01.31.11
What happened to Robert De Niro’s career
Robert de Niro is one of my heroes. He belongs to a select group of men I admire and would take a bullet for. This group includes Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), John Maynard Keynes, Stanley Kubrick, Kurt Cobain, Franklin Roosevelt and few others.
Robert De Niro was an integral part of this group. I don’t know the real Robert De Niro, of course. I based my admiration on the characters he has played in movies. For us movie buffs, there isn’t much difference between the actor and the portrayals he/she does. We imagine that the actor is just like that in real life, obviously overlooking the implausibility of this. In real life actors are way different from the characters they play.
But a damn good actor can easily embody his character’s mind and actions, and make us forget for the whole two hours that we’re simply watching a fictional account. And Robert was fucking awesome! His performances blew away the competition. His characterization took the form of legendary status. He represented was it is to be a man, in the pure sense of the word. Watching him in “Raging Bull” was cathartic, the way he punches the wall inside a prison cell, as an over-weight Jake LaMotta.
If Robert De Niro would have suddenly died in 1981, he still would be considered a legend due to his roles. But as the years went by, Robert started taking different roles (what actors call “exploring different genres”), and the results have been utter crap. OK, I understand, Hollywood, during the 80s went back to studio control and crap films became the norm, but that doesn’t mean Robert had to lower his standards. But it started in the 90s; first that Frankenstein film (wtf!), then Rocky & Bulwinkle, then Meet The Fockers. And I’m not including several other weak roles he had. It’s like the man doesn’t want another Oscar. I’m baffled as to why he takes these roles. He certainly doesn’t need the money. I mean if you’re going to do a blockbuster, do a good one. But shit like Little Fockers, really messes up the man’s legacy.
