Mostly Film

In this week's Mostly Film, we're pitting two Hollywood heavyweights against each other in a cinematic showdown: Tom Cruise in Legend (1985) vs. Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies (2008).First up, we go deep into The Casting of Legend—a pre-Top Gun Cruise donning long locks and fairy-tale armor in Ridley Scott's surreal fantasy epic. We'll talk about how he nearly passed on the role, the version of the film he actually preferred, and how Legend gave us a rare look at Cruise in the fantasy genre—though Tim Curry's devilish performance may have stolen the spotlight.Then we shift gears into the gritty world of Body of Lies, where DiCaprio goes full-on CIA in Ridley Scott's modern spy thriller. From gaining 25 pounds to demanding on-location shooting in Morocco, Leo's dedication was real—and so was the intensity. We'll cover how this film fits into his “gritty realism” era and why his performance is considered one of his most underrated.Plus, we're breaking down The Performances, The Direction, and The Critical Reception—how both actors were shaped (or overshadowed) by their directors, the worlds they stepped into, and the legacies these films left behind.Is Cruise's ethereal Jack a forgotten fantasy prince? Does DiCaprio's Roger Ferris deserve more love in the spy thriller pantheon? You decide.It's fairytale forests vs. Middle Eastern war zones. Light vs. Lies. Cruise vs. DiCaprio.

Two legendary actors. Two iconic performances. One showdown.In this week's episode, we're diving deep into the worlds of Jerry Maguire and The Wolf of Wall Street to unpack what makes these roles career-defining turns for Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio.We kick things off with The Casting, where we break down the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped each performance—from Cruise shadowing real sports agents and helping write iconic scenes, to DiCaprio fighting for years to get Wolf made and throwing himself (literally) into the chaos of Jordan Belfort's world.Then we dig into The Films themselves—Jerry Maguire's heart, romance, and redemption versus Wolf of Wall Street's debauchery, ambition, and downfall. We'll explore how both films use charisma and collapse to tell two wildly different American dream stories.And of course, we bring in The Critics—what did the biggest voices in film say about Cruise's emotionally layered performance and DiCaprio's unhinged, fearless energy? From Oscar nods to iconic scenes, we look at how both roles helped reshape the legacies of two of Hollywood's biggest stars.So, who wins the title of best performance? Is it Cruise's “You complete me” or Leo's lewd, lude-fueled spiral? Tap in for the debate, the deep dive, and maybe… a little yelling of “Show me the money!”

Take 153: Kill Bill Vol. 2, & Death Proof. Tarantino In Review Pt. 3

Take 152: Mickey 17, Fight or Flight, Captain America: BNW, & the New Snape

Take 151: Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1. Tarantino In Review Pt. 2.

Take 150: Oscar Reactions, Nickel Boys, Emilia Perez, & All Things Dexter.

Take 149: Pulp Fiction & Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino In Review Pt. 1

Take 148: The Brutalist, Companion, Let's Start a Cult, & Oscar Predictions.

Take 147: Grave of the Fireflies, Perfect Blue, Paprika, & Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind; The Anime Finale.

Take 146: The Gorge, Hitchcock Classics, & SNL's 50th.

Take 145: A Silent Voice & Your Name- The Essential Anime Series.

Take 144: Babygirl, You're Cordially Invited, A Complete Unknown, & The Return of Jonathan Majors

Take 143: Ghost in the Shell & Sword of the Stranger-The Essential Anime Series.

Take 142: Remembering David Lynch, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, Eraserhead, Twin Peaks & More.

Take 141: Akira & Redline -The Essential Anime Series-

Take 140: Nosferatu, A Real Pain, Gladiator 2, & Golden Globe Surprises.

Take 139: Wicked, Carry-On, Juror #2, LEE, Flow, & The Rise of Sonic

Take 138: Thanksgiving Special: Family Stereotypes & Their Matching Films from 2024

Take 137: Anora, Megalopolis, Saturday Night, & We Live In Time

Take 136: 2025 Roadmap, A “WICKED”Scandal, & The Legion of Lightyear's.

Take 135: Horror Icon Showdown, The Halloween Special.

Take 134: They Live, Sharp Objects, Casino, & Disney's AI Initiative.

Take 133: Woman of the Hour, Terrifier, Army of Darkness, Scream, & The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Take 132: Alien Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Never Let Go, & It's What's Inside.

Take 131: Mega Movie Recap! We have been out for the last couple of months celebrating the arrival of JP's new little one. So this week we have over 20 movies that we have watched and we will discuss. Plus we bring you our most anticipated trailers that have released over the last couple of months and the new stories that matter. We can't wait to get back into a weekly habit of bringing new Mostly Film!

Take 130: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt 8- The Ides of March & The Believer

Take 129: Twisters, Kind of Kindness, Thelma, & The Return of the Western

Take 128: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt. 7- La La Land & The Nice Guys

Take 127: LONGLEGS, The Bikeriders, Synecdoche, New York, & The Royal Tenenbaums

Take 126: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt. 6- The Notebook, & Drive

Take 125: MaXXXine, Firebrand, Cronos, Crash, & Our First Criterion Haul.

Take 124: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt. 5- Blue Valentine & Gangster Squad.

Take 123: The Watchers, In A Violent Nature, and The Return of The Bear.

Take 122: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt. 4- Only God Forgives & Song to Song.

Take 121: IF, Presumed Innocent, Punch Drunk Love, & the Return of Practical Effects.

Take 120: Ryan Gosling In Review Pt. 3- Half Nelson & The Place Beyond the Pines.