MovieChat Forums > J. Edgar (2011) Discussion > Leo needs to break his habits..

Leo needs to break his habits..

posted 12 years ago by bs-2010
199 replies | jump to latest

It seems as though ever since the Departed Leo has been carrying along the same acting traits from character to character. I saw this trailer and he is doing the same squinty eyed, whispering line delivery that he did in the Departed, Inception, Shutter Island, and Body of Lies. He is doing the same serious eye-brow frown that he has done is his characters since the Departed. I like Leo especially in Gilbert Grape, the Aviator, and the Departed but it seems as though he has been doing the same thing since the Departed as far as how he portrays characters. Anyone else notice this?

[–] archer6749 12 years ago

HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT LEO THAT WAY!!! YOU OUGHT TO BE BEHEADED FOR SAYING THAT ABOUT THE MOST WONDERFUL, SEXY, TALENTED ACTOR GOD HAS EVER PUT ON THIS EARTH!!!

Lol, actually I do agree with you. He is a good actor but he's actually been doing that stuff long before The Departed.

Proud Leo fan since 1993
leofans.webs.com

[–] Booth1 12 years ago

I agree.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] EvieLee-NBH 12 years ago

Lol, I gotta agree with Mrx on this one. That's just his face man, you can't exactly help that.

I am you and what I see is me.

[–] FiveRebelSeven 12 years ago

It is not a conscious decision. It is his face. Every face has its own unique characteristics. His are just a little more exaggerated. He is still a terrific actor.

[–] bs-2010 12 years ago

Well trust me I'm not posting this to be "edgy and original" and if I am then you are just mainstream and ignorant (obnoxious isn't it?)

Everybody obviously has a face that can make that movement. However I don't see other actors making a squished face look every time they have a serious line to deliver to another character.

[–] jakkals 12 years ago

no, he is an excellent actor.

he totally blew me away in revolutionary road.

~~~ "what *beep* said that!" ~~~

[–] reddpill 12 years ago

Revolutionary Road was the last movie that I walked out on. I know a lot of people thought it was great, but I found it had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, including DiCaprio's acting. He blew you away, but he just annoyed me. I do agree with others that the squint thing is more of a physical characteristic than anything, though.

[–] valid-opinion 12 years ago

Huh? Excellent acting all around, not to mention Michael Shannon. What more were you looking for?

[–] ferreira0665 11 years ago

I think you need to give the movie another shot as his performance. His character had no redeeming qualities but I believe the performance in question comes at the last argument he has with his wife and how it ends. That is was one of the most gut wrenching scenes because what they say to one another. It almost makes you feel sick. In the script, DiCaprio is supposed to be just shaking with anger when he says something. But in the movie he is doing that but due to being emotionally hurt he is also on the verge of tears. That was the point where I was like Kate is great in this but DiCaprio wow.

[–] Aly200 12 years ago

I agree, everything Leo does is the best. My mom agrees because she says he has never done a bad movie just like I always say.

Proud Leo fan since 1993 :)

[–] DazeOfHeaven69 12 years ago

kiera knightly always pushes out her lip when she tries to be serious

[–] whitespirit26 12 years ago

True, Daze, and I find that lip of hers a lot mote annoying than Leo's frown.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] deadbunny28 12 years ago

whats eating gilbert grape

[–] ledgerina 12 years ago

Me too.

"If we are always guided by other peoples thoughts, whats the point of having our own?"

[–] Danielxone 12 years ago

the thing you're overlooking is that people are rather simple creatures especially on the surface.

when a particular individual smiles...there's a certain way they smile and so on and so forth for every emotion..

you're seeing this as a limitation to leo as an actor but it's just his limitation as a human that everyone else has.

i think the reason you're seeing this is because leo has changed a lot physically.

before the departed he had very boyish features...his face is now filling out. he's got the more manly cheek muscles probably from working out and straining.

so, he's playing more serious roles and in a different way since the departed...as opposed to the boyish smiles of titanic etc..

[–] corinnacarpenter 12 years ago

I agree with you about the squished face thing.

Marry me,Bob Gunton!

[–] vatsal-desai-a 11 years ago

Yeh sorry buddy what u said is right he does have that face thing which kinda makes you think he is just being himself and not acting. but i said sorry cos i agree with what others said, which is that its a physical thing and u cant help it. I was looking in the mirror and trying to answer interview questions which is when i realised i have a lot of bad habits which i wasnt aware of. and u most probably notice cos he has been in very good roles and acted really well which is why u have noticed it cos you have noticed him as an actor.

and ye that bad habit thing is what i learned from entourage which in season 5 which is when the director said actors noawadays have bad habits and gave example of george clooney with that arrogant head tilt back that he does.

but ye every actor has a thing he does (just like every person has a thing he does). as an audience you have to jsut realise that this is still jsut story telling and make believe at the end of the day and you have to kinda use or imagination a bit to fill in the gaps. i mean he is not exactly gonna look like howard hughes, etc. so try and just enjoy the story put forward by hard working people. if you have have a acting school that you are trying to promote or something then maybe you could try and contact Leo himself instead of trying to sound smart on this forum.(sorry if the last statement seems hostile, i didnt mean for it to come out this mean)

if u noticed it, it just means u noticed him as an actor.

also every actor does it, Ryan has a thing, Brad pitt and goerge clooney have obvious things they do.daniel craig definitely, even johnny depp has. and oddly enough, jack nicholson has the eyebrow thing. and even the Al Pacino has subtle traits he does.

anyway my point being, no one is perfect, but everyone is just trying to do their job earnestly so instead of nit picking, jsut enjoy what they present :)

wow, sorry for that lecture btw

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] K-san 12 years ago

If this is true, than I must say I now feel bad for Lenny D.

I have noticed he has always done that thing with his brows. Even in his early movies.

Maybe it is just more noticeable now.

- We're just here for the schadenfreude and finger foods!

[–] pjpoconnell 12 years ago

Whatever Leo C. did in other movies, the furrowed brow, etc., were definitely physical traits of the real J. Edgar.

[–] runtheplacered 12 years ago

"The "serious eye-brow frown" isn't a conscious choice. That's just how his face works."

Your logic is flawed. He's supposed to be an actor. An actor who has control of their facial expressions, body language, and extremities amongst other things.

"that everybody else has stated thinking they're being edgy and original."

Ridiculous. Just because somebody brings up a flaw doesn't mean they're thinking about anything other than that flaw itself. Stick to the topic at hand, rather then going off on nonexistent tangents backed with 0 evidence.

I don't think Leo is a bad actor at all, but you're being all weird about pointing out a couple of flaws. Get a hold of yourself.

[–] OakBoy 12 years ago

Could not agree more. People, he is an actor.
By the way I think he is pretty good.

[–] zubutix 12 years ago

I thaught it was an actors job to change behaviour during takes... Or maybe the directors in all the latest movies with Leo wanted him to be exactly like that. Who knows. I do know that actors less talented can change ticks, behaviours, voice and everything else. Even looks (make up).

So there is no defending that an actor does the same physical moves in every movie. Thats usually how you lose immersion as you think of the actor in other movies when you should be totally immersed in the one you currently watches. Thats how it works for me anyway. Thats why i sometimes want less known (even unknown) actors for realistic movies.

"If only you could see what i've seen with your eyes"

[–] WhiameTB 12 years ago

I thought DiCaprio is very different in this movie. Almost unrecognizable.

That said though, why should actors change from movie to movie to the point of being unrecognizable in each of them? That is ridiculous.

[–] morganseer 12 years ago

Because we like to be by their performance.

[–] causewayking 12 years ago

not arguing you but in this movie, like most leo movies, I see the character and not the actor. I think he owns almost every role he takes. I think Dicaprio is one of the best of all time.

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[–] madman1978 12 years ago

I don't get what people mean in this case by saying "He's an actor whose supposed to be in control of his facial expressions" when it's not an expression that he's putting on, it's just what he looks like. When you see him angry his eyebrows are like that, when he's smiling they're also like that, it's just the way his eyebrows are shaped. It would be like telling an actor with a big nose during a scene that they suddenly need to make it smaller.

[–] JDioon 12 years ago

"That's just how his face works." This line nearly made me laugh, save that it shines with blatant stupidity. Let's use, for your field of reference, some comtemporary actors to disprove this utterance: Heath Ledger and Christian Bale. If an actor were to say: "Well, that's just how my face works.", he would cease to be an actor from that very instant.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] SausagePourVous 11 years ago

Look at Del Toro...Day-Lewis? Actors with a million faces and a million voicers...if it on some level isn´t a concious choice...then he is one of those actors that more or less portray themselves....Or? Control your facialmuscles,man,you have 150.

Acting is becoming someone else. Watch Jeffrey Wright and you shall comprehend it a little bit. He is not supposed to project HIS feelings about a situation but his characters...who isn´t stuck with that exprssion when intense.squinting... great actor,charisma is great but his"HUH?" in EVERY film for ten years is getting a bit too much...

Even good actors can have faults,bro...and some are moviestars,not brilliant actors... he is really good but needs to work on this and that to Become a character,So I don´t watxch DiCaprio as DiCaprio. Aaaaaaiiight? Aight then.... Huh is way more annoying.

[–] MarkyyyMark 12 years ago

They're called mannerisms. Everyone has them and you do them unconsciously. You're only pointing out Leo's because his are slightly less subtly than say Daniel Day-Lewis's. Though if his mannerisms are the only thing that you can think of as a flaw then I suppose you're right. Leo deserves an Oscar and god forbid someone on the board doesn't cross him off because he/she idiotically calls him out for something he can't consciously control.

[–] tpsully1 12 years ago

yes they are just mannerisms, look at actors like Marty Feldman who's eyes would bug out and he would make uncontrolled sound effects, or just like the guy in Police Academy who did the siren sound. Or Curly who had a very indiosyncratic laugh. It's our little differences that make the world go around, variety is the spice of life.

[–] bs-2010 12 years ago

Yes but isn't the point of acting to lose all of your personal mannerisms and create an entirely new character? Daniel Day-Lewis does not carry the same mannerisms over from film to film so Leo's are more apparent not less subtle. Leo is just playing himself over and over again his last several films. I'm by no means saying he is a bad actor. Everyone enjoys jumping to conclusions and gets all defensive because god forbid one of their favorite actors receives some criticism. Leo is one of my favorite actors and it is a bit childish to say that I "idiotically" call of him on something he can't control...it is his job to control these things. Heath Ledger's Joker would have been much more boring if he didn't lose his own mannerisms and give the Joker new ones.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] bs-2010 12 years ago

Ace-among-Kings thank you for giving a real response rather than "you're an idiot". Most people that read this don't realize that he is one of my favorite actors but I've just been thinking his recent performances have been rather boringly acted. Yes I did notice some of those things but the difference I feel is that when I see Daniel Plainview or Bill the Butcher or the Joker I feel like the character is his own unique character. When I've been watching Leo recently I feel like I'm just watching Leo talk in different accents.

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[–] sith56 12 years ago

Day-Lewis IS a character actor. Don't compare him to a traditional actor.

[–] bs-2010 12 years ago

So you're saying it is okay for Leo to act the same in every movie.

[–] paulgeaf 12 years ago

[–] bs-2010 12 years ago

'Yes but isn't the point of acting to lose all of your personal mannerisms and create an entirely new character?'

In a word: No.

I don't know what book you got that out of but it is far from true!

GeaF

What would you say the point of acting is then? Why do actors go do research about the person they are portraying if attempting to adopt their mannerisms and personalities isn't important? If I'm going to see a movie like J Edgar I want to believe that I'm watching J Edgar..not a mashup of Billy Costigan, Howard Hughes, Teddy Daniels, and Amsterdam Vallon.

[–] korn_kid_mike 12 years ago

are you kidding me this movie looks effing aswome.

[–] Xerxes_Punk 12 years ago

Lol.Dude everyone has their own habits.
look at robert de niro.If you look at his early work,you see that some of his reaction and acting traits are the same but he still is one of the best actors of all time

[–] Mr-bravestone 12 years ago

LOL at people trying to tell actors how to act. Multiple Oscar nominations suggest he knows what he is doing.

http://twitter.com/MrBravestone
^
Follow my LA acting adventure!! :)

[–] 12 years ago

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