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robert de niro — Robert De Niro image via newspaper.li

Most actors hate being typecast. They try to take on diverse roles to both satisfy and challenge themselves, and also to show the movie goers that they are capable of pulling off different, difficult roles. But sometimes due to many reasons (money, luck, agent relations, great scripts that can’t be turned down, scripts that sound similar but have different edges…etc.), they end up playing in similar concepts, and/or movies that have similarities with the others.

While some of these choices don’t sit well with audiences or critics or both, several actors bring a unique feel to the screen and we can’t help but be happy that they were involved in these projects. This is an article series featuring actors’ and their “niches”, featuring an actors’ frequented role, premise and/or genre.

Granted, twice-Oscar winner Robert De Niro is the favorite of many directors and movie goers, but sometimes, it seems like he has played one of these two on the screen way too often:

COP

Freelancers – Robert is a new cop’s dead father’s old partner

Righteous Kill – He teams up with other cop Al Pacino to catch a murderer of murderers, who is possibly a cop.

15 Minutes – Cop (De Niro) works with Fire Marshal Burns to bring down a video-taping killer.

Copland – De Niro is an internal affairs officer

Flawless – Cop has to work alongside a drag queen for rehabilitation purposes.

Mad Dog and Glory -Police photographer appreciated by a mobster.

Showtime – Cop forced to work alongside an actor for a reality show.

City by the Sea – Cop with a son who has committed a crime.

GANGSTER/MOBSTER

The Godfather (2, 3)

Goodfellas

Analyze This – gangster who needs a shrink

Analyze That – sequel of analyze this

Casino – gangster

Once Upon a Time in America – gangster who returns home

The Untouchables – Al Capone

2 Outside of The Niche(s) Robert De Niro Movies

Stardust: (My ultimate favorite Robert De Niro performance and movie) You can’t beat a tough, scary captain of pirates who loves to cut hair and get dressed in pretty clothes when the crew isn’t looking…

Limitless: Writer (Bradley Cooper) finds a drug that makes him extra productive, but his new enhanced mind will also get him in some really big trouble.

With so little time, and so many movies, there are a few De Niro movies upcoming and old, that I want to catch, including The Big Wedding, The Last Tycoon and New York, New York.

What are your favorite gangster/cop/outside-of-niche De Niro movies?

Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel & Robert De Niro. Image via screenrant.com

Plot

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is your average, messy and not-so-lucrative writer – until he starts taking a pill. This pill gives him the chance to become the best version of himself – he becomes ultra productive, stylish, attractive, smart and successful.

But of course things can’t go on so well forever and soon Eddie is the target of hitmen and he also has to deal with drawbacks such as short-term memory loss.

Reasons to see it

I love a good thriller and I really liked the story idea. It is based Alan Glynn’s 2002 book The Dark Fields

It was adapted to screen by Lexie Dixon- who has written some of my favorite movies – The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 version starring Pierce Brosnan), Hairspray (2007 version with John Travolta), Pay It Forward (a lovely Kevin Spacey effort that features Jon Bon Jovi as a violent husband), Just Like Heaven (starring Mark Ruffalo & Reese Witherspoon)….I just realized I have seen a lot of her work – she should get her own individual post.

The Cast.

I am a writer so I am just drawn to stories about writers. The part in the trailer where he finishes a novel in 4 days….Ah, the dream…

The Director: Neil Burger. He directed the lovely drama The Lucky Ones starring Tim Robbins and Rachel McAdams, as well as one of my favorite Edward Norton movies- The Illusionist.

After seeing the movie: LOVED IT!

Before deciding whether you’ll like this movie or not, just remember:

1) I am a writer. So:

2) I wish I had a magic pill that would make me smarter, more productive and creator so that I could do everything I wanted to do with my writing and my life. I also wouldn’t mind the extra shot of skills that would make me richer. Yes, it is a fantasy and I’d never take a drug to accomplish this. But I joined Limitless for the ride, and lived the fantasy (and the nightmare), without suffering any side effects myself.

3) I’d have loved to have written a story like Limitless.

4) I like Bradley Cooper.

5) Robert De Niro’s name does make me want to check out the movie.

6) I think Abbie Cornish is my generation’s Charlize Theron.

7) I love entertaining thrillers!

8) I expected to have fun watching this movie, and I had a blast. Will watch it again.

Final notes:

Entertainment Value: 9/10.

The Ending: 10/10.

IMDB User Rating: 7.3/10.

Give it a shot!

The Trailer