Last week saw the 86th annual Academy Awards ceremony take place. 12 Years a Slave and Gravity seemed to be the big winners of this year’s awards. Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Dallas Buyers’ Club. Jared Leto, Matthew’s co-star in the film, picked up the award for Best actor in  a Supporting Role. They, Gravity and 12 Years  a Slave seemed to be the big winners of the night. What I (and many others) don’t quite understand is why Wolf Of Wall street didn’t win anything, better yet, why Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t bring home any gold.

I’d like to assume that a majority of us who were rooting for Leo to win an Oscar this year have already seen The Wolf Of Wall street. Leo plays an overzealous stockbroker who throughout half of the film is either drugged up on Quaaludes or Cocaine.

Not only does Leo visibly pour his entirety into this character, Jordan Belfort but it is as if he becomes the character himself. Being a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, you would know that this is one of his many consistencies. Speaking on consistency, this, apparently may be  a reason why Leo’s yet to win an Oscar.

Throughout the years,  DiCaprio has given the World some very stellar performances, since before some of us were even born but what many people are suggesting is that the majority of the characters that he plays all share one consistency; the heart-warming, drool-inducing, pretty boy. Now he doesn’t play the pretty boy in all of his films I mean Blood Diamond was a pretty gritty film but DiCaprio does have the tendency to play the guy that the ladies swoon over. Take a look at this year’s Oscar winners.

Lupita Nyong’o, the winner of the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award, went through a major transformation for her role as a slave in 12 Year’s a Slave, she almost looks unrecognisable.

Rock musician and actor Jared Leto who plays Rayon in Dallas Buyers’ club lost 40 pounds and transformed into  transexual for

this role.  A lot of people think that DiCaprio doesn’t offer enough transformation when performing. Apart from an impeccable South African accent in Blood Diamond and effortlessly playing a disabled boy in Gilbert Grape, (which I think should have won him an Oscar) DiCaprio’s roles are too safe.

Some even say that DiCaprio is too good (Yes, too good). Every film he releases is worth a standing ovation of course but perhaps DiCaprio should let his hair down a bit and play a more subtle role, I mean, they do always say, ‘It’s the little things in life.’

One reason that I most seem to agree with most is that the nominees that are in the running with DiCaprio have more of a buzz surrounding them and the characters that they play. At the 77th Academy Awards DiCaprio was in the running with the likes of Jamie Foxx, the winner o Best Actor for his role in Ray, Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland, Clint Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby, Don Cheadle in hotel Rwanda all which were arguably very iconic films and most about iconic people. Even I can admit that the chances of Aviator winning were probably slight. This year, at the 86th Annual Academy Awards DiCaprio was up against, Matthew Mconaughey who’s film was based on a real life story about a man stricken with aids. Of course, Wolf Of Wall Street was based on a real life event but Dallas Buyers’ Club was a lot more relatable and personal; it was a film that reached out to a lot of people, as did Chiwetel  Ejiofor  12 Years a Slave.

It’s either those reasons or there must be some unknown personal reason why The Academy is forking up an Oscar to Leo.

DiCaprio is obviously a great actor and as said perfectly in the LA Times “DiCaprio deserves but doesn’t need a win”.