fi franchise in Terminator. Titanic is a monumental, insufferable bore whose mere mention fills my soul with gloom. Its corny writing, bloated runtime and obnoxious characters made this type of unrelentingly tedious watch you hope to never have to endure as a movie fan.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Hobbs & Shaw” star Jason Statham.