So, Robert De Niro...is it just me or... (1 Viewer)

[Colin Jacobson]

I defy anyone to offer an example of a lazy or an uncommitted performance from him.

From my review of "Showtime":


"De Niro totally sleepwalks through the film. Not for a moment does he display any of the character or grit that made him a star; he looks like a man collecting a paycheck. "


I didn't look at other reviews to see if I found De Niro to be similarly "uncommitted" in other movies - I suspect I did...

 

[Bob Cashill]

De Niro is just fine as Jennifer Lawrence's dad in Joy. Not his greatest performance, perhaps, but he clearly has rapport with her and David O. Russell (his senior years Scorsese) and he delivers before the forthcoming horror with Zac Efron.

 

[Reed Grele]

I think Robert De Niro has earned the right to do whatever he wants. The only minor gripe that I have with him is that when he's hosted SNL, he will rarelyl do a spoof of any of his classic characters.


Also, he's usually very shy man, and not very forthcoming when I've seen him do impromptu talk show interviews.


Still one of my favorite actors though.

 

[davidmatychuk]

From my review of "Showtime":


"De Niro totally sleepwalks through the film. Not for a moment does he display any of the character or grit that made him a star; he looks like a man collecting a paycheck. "


I didn't look at other reviews to see if I found De Niro to be similarly "uncommitted" in other movies - I suspect I did...

I haven't rewatched "Showtime" since I brought it home on DVD when it was released. I don't remember Robert De Niro being the problem with that one, but I hardly remember it at all. He may have actually played "Man Collecting A Paycheck" for all I know. So I'm going to watch it again soon, to see if I can agree with your opinion.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I've seen him in that and Neighbors. I'm assuming that movie isn't your cup of tea but I thought he actually did a pretty good job at playing R-rated comedy (mostly profanity and not gross-out stuff) in that.

Yes, I did not see Neighbors so, I'm not really sure if it is my cup of tea. I mean I like wacky comedies but a lot of the newer ones just do nothing for me. I think the issue with so many of the newer comedies is they seem so...I guess I would say uninspired and I don't find the actors in them very funny. I also think because I grew up with Mel Brooks stuff, Animal House, Airplane, The Kentucky Fried Movie...just seeing some of these guys doing comedy today seems like a pretty lame echo of much better stuff that came out years ago. In terms of comedians these days I like Lewis Black and Eddie Izzard but they don't seem to be much into making comedy films. I also kind of think comedy is like horror...what makes one person laugh or scares them does not always make another person feel the same way.


As far as Efron goes, yes, I really have not seen enough of him to know what he does. He was fine in the Linklater film about Orson if sort of bland. I mean that was probably in part his character but as an actor he seemed like he did not bring much to the table.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think Robert De Niro is one of the all-time greatest movie actors. He's no longer the protean young Method genius that he was through the 70's, but I defy anyone to offer an example of a lazy or an uncommitted performance from him. The gravitas he carries even in an obvious bit of fluff like "Last Vegas" gave that formulaic comedy what seriousness and depth it had (I really enjoyed it). Unlike many great actors, he's also developed a personal star persona not unlike a Cagney or Bogart, and he's developed it mostly through his long string of Hollywood potboilers. When he's in something like one of his David O. Russell movies, it's clear that he is still a great character actor as well. In his cameo in "American Hustle" he radiates menace like no one else, while in "Silver Linings Playbook" he never lets you forget what a complicated, difficult character his nice father is. So he does a lot of movies. Actors gotta act!

I guess one of the main examples of De Niro walking through a film I would give would be Righteous Kill which also features Al Pacino in collecting paycheck mode. It is a bizarre and horrible film. Poorly written and constructed in pretty much every way. Neither De Niro nor Pacino seems at all invested in what they are doing and basically look like they are wondering what the hell they are doing there. They both knew it too and spoofed and made fun of the film while making the rounds on the late night shows. I was actually excited to see the film because these two guys were in it then my brother saw it before me and warned me not to watch it...but I could not help myself. I wanted to see these two guys together in a crime drama and thought how bad could it really be with two great actors working in a genre they are famous for...well...it is a total train wreck.


They pretty much define lazy and uncommitted acting in the film. It may in fact be the greatest example of lazy and uncommitted ever put on film. It made me wonder what sort of conversations they may have had while they were shooting it. I have no idea how they managed to even complete the film it was so bad. It seems like they just wanted to walk off the set. Their line deliveries were about as inspired as somebody taking your order at the drive thru window.


All that said, I still love De Niro and I know the guy can still give great performances. He is wonderful in Silver Linings. He still wants to do a couple more films with Scorsese...so you know he still has the bug and the desire to do great work. Really, this is what makes it so frustrating to see him do something like Dirty Grandpa...because you know he can do so much better.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I thought "Righteous Kill" was pretty bad, and certainly a huge comedown from "Heat" (never mind "The Godfather Part II"), but I also thought that De Niro was trying to work up a character while Pacino just seemed to be doing some of his hollering shtick. It really came off as an inept, slapdash effort, like they only had enough money in the budget for De Niro and Pacino and nothing else, but to me it showed De Niro refusing to bail on a hopeless movie. I'll probably never watch "Righteous Kill" again, but not because of him.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, I agree with you David. To me, it was Pacino that mailed in his performance not De Niro in that film. Again, everybody is welcome to their opinion, but to call De Niro lazy in his acting is something I can't agree with. Anyhow, we appear to be spinning our wheels in this thread so I'll bow out from it because there isn't any common ground between the two sides in this argument.

 

[Ruz-El]

This buzzfeed pretty much sums it all up: "The Shaming of Robert De Niro"


http://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/the-shaming-of-robert-de-niro#.ox0vDQNx8o

 

[Reed Grele]

I know. But how can you not love a title like Dirty Grandpa?

 

[Mark Booth]

This is an absolutely awesome movie poster!!

Love it, love it, love it!


Mark

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The poster is probably better than the film and takes up a lot less of your time to view.

 

[Mark Booth]

I was probably going to wait for home video to see 'Dirty Grandpa', but the negative nellies in this topic have made me feel like giving it my support in the theater.


Mark

 

[Keith Cobby]

The poster is probably better than the film and takes up a lot less of your time to view.

Very amusing. I value my time too much to watch this!

 

[TravisR]

I took a look at Rotten Tomatoes and it's at 100%.













No, not really.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I was probably going to wait for home video to see 'Dirty Grandpa', but the negative nellies in this topic have made me feel like giving it my support in the theater.


Mark

Well, if they can figure out a way to make the North Koreans go on a rampage to ban the film it might do alright at the box office.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Rental.

 

[Reed Grele]

Rumor has it that they're already considering a crossover sequel:

 

[Aaron Silverman]

There are some great posters going on here.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I took a look at Rotten Tomatoes and it's at 100%.













No, not really.

Jeez, I missed your little note before going to double check!