C’mon Hollywood #191

…DeNiro and Pacino aren’t done…are they?
by Sturdy

It’s never easy to watch your heroes fall from grace. Sports fans know this all too well and movie fans are learning this as they watch Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino continue to make bad movie after bad movie. This was never clearer as it was while watching RIGHTEOUS KILL. After decades of fans longing to see the two icons on screen together, we’re hit with this ever disappointing letdown. I have a hard time accepting that these two legends can’t do better. They’re still immensely talented, they just need a good role and a better director.

Watching Pacino and DeNiro these days was like watching Brett Favre play for the Jets. Yeah, there were flashes of brilliance, but overall he was just a pale comparison of his former self. Such is the case with Pacino and DeNiro. They show flashes of what made them great in everything they do, but overall they’re not the same actors they once were. They’ve each had good roles over the past 15 years or so, but for the most part, their bad films drastically outnumber their good ones. The confusing thing is that acting ability doesn’t disappear with age. If anything, you should become a better actor as you get older. Hell, look at Clint Eastwood.

There’s a reason no studio wanted this movie.

But I feel strongly that all is not lost with these two screen icons. All they need is a little career rebuilding and some trust in some capable directors. The first thing Pacino needs to do is to stop yelling everything. Yeah, it worked in SCENT OF A WOMAN and we loved him for it. But that was over 15 years ago and he hasn’t let that character go. He didn’t yell every line in DOG DAY AFTERNOON or in the GODFATHER movies. In fact, his best performances were when he was calm and intense. Be an actor first, then be Al Pacino.

Is this where the yelling started?

DeNiro, on the other hand, needs to hark back to his ability to really embody a role. His latest performances feel like he’s Robert DeNiro pretending like he’s a cop/mobster/producer or whatever. He doesn’t make you forget you’re watching an actor anymore like the DeNiro of old could. He’s still talented of course, but if you asked me to list the five best actors working today, DeNiro isn’t going to make the list. Given his resume, that’s a shame. DeNiro also seems to have a bit of an ego problem. We may never know what happened, but it’s a shame he and Gibson couldn’t make it work out in EDGE OF DARKNESS.

Even without DeNiro, I’m looking forward to this

Once Pacino and DeNiro let go of what they’ve done the past 15 years, they both need to work with a director that knows how to work with them. Scorsese is the obvious choice for both of them, since he’s had so much success with DeNiro in the past. But any established director that can craft a quality film will work. It’s always great to work with a new and upcoming director, but there are not many novice directors that really know what to do with them. And just because someone offers them a role, it doesn’t mean they have to accept it. They need to take a lesson from Clint and remember that quality over quantity is the way to go.

Great scene in a great movie.