Top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio Films

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most underrated actors of all time. He is a superstar in Hollywood and has been since his leading role in James Cameron's Titanic in 1997. This was the highest grossing film of all time for 12 years and made mega stars out of Kate Winslet and DiCaprio (the latter bombarded by screaming girls ever since) however this may not have helped DiCaprio's career, especially with the direction and choices that he wanted to make.
From the very beginning of his career DiCaprio has been extremely deliberate and selective. His first film This Boys Life (1993) was a prime example of this, he did stunning work opposite Robert De Niro and has only got better since then. This is my list of my favorite Leonardo Dicaprio films. Let me know what you think.


10 - Django Unchained (2012)
Quentin Tarantino's violent western stars Jamie Foxx as Django a slave rescued and freed by a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz). In return for helping him kill the men on his list Waltz promises to assist Django in rescuing his wife from a malicious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  Extremely violent but the usual artful Tarantino shots.






9 - Gangs of New York (2002)
Leo's first venture with Martin Scorsese, he plays Amsterdam Vallon an Irish immigrant in America. In 1863 he returns to the Five points area of New York to seek revenge on Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis) the most aggressive and notorious gang leader in the area who murdered his father (Liam Neeson in a minuscule but memorable part). Vallon must infiltrate the gang and get close to Bill, he does this with the help of Cameron Diaz' petty thief Jenny Everdeane. A unique period gangster film and the start of a beautiful friendship for DiCaprio and Scorsese.



8 - J. Edgar (2011)
Leo plays the infamous J. Edgar Hoover, the most powerful and influential head of the F.B.I America has ever had in Clint Eastwood's  biopic. The film takes a look back at his rise to power and also a look into his little known private life. A strange film, but with a great performance from Leo, as the sexually confused Hoover with a mother complex.





7 - Inception (2010)
Leo starred in Chris Nolan's head scratcher about dreams and extracting them from the mind. In a stunning visual film DiCaprio's performance still stands out, he plays the extractor Cobb who is hired by clients to delve into dreams. However he has another agenda involving a past life, he is desperate to get back to.






6 - Catch Me if you Can (2002)
In Steven Spielberg's crime caper Leo plays real life con and fraud artist Frank Abagnale Jr. who forged millions of dollars worth of checks whilst impersonating a Pan Am Pilot, a Doctor and a Lawyer. He is pursued by the F.B.I agent Carl Hanratty played by Tom Hanks.







5 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
An early film in his career but one of his best performances, a prime example of his ability to inhabit a character. Johnny Depp is the title character Gilbert Grape who is charged with looking after his 18 year old brother Arnie who is autistic. DiCaprio is stunning as the mentally challenged younger brother getting in the way of Gilbert living his life. Leo was nominated for his first Oscar for this performance in the Best Supporting Actor Category.

4 - Shutter Island (2010)
Another DiCaprio - Scorsese collaboration, Leo plays US Marshal Teddy Daniels who travels to the titular Shutter Island which houses the criminally insane. He and his new partner are called to the island when a prisoner escapes. But all is not what it seems, there is something suspicious about the staff and Daniels has another agenda in visiting the island. An excellent performance from DiCaprio with many levels and emotional range.




3 - The Aviator (2004)
In one of his best pairings with Scorsese, DiCaprio plays the film director come aviator Howard Hawks. This film won him another Academy Award nomination which was well deserved. It placed DiCaprio's Hawks alongside many famous faces, like Cate Blanchett's award winning performance as Katherine Hepburn. Howard Hawks is well known for his problems, ocd in the most severe form and drug use to combat pain caused by multiple serious air crashes.




2 - Titanic (1997)
James Cameron's take on the real life maritime disaster stars Leo as Jack Dawson opposite Kate Winslet as two lovers fighting the class system and the sinking of the most famous ship of the day. This film was the highest grossing film of all time for 12 years until Cameron broke his own record with Avatar (2009). It made DiCaprio the biggest star in the world.




1 - The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)
This is a film I have recently seen for the first time, Leo is in almost every scene of the movie. This is a film about excess, excess in the most extreme degree, this performance has Leo on a knifes edge for the majority of the running time. He can switch from fun and playful to aggressive and insulting in no time at all, due mostly to the impossible amount of drugs he was taking daily. He plays the real life stock broker Jordan Belfort who was illegally taking money from his clients, and eventually his millions caught up with him and he was jailed. This is the performance of a life time and definitely the greatest he has ever given.


Well that's my list, there are many other great films he has been in and there will no doubt be many more. He is obviously very driven and very career minded, he picks films for a purpose and puts a lot of research into his roles. I'm convinced that he will win an Academy Award one day, maybe even for The Wolf of Wall Street in March, if he doesn't there is a major injustice in the world.

Let me know what you think of DiCaprio's work, do you agree with the list?
Please comment below. Until next time.