4. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Beach (2000)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiP9Abmk4No Given that Alex Garland's novel The Beach is one of my favourite novels of all time, I was rather peeved to hear that Leonardo DiCaprio, an American, had been cast in the role of Richard, the book's central protagonist, in the inevitable movie adaptation (directed by Danny Boyle). Not that I don't like Leo, of course, because he's a great actor. It was just that the book's entire tone had been defined by the very English nature of its main character's first-person voice. Having an American in the lead seemed like a complete betrayal of the book. Eventually I got over this, and looked forward to seeing what DiCaprio could do with the role - at least they hadn't cast a bad actor, right? And yet the whole English/American thing turned out to be the least of my worries. What in God's name is Leonardo DiCaprio doing in this movie? It's as though the otherwise accomplished actor is channeling a 10 year old boy having a tantrum, or a coke-addicted teenager. It's not that he's chewing the scenery (he is) as much as he's just, like, in the wrong movie entirely. It's a seriously bizarre performance - tone-confused, unlikeable in every sense, and totally cringeworthy to watch unfolding. Which is why, I imagine, Leonardo got rightfully nominated for a Razzie. I'm just sad he didn't win.