Creator I keep expecting to hate this guy...
...but I don't. On the contrary, I find him quite amazing as an actor, and am regularly impressed by how good his roles are. My brain keeps sending a "TERMINATE ON SIGHT" alert every time I see him in a movie, but that's probably a consequence of being part of the generation that killed Titanic. It's almost akin to my feelings while watching Terminator; after years of seeing all the ripoffs of Arnold/DiCaprio, there's a certain surprise in realizing the power the original had.
Why do I like him versus other heartthrobs? Because he puts real emotion in his acting. Other male leads just paste a cocky smile on their loathsomely handsome faces, and expect that to carry the entire performance. DiCaprio doesn't do that. When he speaks, he speaks his words with meaning. He can mean it when he loves the girl, or when he's angry or resentful. Because he makes himself believable, I don't end loathing the guy as he "seduces" the girl. On the contrary, I end up finding his charm too, and am willing to root for him as he advances. THAT'S the important part, that he gets not only my admiration, but my sympathy.
So save your "raeges" for Justin Bieber, my boys, you won't be disappointed by Leo.
(Except for Shakespeare. He can't do Shakespeare.)
Creator Shutter Island
I was set to never take Leo seriously ever again as a young man that saw Titanic as just a f***ing terrible movie and Leo as just...gah, painful to watch as a lead. Looking back now, though I can see he wasn't a bad actor, he just had bad material to work with. Really, REALLY cheesy material. Shutter Island changed my mind about him, and I only went to see the movie cause I liked the original book.
This man, who I swear looks younger than his thirty something, has acting chops. That he hasn't got an Oscar but a couple golden globes really should say more about the academy than his acting chops.