1. J. Edgar - J. Edgar Hoover
This misguided, bloated and ultimately empty biopic of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover is a severe misfire in DiCaprio's otherwise stellar career. Playing Hoover under a few pounds of really bad make-up, DiCaprio spans Hoover's entire career and life, tackling the rise of the FBI, Hoover's place in the American experience and the secrets of his suspected homosexuality. DiCaprio seems to have the character down, and he pulls off the essence of Hoover, but he is bogged down by a film that seems to have no real purpose, other than to tell a story we have already learned from history books, albeit a few literary allusions. Directed by Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar seems to wade around for its run time in a shallow pool of unconfirmed theories about Hoover's paranoia and sexuality. In one particularly awful scene, DiCaprio as Hoover, is seen briefly wearing a dress that his mother wore. He stares at himself in the mirror, yet nothing comes of this moment later in the film. Okay, we get it, maybe he liked to wear women's clothes. But why? Dicaprio, nor the audience are never given an opportunity to discover any more about this interesting side bit to an otherwise interesting life, and Dicaprio is left to struggle through the rest of the film in a painfully awkward relationship with his FBI Assistant Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) among other doldrums. A film and performance with great potential, lost in translation. Did we miss any great or not so great Leonardo DiCaprio performances that aren't on this list? How was DiCaprio in Django Unchained? Tell us in the comments section below!