The greatest buddy movie ever made, according to Leonardo DiCaprio: “A masterpiece”
Many great friendships have marked the silver screen over the years, with the intimate dynamic between two close friends becoming the backdrop for countless comedies, weepies and horror flicks.
It could be Shaun of the Dead and the endearing closeness between Shaun and Ed, with their on-screen chemistry marking a significant chunk of Edgar Wright’s career, or it could be the friendship between Seth and Evan in Superbad as they charter new realms of adolescent stupidity in their quest to buy gold leaf tequila. There are many stories that have been defined by the instantaneous connection between the characters on screen, with films of this ilk coming to be known as ‘buddy movies’.
However, while we all might have different opinions and preferences on which platonic couples come out on top, Leonardo DiCaprio shared his thoughts on this, describing one film that he views as a ‘masterpiece’ of the genre.
The chemistry between two actors in a buddy movie can make or break the film, something that DiCaprio has learnt through decades on screen and collaborations with nearly every actor under the sun. Whether it be his frequent pairing with Brad Pitt, with the pair displaying an effortless spark in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, or his electric chemistry with Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street, the actor has become very familiar with certain people on screen, and it certainly shows.
However, while many might consider these pairings to be some of the best in the genre, DiCaprio described one in particular that he loves the most, sharing his love for 1988’s Midnight Run.
Directed by Martin Brest, the film follows a bounty hunter being chased by a rival bounty hunter while they both pursue a former Mafia accountant who has embezzled many millions. Starring the great Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, it has a classic 1980s feel and remains a comforting and deeply nostalgic blast from the past.
When discussing the film with Paul Thomas Anderson, the actor described it as, “A masterpiece. I was recently talking about that movie, and a very famous comedian was like, ‘That may be the greatest fucking two-man comedy ever done. It’s brilliant.’ When my dad was telling me about what acting is, he took me to the theatre in Burbank to watch Midnight Run. He said: ‘You want to be an actor, son? That’s the guy right there—that’s acting.’”
It’s funny to imagine that this film might have been the spark that drew DiCaprio towards a career in Hollywood, later going on to have one of his breakout roles alongside De Niro and bringing him towards frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese.
Midnight Run is the kind of story that wouldn’t be made today, with a gritty and lived-in feeling that isn’t glossed over by Hollywood glamour or excessive budgets. It’s a proper buddy comedy that doesn’t shy away from the dirt and unpolished nature of real life. When watching this, it’s easy to see how this informed DiCaprio’s early acting choices and the career he has become so well-known for.
