Pacino or De Niro

The subject was raised on a forum I participate in... who's the better actor? Al Pacino or Robert De Niro. This requires some thought, as they're both such wonderful actors. They each have a long filmography, full of movies that I absolutely love. Yes, it requires a lot of thought.

I love both of these actors, so it's very difficult to choose one. But personally, I have to go with Pacino. Not because I love him more or anything like that. But because he sells it everytime.

I've seen a lot of the movies in each of their bios and of the two, Pacino is the only one who has completely sold the character in every film I've seen him in. He's not Al Pacino, playing Lt. Col. Frank Slade, he's simply Lt. Col. Frank Slade. There have been a few De Niro films in which I
wasn't sold. Analyze This for example, it was always "Ok, this is Robert De Niro trying to be funny." There are a few films that De Niro has been in where he never sold me. It was always Robert De Niro playing this character. I'm not saying that he's a bad actor because of it. I'm saying that he never found that place where he and the character became one.

They both played so many characters that I love. Michael and Young Vito Corleone, Frank Slade, The Creature (Frankenstein), Walt Koontz, Arthur Kirkland, Johnny (Frankie & Johnny), Jack Byrnes...

and apparently there's a movie due out next year with both of them. It's about time. Hopefully they'll share more screen time than they did in Heat -- a movie I didn't particularly care for, but I LOVED the diner scene. I can't wait until Righteous Kill is released.