`He is very good at romance`: 6 unexpected films with Benicio Del Toro

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Tired of the same old action movies where Benicio Del Toro plays tough guys? Want to see something truly new from this Oscar-winning actor? Then you're in the right place! We've selected 7 films that will show you a completely different Del Toro.

A romantic comedy from an action hero? Easy. A profound psychological drama where he plays a Native American? No problem. And how about the role of a friend of a cult artist, spouting aphorisms? Get ready to see an actor you might not have known.
A laughing middle-aged man in a jacket and tie
Actor Benicio Del Toro

"L excess Baggage"

Director: Marco Brambilla

Year: 1997

Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, Christopher Walken

Plot

Emily Hope, a spoiled and wealthy girl, stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention. She hides in the trunk of her car, but the car is stolen by professional thief Vincent Roche (Del Toro). He suddenly realizes he's stolen more than he bargained for.

Why Watch

  • The undeniable chemistry between Silverstone and Del Toro, playing completely different characters.
  • The film is full of ironic situations and dialogues that lighten the tension of the crime plot. But the jokes are not at all vulgar.
  • You can see Benicio in a lighter and comedic role here.
Benicio Del Toro. I was pleasantly surprised by how well he performed in a romantic comedy. He should appear in such films more often! He has already established himself in serious roles, but I think he can be very good in romantic ones. If you're a fan of Benicio, you'll enjoy his unique charm in this film.
Reviewer passetemps from "Imdb"

Interesting Facts

Initially, the film was planned to be released for Christmas 1996, but due to poor test reviews, it was reworked. Scenes deepening the relationship between the main characters were added, and only then was it released.

Awards and Nominations

"Golden Raspberry" (1998) - Nomination for "Worst Actress" (Alicia Silverstone)
A thoughtful young man with a lush mane, dressed in a black leather jacket
A scene from 'L excess Baggage'
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“Basquiat”

Director: Julian Schnabel

Year: 1996

Cast: Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Benicio Del Toro, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper

Plot

A biographical drama about the life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an iconic American artist who rose from a street graffiti artist to a star on the New York art scene in the 1980s.

Why Watch

  • A deep dive into the bohemian atmosphere of New York.
  • Del Toro plays Benny Dalmau, Basquiat's friend. Dialogues with him are like individual aphorisms (for example: “Basquiat: How long does it take to become famous? Benny Dalmau: Four years. Six to get rich”).
  • Iconic singer David Bowie as Andy Warhol.
I highly recommend this film; it doesn't sugarcoat the story, and while it may not be entirely accurate, it sounds plausible and depicts a life many artists dream of until they achieve it.
Reviewer MarieGabrielle from 'Imdb'

Interesting Facts

  • The original Basquiat paintings were not allowed to be used, so director Julian Schnabel painted the copies himself for the film.
  • Benicio Del Toro, eager to get the role, agreed to act for free.

Awards and Nominations

“Venice Film Festival” (1996) - nomination for the “Golden Lion” award
A young dark-haired man in a red polo and black hat
Scene from the film 'Basquiat'
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"The Pledge"

Director: Sean Penn

Year: 2001

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro, Robin Wright Penn.

Plot

Detective Jerry Black (Nicholson), on the day of his retirement, promises the mother of a murdered girl to find the killer. He starts his own investigation, which gradually turns into an obsession. Del Toro plays a mentally challenged Native American, who becomes a suspect in the case.

Why Watch

  • Strong performances by Nicholson and Del Toro.
  • The film is based on the novel of the same name by Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt.
  • An unexpected dramatic conclusion.
If you're looking for a good detective story, don't watch this movie. If you're looking for a dynamic thriller, don't watch this movie. But if you want to see a deep character study supported by impressive acting and smart direction (thank you, Sean Penn), then you're in the right place.
Reviewer FunnyMann from 'Imdb'

Interesting Facts

  • Nicholson's character's secretary was played by Eileen Ryan, mother of director Sean Penn.
  • The fishing boat that Nicholson's character sails on is named "Sweet Lorraine." This is a tribute to the actor's sister and daughter, both named Lorraine.

Awards and Nominations

  • "Cannes Film Festival" (2001) - Nominated for the "Palme d'Or" award
  • "Berlin Film Festival" (2001) - Nominated for the "Golden Bear" award
A man with a mustache and long black hair behind bars
Still from the film 'The Pledge'
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"The Hunted"

Director: William Friedkin

Year: 2003

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro

Plot

Former survival instructor L.T. Bonham (Jones) is forced out of retirement to catch his former student, Aaron Hallam (Del Toro), who has become a serial killer.

Why Watch

  • The film keeps you on the edge of your seat with its dynamic plot and chase scenes.
  • Oscar winners Jones and Del Toro create convincing portrayals of two opposites.
  • The film features realistic and brutal hand-to-hand combat scenes.
Throughout the film, there is a tense atmosphere, which I would mainly attribute to three reasons: the realistic, brutal, and tense theme; the absence of a constant musical theme playing every five minutes, and the sparse dialogues; the fact that the action mostly takes place in desolate thickets. The film is quiet, deadly.
Reviewer asphyxion_ from IMDb

Interesting Facts

  • The characters played by Jones and Del Toro are skilled in the Filipino martial art of Kali, which includes knife fighting, stick fighting, and hand-to-hand combat. This art is used by special forces in many countries.
  • The prototype for Jones's character was the real-life survival expert Tom Brown Jr., who consulted on the film.
  • During the filming of a fight scene, Del Toro broke his arm, which led to a production delay and postponed the release date by four months.

Awards and Nominations

"Golden Trailer" - Nomination for "Best Horror/Thriller Film"
A man in a green jacket hiding behind a tree
Scene from 'The Hunted'
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"21 Grams"

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Year: 2003

Cast: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro

Plot

A drama about the intertwined fates of three people: a dying mathematician (Sean Penn), a grieving mother (Naomi Watts), and a former convict (Del Toro), whose lives are tragically linked by a car accident.

Why Watch

  • A powerful performance by Del Toro, for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
  • A non-linear narrative: storylines are broken into short, interwoven episodes.
  • The film is shot with handheld cameras, creating a sense of presence.
Many films of the modern era have experimented with disrupted chronology, but in most cases, this device is used for entertainment purposes only. '21 Grams' is an intense and thoughtful film where this technique is taken to an extreme I had never seen before. By the end of this film, the story turns out to be quite simple. It's like gradually assembling a giant puzzle.
Reviewer kylopod from 'Imdb'

Interesting Facts

  • The director shot scenes in chronological order to help actors better embody their roles but later edited the film with flashbacks.
  • Sean Penn, playing a sick character, hides cigarette butts in medicine bottles—a detail suggested to him by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Allegedly, her father, singer Serge Gainsbourg, did the same.
  • The film's title refers to Duncan MacDougall's controversial experiments attempting to weigh the souls of dying people and the popular belief that it weighs 21 grams.

Awards and Nominations

  • "BAFTA" (2004) - Nominations for "Best Actor" (Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro), "Best Actress" (Naomi Watts), "Best Original Screenplay" (Guillermo Arriaga), "Best Editing" (Stephen Mirrione)
  • "Screen Actors Guild Award" (2004) - Nominations for "Best Actress" (Naomi Watts) and "Best Supporting Actor" (Benicio Del Toro)
A man in an orange shirt holding a girl in a green jacket
Scene from '21 Grams'
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"Things We Lost in the Fire"

Director: Susanne Bier

Year: 2007

Cast: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny

Plot

Audrey (Berry) loses her husband in a tragic incident. She invites Jerry (Del Toro), her husband's best friend struggling with addiction, to her home. Together, they try to cope with grief and find new meaning in life.

Why Watch

  • Berry and Del Toro deliver complex and emotional performances.
  • The film deeply explores the theme of loss and the healing process.
  • An atmospheric soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla, a two-time Academy Award winner.
Halle Berry delivers her best performance. We feel her happiness, pain, despair, and hope. Alison Lohman is also good, though she rarely acts these days. However, the strongest performance is by Benicio. I'm not sure if the role was written for him or if he just perfectly played Jerry, the best friend. It's the most challenging role, requiring immense depth.
Reviewer ferguson-6 from 'Imdb'

Awards and Nominations

  • "African-American Film Critics Association (2008)" - Nominated for Best Picture
  • "BET Award" (2008) - Winner for Best Actress (Halle Berry)
A smiling man in a gray jacket on a playground with several children in the background
Scene from 'Things We Lost in the Fire'
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"Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian"

Director: Arnaud Desplechin

Year: 2013

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Mathieu Amalric

Plot

Jimmy Picard (Del Toro), a Blackfoot Indian and World War II veteran, suffers from mysterious headaches and psychological issues. He is sent to a psychiatric clinic where he meets French anthropologist and psychoanalyst Georges Devereux (Amalric).

Why Watch

  • Del Toro portrays a complex and multifaceted character based on a real person.
  • The film depicts the process of psychoanalysis and the relationship between patient and doctor.
  • The film touches on themes of cultural differences and post-traumatic stress disorder.
This film somewhat resembles 'A Dangerous Method', but it has far more substance, and to be honest, the aforementioned film now seems extremely unfortunate. The psychoanalysis presented here is incredibly intriguing and unusual, and in comparison, Cronenberg's film seems very detached and much less interesting, despite both films being based on real events.
Reviewer punishable-by-death from 'Imdb'

Awards and Nominations

  • "César" (2014) - nominations for "Best Film", "Best Director" (Arnaud Desplechin), and "Best Adapted Screenplay".
  • "Cannes Film Festival" (2013) - nomination for "Palme d'Or".
A man in a gray suit is kneeling on white sand, spreading his arms to the sides
Scene from 'Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian'
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Do you think Benicio Del Toro deserves more recognition than he currently has?

Previously, we at zoomboola.com talked about four underrated action movies from the 90s that are better than you think.