Come next Monday morning Indian time and the great hope would be that Leonardo DiCaprio would be unleashing his much rehearsed Oscar acceptance speech on an audience of more mixed races than any in the history of the Academy Awards. It might seem funny so many around the world should be rooting for ‘Leo’, but then his 0-5 record of as actor hurts not only him but the cineaste too because he has put in so much over his 22-year career as a great actor.
It is almost certain that, according to the critics, his portrayal of a frontiersman in a tough environment emerging to have his revenge in The Revenant would be dramatic enough to clinch the statue that has eluded him so often in the past. It would be heartbreaking if he were so much as to lose to any of the other four contenders who are — Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl).
Having seen the hottest of favourites tumble — as did American Pharoah in failing to clinch the Triple Crown last year on US turf — it is never too wise to bet on whatever the public money is following. In Tamil terms, such favourites are known as ‘Oor Bambdi’, particularly inside the Guindy racecourse where tips are dime a dozen. It would, however, be less than fair to a great actor if he were to be denied this time too. He came a cropper so many times despite great roles in and as The Aviator and of more recent vintage in and as the Wolf of Wall Street where he plays the stockbroker who sells dreams in a casino-like market environment that became politically contentious as the nomination came close on the heels of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Capitalism was not exactly the flavor of the season in the wake of 2008 and it may have earned an even worse name in his portrayal of the reckless fiend in his third nomination (2014) in a powerful Martin Scorsese film. And yet it was the actor in the man we so loved if he could make us hate the character he was bringing out. He had won our hearts in the Titanic, not so much for great portrayal as his playing an easily loveable character people might associate with in their eternal support for the underdog. And since then each movie of his has had what it takes for him to have become a Hollywood legend.
There were times he lost so narrowly as the Oscars tend to pick the more dramatic role rather than finesse in a comedic role that the Golden Globes might support, but then the Golden Globes has two categories in drama and comedy/musical while Hollywood’s coveted prize recognises only one as it does not separate acting by genre. The voting would invariably favour the dramas because they seem to better align with the idea of prestige films. There isn’t only racism to cavil at in Hollywood but also snobbery.
DiCaprio has been knocking on the Oscar doors since 1994 and two decades is a long time even for an ageless world of dreams in Hollywood studios.
Having won both the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild last month, considered to be strong predictors of who would clutch the curvy statue at the biggest night of them all, it appears DiCaprio is a shoo-in next week, more so since his The Revenant was done for the hottest current director in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the current best picture and best director winner for 2015’s Birdman. It’s time the world of acting realised that behind the cool guy image of Leonardo there is a very serious actor, which Inarritu may have brought out even more than Scorsese or all the great directors he did roles for in the past.
