Robert De Niro popped into my head, and I realised that I’ve been brainwashed into thinking he’s good.
Well, he’s good, but he’s no that good.
It dawned on me that I can’t think of one film, other than Taxi Driver, that I thought he was brilliant in.
As opposed to Al Pacino. The Godfather, Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon, all that lot, films that wouldn’t be the same without him.
Robert De Niro just plays the same cunt in every film (bar that one where he had something wrong with him), a serious guy that says “Look at me” aw the time.
Agreed?
I was a big fan of De Niro in Godfather Pt 2, Ronin & The Deer Hunter.
Another great film with Pacino in is Glengarry Glen Ross.
Goodfellas is amazing love mean streets too.
he’s pigeonholed a lot
he is the same cunt – but he plays it well
an overated actor would be samuel l jackson
now what the fuck has he ever done?
Granted he has done a lot of shit films in the last 15 years. God only knows why he done Rocky and Bullwinkle!!
Though you need to give credit to de niro for the deer hunter, goodfellas, casino, heat, a bronx tale, sleepers, Awakenings (the one where he had something wrong with him), Once Upon a Time in America etc
Al Pacino definately has a better good-film/bad-film ratio mind you.
I’v been saying this for years. Same person changed slightly every film. No massive difference just a wee change. Joe Pesci’s worse, he played the same guy in Casino as he did in Goodfellas.
I think your talking shite limmy. De Niro is excellent, though I guess your reasoning for this is cos he seems to do every single film that is offered to him, so dilutes his profile maybe. I bet you’d struggle to find many modern actors who have had as many key roles as him, though a lot of those films will be shite.
All those films other folk have said show he’s done plenty o good ones though. Cape Fear as well.
He and Scorsese were apparently talking about a sequel to Taxi Driver, which implies that the final scenes were to be taken literally as opposed to just being in Bickle’s dead/fucked head.
I don’t doubt that he’s very talented – Mean Streets and Casino also had great performances – but he does seem to be quite complacent these days.
Don Nicio, I’m not talking about the recent films, cos they don’t count. I’m talking about the ones he’s meant to be brilliant in (I forgot about Cape Fear, he was brilliant in that).
Raging Bull was good, but still furrowed brow ‘I am Bob De Niro’ acting
He’s brilliant in King Of Comedy, he in on the screen for nearly all the film.
The King of Comedy. He was brilliant in that.
Most overrated actor is a toss up between Travolta and Cruise. I’m sure they’ve tossed up over each other too.
No, not agreed at all.
Oh aye, The King of Comedy, forgot aboot that.
But other than The King of Comedy, Awakenings, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Taxi Driver and the aqueduct, what else has he been brilliant in?
That wan were he wants to boaby Wesley Snipes
Deer hunter?
He was good in the Bananarama song
A Bronx Tale?
he was ace in mean streets and in glengarry his use of profanity is stunning
I was going to say Cape Fear but I got beaten to it.
What about Meet the Parents? (joke)
I have the same thing with Elvis Presley. When you take a step back and actually listen to him, he’s complete pish.
I thought he was quite good in Stardust (even though he had a small part), also thought analyze this/that and the Fockers were a good laugh. he’s pretty underrated as a comic actor.
Once upon a time in America.
Nearly 4 hours long and kept me interested.
The reason he’s supposed to be brilliant in all these films is because he is brilliant in them.
He has a subtle but effective acting style.
Think of Brazil too, something totally different from his usual style and he totally fucking nailed it.
Naw, I disagree way you on this one Limmy.
Meet the Parents? I thought he was quite funny in that.
His wee bit in Jackie Brown was good.
I’ll tell ye who the most over-rated actor in the world is.
Robert Carlyle.
Fuckin Edwood Woodwood that useless wee cunt.
He was funny in Meet the Parents, but so was Ben Stiller. That’s my point.
I’m talking about an OUTSTANDING performance. An outstanding moment or speech or outstanding all round.
I’m no talking about “He was good in…”, I’m talking about an actor worthy of being called the best. Al Pacino wins that hands down… and that’s official.
Anyway, I don’t care if yous don’t agree wae me, hauf a you cunts thought The Dark Knight was superb.
This Boy’s Life. Great performance and he got to beat the shite out of Leonardo DiCaprio. Leonardo DiCaprio….now THERE is a good actor!
thats no sarcasm by the way.
I don’t think we can blame Bob for not being an outstanding actor in every film he appears in. He is at the mercy of scripts, directors, the abilities of other actors in the scene etc. If he is outstanding or very good in one out of every five movies he makes then that should be acceptable. So how about laying off the poor old bastard.
It’s like expecting you to be hilariously funny or have some observationally astute opinion every time you open your mouth, post a blog or switch on your video camera. Your longtime fans will only be only too aware of this.
So when are you doing some more ‘World Of Glasgow’?
In other news some bloke is using the picture of Tom from World of Glasgow as his profile photo on match.co.uk. My missus’ single mate was getting my manly opinion some of the blokes she was interested in meeting up with from this dating site. That did make me laugh…
Limmy says :But other than The King of Comedy, Awakenings, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Taxi Driver and the aqueduct, what else has he been brilliant in?
_____________________
right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what has Bobby De Niro ever done for us?
mcleod, you just ruined my joke by completely spelling it out.
H Voodoo Says:
“It’s like expecting you to be hilariously funny or have some observationally astute opinion every time you open your mouth, post a blog or switch on your video camera. Your longtime fans will only be only too aware of this.”
When I’m not funny or generally being amazing, it’s because I’m not meaning to be, it’s all thought out and calculated, you don’t know what my grand plan is. Robert De Niro, on the other hand, tries and fails.
And please don’t say “Your longtime fans will only be only too aware of this.” It’s aware of that.
ah hud a conversation aboot this wi a mate oan Saturday night. I said he’s no been in anythin’ good since Cape Fear. Ah wiz forgettin’ aboot Casino though, n’ Meet the Parents wiz awright, but bar that he’s just coinin’ it in, daein any old shite. That’s why Scorsese wouldny touch him wae a shitty stick these days. Casino wiz the last wan he did wae him. That tells yae summit.
De Niro is different class in Heat. What a film!
Speaking of Heat, anycunt going to Pressure’s 10th birthday tomorrow night?
“hauf a you cunts thought The Dark Knight was superb.”
I was just going to say that this will be the dark knight fiasco aw over again.
Expect alienation and contempt.
pl3453 d0n7 c0rr3c7 0ur 5p311in9 1immy, pl3453…
4nd gr4mm3r**** 101010101
Robert De Niro hasn’t failed at anything! How can you even say that?
This whole post is pointless.
De Niro is an amazing actor and whatever he is in, people go and watch.
He’s not been in a bad film. That’s just like saying any other great actor isn’t that good!
Who’s top actor in your books then?!
Dark Knight was pish. Raging Bull was an outstanding performance.
Steven Says:
“He’s not been in a bad film.”
That new one he’s in with Al Pacino’s meant to be shite.
“That’s just like saying any other great actor isn’t that good!”
No it isn’t. I said that Al Pacino’s a great actor and that he’s good. You’re talking nonsense.
“Who’s top actor in your books then?!”
I fucking told you. Al Pacino. Fuck sake, I said it in my original post.
“This whole post is pointless.”
You’re pointless, Steven. You’re pointless.
Limmy Says:
November 27th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Oh aye, The King of Comedy, forgot aboot that.
But other than The King of Comedy, Awakenings, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Taxi Driver and the aqueduct, what else has he been brilliant in?
_____________________________________________________________
Limmy, that joke occurred to me too, the way you kept having to add to the list. I was about to post a comment along that line but you were way ahead of me. Although to anyone unfamiliar with Monty Python, it will be fucking obscure and meaningless.
I think it’s too bad that he’s lost a lot of his stature as an actor through making many shiter than shite films in recent times. At least Al Pacino has managed to maintain his integrity.
De Niro is better than Pacino. They’ve both been in their fair share of shite, especially De Niro recently, but his greatest performances are better than Pacino’s.
His work with Scorsese is enough to warrant his greatest actor status – Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear – but then he’s also brilliant in The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part II, Midnight Run and Once Upon A Time In America.
He gave an outstanding performance in each and every one of those films.. And he’s also been great in Heat, Sleepers, Jackie Brown, Brazil, The Untouchables, This Boy’s Life, A Bronx Tale, Cop Land, Mad Dog & Glory and Meet The Parents.
So, no, you haven’t been brainwashed. He is fucking good, even if Rocky & Bullwinkle says otherwise.
Imagine that these blog posts are like a round table discussion with Limmy kicking things off and us all chipping in with our opinions. Some cunts just roll in at the end, don’t find out what we’ve been talking about previously or understand the point of the debate. But still start spouting shite and saying the whole thing is pointless.
Cunts like Steven. Imagine if it was real, we’d all sit in stunned silence after he spoke. Imagine.
“Agreed?”
Nut.
Sorry about my grammar Brian. I’ll be more aware of this (or that) in the future. Every day is a pedantic schoolday over at Limmy’s blog.
Haud the bus a minute. Yous are all forgettin’ Bobby De Niro’s finest comic performance – possibly one of his finest performances altogether actually – in Midnight Run. Now that’s a fucken movie.
H Voodoo Says:
“Sorry about my grammar Brian”
It’s no really the grammar, cos I’m sure it’s correct. I’ve just been noticing a preference to using “this” instead of “that” over the last few years, and I don’t trust it.
For example, I would say “You left the fridge door open again. I told you about that last week”. But too many cunts nooadays prefer to say “I told you about this last week”.
I don’t like the “this” thing. It’s American and self-helpy sounding. “That” refers to something you just said, it’s in the past, fuck it. “This” makes it sound like a situation that isn’t going away until it’s getting resolved in a calm and thoughtful fashion.
I’m a “that” man.
Del Says:
“Cunts like Steven.”
Ye takin that, Stevie?
Tom Says:
“The Godfather Part II… He gave an outstanding performance in each and every one of those films”
What was outstanding about him in that? Outstanding? C’mon tae fuck.
“And he’s also been great in A Bronx Tale”
Oh aye, A Bronx Tale, the one where he says to his son “Look at me”.
I agree with dangercall. He was brilliant in This Boy’s Life. It’s a great film.
I think Al Pacino in The Panic in Needle Park is fantastic. I didn’t enjoy Scarface so much. I think Donnie Brasco is very good.
Jack Nicholson deserves more credit than either of them put together for his performance in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
De Niro mugs and pulls his coupon and Pacino shouts in every movie they appear in, playing the same parts they’ve played since their careers began. Whereas Nick Nolte on the other hand consistently clears the fucking floor, chews up the scenery, spits it back out onto your shoes, gives you the vickies and fucks off up the road with a carry out.
Look at what his son from “A Bronx Tale” has been up to recently:
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/sopranos%20actor%20didnt%20know%20dead%20man%20was%20a%20cop_1087800
He’s been making poor choices in what films he appears in for years. Every now and then he does something good.
As Cheezy says above Midnight Run is possibly his most underrated movie. It’s first class, see that if you haven’t already, but FFS stay away from Righteous Kill.
Cheers Tiffany. You’re right about Jack Nicholson. Did you see his performance in About Schmitd? (spelling?) It was really excellent. I know I’ve seen him in something else I thought he was great in but canny remember what. Another actor that never fails for me (even when a script does) is Mark Walberg. The Departed was fucken amazing and he is a ride.
you’ve obviously no seen raging bull then mate
And he looks a bit like desperate dan D:
Robert Downey Junior now theres a fucking actor,You should watch Tropic Thunder with Ben Stiller.He plays a black dude.Hes a dude who thinks he,s a dude playing another Dude.
I watched it on DVD and the commentary with Jack Black,Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Junior is hilarious,Robert Downey Jnr stays in character for the whole thing some classic lines.
The film is good but the film with commentary is a comic classic.
De Niro has been typecast – whether this is because he’s only able to play certain characters, or doesn’t want to play different roles we’ll never know.
He’s played two types of character:
1. Psycho guy.
2. Nerdy guy.
To date, that’s been it. The one exception was his amazing and tender portrayal of the quadraplegic dwarf in the avant-garde indie flic “Where’s Shorty?”
His emotional range is narrow. Have you seen “Analyse This”? Take a look at the scene where he’s crying. It hurts to watch. The emoting in the Russian Roulette scene in the Deer Hunter is better, but that’s because the Director squirted onion juice in De Niro’s eyes.
OK, I made that last bit up. And the bit about “Where’s Shorty?”
Pacino is much the same. He plays one character type:
1. Shouty guy. Remember Stephen Fry’s portrayal of the Duke of Wellington in Blackadder 3? That’s Pacino…all the fucking time.
There’s a great scene in “Sea of Love” (1989) where Pacino shouts so loud that a big gob of spit lands on his lapel. Then they cut to a different angle, and the gob isn’t there. They cut back to the other angle, and it’s back. It’s an all-time continuity boob. It seems nobody had the guts to ask Al to put a gob on his lapel on the second take.
The Hollywood system has a lot to answer for. They take good things and milk them until they’re dead. The list of wasted talent is long and sad. Once you become a star, nobody’s going to tell you that your career is swirling around in circles before flushing down the shitter. You end up like Lucas, surrounded by useless yes-men.
Oh – and don’t get me started on that other cunt, Jar Jar Binks.
Pacino? You must be kidding. Consistently over-acts and behaves, in character, like no real character ever has or would. Shouting is not acting. Reprising the performance in ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ for an entire career isn’t genius (although that is a great movie, mostly thanks to the supporting cast). And when it comes to pretending to be blind, Audrey Hepburn wipes the floor with him.
De Niro’s greatest movies are not only amongst the greatest movies ever made, his performances in them are completely unlike any other kind of acting you’ve seen. In contrast to Pacino, he rarely acts a line of dialogue or even gives a reaction which is predictable. Which is exactly what real people in dramatic situations are like. That is why he’s a great movie actor, but would probably suck on stage (whereas Pacino is very stagey).
Here is all you need to know…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh9GEvMzA6I
Genius juice.
Out of De Niro and Pacino, Pacino wins for me, De Niro is ripping the pish and taking every role he’s offered.
Jobbo, totally agree with you on the Robert Downey Junior, he’s funny as fuck. Brilliant actor.
Aye the Deer Hunter springs to mind. But he’s no a patch on Jimmy Stewart, neither’s Pacino
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RECOGNITION, AT LAST, RECOGNITION!!!!!!!!!!!!
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FINALLY, A REPLY FROM LIMMY!!!
YAY! HAPPY DAYS!
I dunno, never really had a strong opinion on either actor, but Al Pacino was pretty shite in ‘The Recruit’, then again so was everybody else.
aw Robert Downey Jr. good call.
I’ve been thinking the same thing for years. I also watched street car a while back and was struck dumb by how bad Brando was. I was thinking…he’s no that good. He mumbled a lot. As for De Niro…well, i gave it a lot of thought and i came to the conclusion that he was ONCE a very promising, naturally gifted actor-untrained and raw. I was blown away by taxi driver, ‘This boy’s life’, and Goodfellas: they were pretty powerful performance. But, alas, i think he lost his passion a LONG time ago. He’s type cast to fuck, and i think even he looks bored playing the same role over and over again. Also, i think when you build someone’s ego up like that they’re gonna lose touch with what made them brilliant in the first place. When i heard that he and Scorsese don’t talk on set-but instead communicate through a specially devised systems of gestures-i wanted to vomit. Too many arseholes pussy footing around him. The last film i watched with De Nero-he played a homophobic security guard who took a stroke, lost his pride, and had to rely on his drag queen neighbor for support-christ almighty i was stunned by bad acting. There is honestly better acting on River City. If you want to see a movie about a vile, racist homophobe who bonds with his gay neighbour in desperate circumatances…watch ‘As Good as it gets’. Now Nicholson…there’s a man who hasn’t lost it. IMHO.
De Niro is a top actor but he’s a shite comedy actor. His crying in Analyze This is fuckin’ woeful!
I brilliant actor who it’s not cool to say is Tom Hanks. Started off doing comedy and was brilliant at it, then he got bad AIDS and became brilliant at being all serious.
Someone who I think it pish is Kevin Spacey. He’s the same in every fuckin’ film that cunt. People were like ‘he was great in the Usual Suspects’ cause he fooled us in to thinking he had a limp. Fuckin’ genius!
he is a bit typecast but cannae fault him for effort…. i actually think he’s more believeable than pacino, albeit less easy on the eye.
tivo recorded Jackie Brown for me the other night and i’d never seen it…..thought he was actually the best one in it. samuel jackson can be a bit annoying as fuck, but that might have something to do with my hatred for kangol hatted pricks.
(and the dark knight was fuckin’ shite)
plus he was excellent in this boy’s life, which if you’ve not seen or read the book comes highly recommended on this weeks abu el banat list of recommended things to do.
I think you’re way off the dial here Limmy. De Niro is much superior to Pacino I reckon. I urge anyone to watch Once Upon a Time In America. Amazing film.
Nicholson wipes the flair with the pair of them. Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my favourite films, I near get weepy at the end every time and The Shining tae now there’s yer dinner. Easy Rider for a bit of nick-nick-nick-nick-swaaaaamp.
The Panic In Needle Park is a great Pacino film.
Serpico too!
DeNiro was excellent in Heat.
Then again, Pacino was better.
Films worth seeing if you don’t want to go and see Rober De Niro’s new film:
Waltz with Bashir
Hunger
Gomorrah
Frightened Rabbit at King Tut’s on Saturday – definitely better than Robert De Niro and turned downed mouth…
Abu el Banat,the follow up from this boys life,In Pharaohs army is also good it follows the writer Tobias Wolfe to his time in vietnam.
Something I didn,t realise till recently was that it was Leanardo Di Caprio who plays the young Tobias Wolfe in this boys life.
Daniel Day Lewis shits aw oer DeNiro. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of even his chosen genre but he can act big time. Prob the best in the business.
Gangs of New York and There will be blood, check out they 2 bad boys.
Oh aye, and Mathew McConaghy (hahahhhahahahahah)
Daniel Day Lewis, noo HE’S good.
People who use ‘lol’ and other associated shorthand shite. People who write “your” when they mean “you’re” (you already picked up on that Limmy), “it’s” instead of “its”. People who use !!! or even just the one ! in an effort to appear ‘wacky’ or ‘zany’. Even if they don’t intend to appear wacky it’s still stupidity because it looks wank.
You horrible, HORRIBLE cunts.
Aye D D L’s good.
especially after he said this.
skip to 2:40
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VdS5PiWaOwk&feature=related
Dont know what your on about with Pacino, he is shite. But your right about robert deniro, he does seem to play the same character, especially in these recent pish action-detective films hes been doing.
But regardless, Goodfellas, best acting in any film in history, and I fucking hate gangster movies. Casino comes pretty close too.
Tom Says:
“Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear – but then he’s also brilliant in The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part II, Midnight Run and Once Upon A Time In America.”
Johnny Organ says:
Add to that “Awakenings” and your point is blown out of the water Limmy. How many films does a guy have to be good or great in over the years before you consider them a good actor? How many other actors have so many good performances in so many films? The majority of his films have been weak in recent years but you could say that about Christopher Walken, Donald Sutherland and other actors of @ that age as well. At least he’s still trying his hand at different types of movies. Even if it is complete pish like “Hide and Seek”.
He’s proved his point over the years. Now he’s paying off his bungalow…
Pacino? I wonder if he’s playing a tired homicide cop / undercover cop with family issues in his next movie……yawn…
I’m sure Johnny Depp will start to feature in complete pish when he stops getting the really good scripts and directors. He’s already been in pish like “Secret Window”. It’s started already. It won’t stop him from being a great actor though.
I concur, Daniel Day Lewis is a Genius.
There will be blood was an outstanding movie!
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are shaggable, shaggable tarts (when they were young).
Have to agree with MC_RIBS on this Deniro is a far better actor than Pachino who is way over the top and suited to over the top characters, Goodfellas is probably one of the finest films ever made and Deniro was class in it.
I’m the complete opposite to you Limmy. Al Pacino rips ma knitting, I find him far too shouty in almost every film I see him in. I tend to avoid films that he’s in. I don’t think he’s as good as De Niro.
Quote – “De Niro is a top actor but he’s a shite comedy actor. His crying in Analyze This is fuckin’ woeful!”
Wasn’t he playing a character in that who was emotionally stunted anyway? in this context his acting was spot on!
Nothing to add to the debate but it did remind me of this.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NrQyPb4cY_4&feature=related
Terry Thomas. Now THAT is an actor.
Justin Timberlake. Now THAT is an actor.
Eddiemunster, I’m glad you said that about One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest – the bit at the end with Chief going over to the bed and realising what’s happened breaks my wee heart. And watching him running over the field and away sometimes tips me over the edge.
How come noones mentioned Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot? Personally, I really liked him in In The Name of The Father.
Ronald Villiers. Now THAT is an actor.
To be honest, Brad Pitt is pretty good..
When young Billy goes fae being aw sure of himself and happy, back to a stuttering nervous mess and then does what he does, that get’s me every time anaw Tiffany. Cuckoo’s Nest is defo one of my personal favourites, takes ye fae laughing like fuck tae snottering like a wean.
Meet the Parents. Say no more…
There’s one reason Bobby is fucking ace. An Adam & Joe classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh9GEvMzA6I
I thought he was pretty good in Cape Fear. Or Raging Bull. Or even Angel Heart, although in that one he just sortof sat there and talked and ate eggs etc.
ah jist hidtea comment, when i saw this blog, cos ah had the very same conversation with maself aboot a year back and defo, Pacino pips de Niro at the post most o the time, except Taxi driver n mayb a coupla others….but ah mite watch a few of the suggesteds on here an change ma mind…….NAW… ah don’t think …welll…..naw!
also………..Danny Day Lewis is great but a think the only, but AMAZIN actor to come oota an Ossy soap-Guy Pierce – unbelievable, class! thats ma lot