David Edelstein is getting a lot of focus today but that’s because he’s done a holiday movie blowout, where he talks about many of the films upcoming. Meryl Streep is praised, along with Viola Davis for Doubt and here are other juicy tidbits worth reading. It’s interesting what he has to say though his reviews of Revolutionary Road and Benjamin Button seem to hover right in the middle. Here is what he says about Leonardo DiCaprio doing his very best work in Revolutionary Road:
Yet those vacillations are something to see. Unlike many child actors who’ve made the successful transition to grown-up roles, DiCaprio hasn’t evolved in predictable ways—there are no clear lines of demarcation. His boys were unusually centered, his adults unusually boyish. His wide face still carries some insulating baby-fat, like Elvis Presley’s and Bill Clinton’s (before the latest weight loss), and Mendes uses that insulation against him, sometimes cruelly: What was self-assured and spring-heeled in Titanic now looks dodgy. Mendes and Winslet push DiCaprio to places he has never been. At the height of her fury, April flays Frank, and both the character and the actor have nowhere to hide. DiCaprio loses his sure balance, his control, and has never been more vulnerable or electrifying: Winslet has forced him into the moment.
And about Winslet:
Well, she could force anyone into the moment. In Revolutionary Road, her emotions are too big for her face; she’s such an elastic actress, so in tune with her characters’ feelings, that her features seem to expand or contract in every scene. Her movements are wary, overly tight, like a woman no longer at home in her body; and when she releases that tension and moves in on DiCaprio, it’s as if she’s finally able to breathe. There is a cost to that freedom: April demolishes the marriage to survive, yet she might not be equipped to survive its demolition. There isn’t a banal moment in Winslet’s performance—not a gesture, not a word. Is Winslet now the best English-speaking film actress of her generation? I think so.
No Response for "DiCaprio, “Electrifying,” NY Magazine Says"
Awesome. Strong words. I’m still incredibly excited for this film and maintain that it will be a big player at this year’s Oscars.
And my bold prediction, one I had ever since October, still remains: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio will both win Lead Actor trophies for this film.
Not happening, The Natural, even if she deserves it.
Uh, yeah, she’s definitely in the running.
It won’t happen because Rourke is winning Best Actor. Actress is still up in the air. Kate could win it. She wants to win and will be doing the requisite winner’s walk. She doesn’t have the critics, yet.
It’s sad that DiCaprio probably won’t even get nominated for an Oscar (or a SAG). He’s getting raves for this role.
And despite three prior Oscar nominations, DiCaprio still get very little respect from the critics. In 2006, he got outstanding reviews for “The Departed,” and yet not one critics award.
It’s too bad the critics can’t overlook their reservations about the movie and at least reward the acting achievements here.
Why will Kate not win for the role?
The Academy had a perfect opportunity to award Kate Winslet an Oscar in 2004 for her electrifying performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and they blew it. Now it seems as though she’s going to rob Kristin Scott Thomas (I haven’t seen anyone come close to what she did yet) of her Oscar to “make up” for that. Oh well, maybe that’s commonplace at the Academy Awards: awarding long-overdue Oscars for overrated performances to make up for superior yet overlooked ones in the past.
Robert have you even seen Kate’s amazing performance?
And let’s hear the nominations before we speculate who robbed who.
Sadly, I think you’re right Wallflower. Another Leo nomination this year is too much to hope for.
I have this creeping feeling that Leo won’t be really recognized for his work for like 10 more years. Whether they feel he’s still to young (which he isn’t) or not good enough yet (which isn’t true). Hopefully he’s still making good choices that far down the road.
Though Mickey Rourke would certainly be a worthy Best Actor winner, I still think Sean Penn is going to get the prize unless he starts acting up with the press.
I wish the producers of RR had released the film earlier to build some buzz.
That makes me so happy. Thanks for this. I love reading about Kate, but Leo. When I read about him, like this, it makes me smile so wide. He is so awesome. As is Kate of course. And together again. I cannot wait to see RR!
I’m so hoping for them. I’ve my fingers crossed, now until the nods come out!
Of course Winslet is good in this film, because she doesn’t do anything else.
I would love to see Kate take on a different type of character. The neglected, abused and put upon wife is getting old.
What, Terri? Apart from Little Children and Titanic, Winslet rarely plays that type of character.
Leo and Kate both do their best work yet in this film, and I guess it’s Sam Mendes’ best film to date too. Seriously, it’s one of my favourite films of the year, definitely getting a spot in my top ten list.
Terri – in actual fact, Winslet plays the abuser in Revolutionary Road more than anything else, of herself first and foremost. She has not played this particular type of character before, it’s such a hard character to define anyway (thank god Yates had a broader mind than your stereotypical one), but she does play April better than any other character she ever has. Okay, except maybe for Clementine in ‘Eternal Sunshine.’ Winslet is the best actress of her generation – period, and she isn’t afraid to play “ostensibly” similar roles from time to time, but if you look a little closer, dig a little deeper, she shades them vastly differently each and every time. All you have to do is notice.
Well said, Nick.
Wait, Why is everyone dismissing a nom for Leo? Just because we’re hearing a lot from the critics as of late, doesn’t mean this thing is done and dusted.
Despite being not getting a nomination for the Departed he was nominated for Blood Diamond, where the academy seemed to be doing their best to get around some category confusion and put him a stronger position; they seem to like him if anything.
Moreover, while the multiple front-runners for Best Actor this year are all very strong, there are relatively few possible nominees at this point; just two of the seven mention in the tracker will miss out and that could just as easily be Brad Pitt, or Richard Jenkins, or even Clint Eastwood. I’d say Leo is in a much stronger position than at least the first two
Leave a reply
All comments should respect the Awards Daily House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please let us know, quoting the comment in question.