De Niro or Pacino?

[nicky g]

Who's best? (I'm bored). I vote Al.

[nicky g]

Booo De Niro voter. Actually, Al Pacino is by far and away my favourite movie star. I don;t recall a recent "best actor" thread and we've had everything else so if anyone wants to add theirs, please do. Also a big Johnny Depp and James Mason fan. If I could be anyone I think it'd be James Mason (in terms of cool, not life experience).

[Clarkmeister]

I prefer Pacino, but objectively I think De Niro has done more and shown far more range. Frankly, I like Al best when he is playing Al, if you know what I mean.

[nicky g]

I agree that De Niro has shown more range but he's also shown much worse judgement and really lost it a good while back. Al admittedly only has two modes - shouty (Heat, Scent of a Woman) and intense/quiet (Godfather, Donnie Brasco), but I always find him more interesting to watch. I never much care what happens to a DeNiro character, cool as he is. He's a great tragic actor IMO. DeNiro is the better antihero.

[theBruiser500]

"he's also shown much worse judgement and really lost it a good while back"

what does this mean or refer to?

[nicky g]

De Niro was great in Mean S treetsand realy good in a lot of other films (mostly Scorcese ones) in the seventies. Contrast with recent garbage such as Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Score, Flawless etc. I can't think of a really good film he's been in since Casino, and few decent ones stretching a while before that.

[sfer]

DeNiro, but this one is very, very close.

[sfer]

Heat came out a couple of weeks after Casino and DeNiro was fantastic in that.

[Uston]

Al Pacino hasn't done a ton of recent garbage? Are you kidding?

[elwoodblues]

Meet the Parents was fantastic.