The cast is excellent in this film. It's definately a different Robert De Niro than what I've seen him do before. The story was very angering, especially knowing its true, but it made for a good movie.
this was decaprio's first staring role and you can really see the future star here. he went from here to what' eating gilbert grape, anothe outstanding wor. deniro was really on his game also.
a fine movie
In this movie it really shows how good of an actor Leonardo is, just as in "Gilbert Grape". Overall the acting is good actually, and I liked that it was based on a true story.
Brilliant film. Leonardo DiCaprio's acting skills is very good and you can see it clearly in this film plus Robert De Niro was in that film so it's definitely worth wactching!
A young leo appears in this desperate, youthfull story of a boy searching for something better. A good movie set in the 50's, it has all the tell tale signs of a troubling biopic and lives upto its title yet the let down for me was surprisingly De Niro, he wasnt bad but could have brought more of his ruthlessness to a role which could have handled it.
Leonardo is an amazing actor, he always puts his whole self into a character and make you believe it. Ellen Barkin is not one of my favorites but she did a good job as Leo's mother.
Now,Now...here we are at the top of the game when you see my favorite actor Leonardo and OUTSTANDING actor robert De Niro play against one another in this family drama about a young boy who is heart broken and a little devious in being a badboy in school.His mom moves him to a town called Concrete,where his mothers boyfriend trys to intimidate him with his words of wisdom and anguish at the same time.Leo' truly deserves top notch awards along with "Whos eating gilbert Grape".Robert De Niro actually scared Leo on the set when he was being very rude and monsterous in his script onscreen acting.You cannot miss this about a true boys life named Tobias Wolf who was abused and the hurt him and his mother came out of the fire and prevailed away from there past.You will not ever forget this captivating 5 star film.If you appreciate good acting with heart, watch this film or even buy it, you wont lose out on money, i promise!
The real life story of a free-spirited mother, Caroline Wolff (Barkin), and her wild teenage son Toby (Leo) in the late 1950's. Hoping to set a foundation for her lad, Caroline finally stops their travels and sets up shop in Seattle. Things get out of hand when Ma Wolff decides to settle down with a seemingly good-hearted and simple man (DeNiro) so sonny-boy can have a father figure around and get some much needed discipline. Leonardo gives an incredibly touching and believable performance worthy of not only an Oscar nomination, but of the actual statue on his mantle piece. DeNiro plays the son of a bitch to a tee again and puts a little pepper on it this time around. He was very convincing and even a tad funny in the way he portrayed this guy as a real simple phony and a top-notch jackass. This Boy's Life deftly portrays a boy's struggle to find himself without banging us over the head with its underlying message.
This hard-hitting, truthful coming-of-age drama benefits from the stellar acting abilities of both De Niro and DiCaprio. The two actors feed off each other's energy, and the result is a highly interesting movie drawn from a simple but deeply moving script. Both actors have such textured, complex performance that the acting becomes the main point of the film instead of the story. DiCaprio plays a confused, angry young man who can't pull himself away from a compulsion to break the rules and De Niro plays a schoolyard bully who never grew up. The film is so painful and harsh and gripping that I can't deny its merit as a solid drama. I love it to pieces.
This was a great movie. And it's really great to watch it now that Leonardo DiCaprio has proven he's one of the best of the new generation of actors, because we get to see a young budding talent paired with one of the greatest actors of the last generation. DiCaprio turns in a fine performance as a conflicted troubled youth, and DeNiro turns in one of his most nuanced performances. His portrayal of Wolff's abusive stepfather could easily have been over the top and made him an easy villain. But for a good part of the movie, while Dwight isn't a likeable guy, you can almost relate to him on his level as he does what he thinks best for his delinquent stepson. The relationship between Barkin and DiCaprio shows a strong bond as well. Easily one of the better movies of '93 and a great showcase for the promise DiCaprio displayed in his teens.
five stars for sure...i probablly shouldn't but i watch this movie for comedy...shoot me but thats my sense of humor when it comes to movies...serious ones are funny to me and comedies are hilarious...i have too many inside jokes from this movies its very good serious or funny
a discovery here, along with whats eating gilbert grape, which also came in 93, decaprio was discovered, here he plays thomas wolf a young kid moving around the country with his mom(ellen barkin) in one town they meet dwight, (robert de niro) they decide to make a go at it, and hes not happy. then dwight becomes someone everyone dreads, a bully, he makes his life hell, every little thing is made 10 tinmes worst, by dwights reactions, and toby rebels against this whilst trying to make new friends, and live his life. first of all you can say what you want about decaprio, but hes amazing in this a real talent discovered, i still think hes good, and deniro is great as dwight, a proper big time bully, youl watch with amazment the pettyness this charactor has, think of him in raging bull, and you got a start of point here, a great 50s setting, the look is great, and watch out for a early tobey muguire role as well, and a great turn for ellen barkin as mom, a great look at teenage life
The movie is really good and fun at the same time. Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother. "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight, a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge
i want to see this movie so so so so so so so bad im gettting it sent to my house and i cant wait i have like 95% of leonardo dicaprio movies and i also like robert deniro's work so its 2 for 1 for me!!! ive had a huge crush on leo for years and i still have not yet seen his first big movie...sad... ohh well i guess in the long run ill see it
Based on a true story, this film is so raw and emotional and at times quite hard to watch, but it's brilliant. Leo shines in this role. Even as young as he was here, you can see how talented an actor he is. Robert De Niro was also brilliant as the step father you love to hate! This is a powerful film that should be seen by all.
I was expecting this to be good and it really was more than that. Personally I thought it was excellent. A really heartfelt film. I'd never even heard of Tobias Wolff until seeing this but even then it made no difference on how much I enjoyed the film. For a young actor Leonardo DeCaprio does an outstanding job. I don't know why he wasn't remembered for his performances like this. Everyone seems to remember him for the Titanic which wasn't even that good. Robert De Niro does a brilliant job and plays the character perfectly. By the end you really hate the guy. You really feel for the boy and when they give you the facts about all the characters at the end your really happy that they all got out of Concrete and led good lives. I liked the character of Arthur Gayle played by Jonah Blechman. You really felt sorry for him and wondered if he would ever make it out of the town. Luckily he does.
MCT:October 5, 2008
MCT:September 9, 2008
MCT:August 18, 2008
MCT:June 13, 2008
MCT:May 22, 2008
MCT:December 4, 2007
