I have not often skipped over anything that my beloved Johnny Depp was in, but 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?' was a marvelous exception. I found the film weepy and unfocused, and I couldn't really connect with any of the protagonists. But what entirely redeemed the movie in my eyes was the character of Arnie, Depp's mentally disabled younger brother.
Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor In A Supporting Role for Arnie but did not win. It was just the first of many slaps in the face that Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten at the Academy Awards, but definitely the one I resent the most. His portrayal of Arnie is aggressive, bordering on disturbing. He makes no apologies, no excuses, and dives right in to the haunting reality of mental illness. Watching him in this role is like getting a punch to the gut. But in a good way. A sucker punch of feelings . . .?
Anyway, you can tell he
spent painstaking hours getting into character. Leo said in an interview he visited a special needs facility to gather information: "We just talked and I watched their mannerisms. People have these expectations that mentally retarded children are really crazy, but that isn't so. It's refreshing to see them because everything's so new to them."
Maybe that's why every time I re-watch it, Arnie still surprises me.
No comments:
Post a Comment