Customer Reviews

Untouchable: A Biography of Robert De Niro

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It took me a while to decide whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. As you can see, I decided on the lower number. I have many reasons for this:
1. This is an interesting book, but only because it is about Robert De Niro. Not because the information is presented in an interesting fashion. In fact, my Calculus textbook presents its information more interestingly than this bio. Mr. Dougan either doesn't know how to write, or had his 9 year old write this book for him. The language of his writing is awful. The way he states things is bad (he also uses the word "keen" at least once every 2 pages-what's up with that?)You'll understand what I mean
if you have read this.
3. He doesn't do everything in chronological order. For example, he'll go on for a few pages about a movie De Niro was doing, than he'll suddenly go back five years and tell us about De Niro's relationship with one of his wives or something like that. He could definately have done this in a way so that it isn't so grating on the reader.
4. He uses quotes that are at times unrelated to what he's talking about.
5. He repeats the same information multiple times. For example, I think that he has John Belushi dying about 5 times in 2 chapters. In fact chapters 22 and 23 three begin with almost the exact same sentence ("The death of John Belushi was a devastating blow for De Niro." and "Since the death of John Belushi, De Niro had been taking stock of his life." Tell me that those two chapters don't sound like they are both about the same thing, De Niro dealing with Belushi's death.)
6. He uses unrelated things to make the book seem bigger. For example, a little over two chapters are devoted to John Belushi's life, his relatationship with De Niro, his death, and the investigation after his death.
7. He doesn't have enough actual information about De Niro preparing and making his movies. He tends to spend much more time quoting reviews that various critics gave of De Niro's performances. In fact, I'd say that the critic quotes outnumber actual facts about making the movies 3 to 1.
8. He has absolutely no interviews that he specifically did for this book with anyone who would know anything about De Niro's life, preparing for roles, making his movies, anything! Instead he relies on past interviews that other people have conducted with De Niro and people who know him.
So, overall this was an interesting book since it is the first bio of Robert De Niro that I read. However, that is the only thing it has going for it. Unless you can't find ANYTHING at all better, don't read this. If you have to read this because your library doesn't have any other bios on De Niro (the unfortunate situation that I fell into), then I guess this is okay.
Oh, I almost forgot one more thing:
9. He gets a lot of his facts wrong. For instance, he says that De Niro, playing Vito Corleone in Godfather II, was the only one to say the famous "offer he can't refuse" line. While in fact, Brando says it in the first one when telling Tom Hagen what to do about Woltz, the movie producer, AND Michael (Pacino) also says it in the first one when Fredo asks how he will convince Moe Greene to sell the casino. And those two are just off of my head (he does say that Pacino "alluded" to the famous line while telling Kay about Luca Brasi and the band leader during the wedding scene, but he says that that apparently doesn't count).

Robert DeNiro is, without a doubt, one of the most engrossing actors ever.

When I noticed that there was a new biography out by Dougan, I was immediately interested in reading it. However, the book has many faults: inconsistent reference to "Robert DeNiro Snr, Robert DeNiro, Robert DeNiro Jnr, Bobby DeNiro" -- to such an extent that the reader at points has to guess to whom the name is referenced! Secondly, the book refers to a painting by Virginia Admiral as having sold for $100, but in the picture caption after page 152 lists $1000 as the selling price. This is just what a reader does NOT need in a biography. When some details are obviously in disagreement, I become much more dubious about any other fact that I don't already know. Defeating, since one usually chooses to buy a biography to learn new things about the subject.

Also, while there are 16 pages of pictures, probably 75% of them are from the British Film Institute -- very common acting pictures. There are no pictures of DeNiro's mother/father/children, and only one picture of each wife. Disappointing.

For a reader who knows relatively little about Robert DeNiro and can overlook the minor inconsistencies, this book will suffice. However, if you are as discerning with the quality of the literature you read as the actors you choose to follow from the theatre, skip this one.

Although the book tends to contradict itself, it does it's best to give us insight into the very elusive actor. The book is nothing more than a compilation of articles and interviews DeNiro has given during his career. Personal recollections of those who've worked with him are thrown in in an attempt to balance the reporting but it is far from a personal history of the most talented actor working today. However, Andy Dugan does his best to print both sides of the less flattering characterstics and adds personal commentary of his own to allow the reader to make their own judgement of what's true and what's slanted criticism. Because it is hard to find any information about DeNiro it is definately worth reading.

This biography was a struggle to read. I didn't learn anything new about one of our finest actors and I found the author's clumsy attempt to report "dirt" on De Niro's personal life kind of annoying. Also, the author draws many unsupported conclusions about De Niro's drive and his amibition. For instance, many times in separate places the author likes to point out that much of De Niro's behavior must be due to circumstances related to his childhood. Without ever having spoken to De Niro it is clear that such a conclusion is unfounded. The author also seems to be stretching to find a reason for De Niro's acting abilities and his tremendous success. Why does there have to be a reason? Maybe the man is just a great actor who is blessed because he enjoys doing it. His willingness to throw himself into every role doesn't have to be because of some kind of character flaw or the fact that he is from a broken home. This book is not worth the time it took to read it. Do something better with your time like renting Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Midnight Run, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Analyze This,(and the sequel: Analyze That)or Casino. It's much better to be entertained by De Niro's body of work than to read some garbage accusing the actor of being motivated because he has Daddy Issues.

Like many of the other efforts to render a biography of Robert De Niro, this book makes a valiant attempt but ultimately falls short of the mark. Unlike other biographies, (and despite several glaring inaccuracies which could have been easily remedied by a careful review on the part of the publisher and or researchers), the attempt seems at least to be an honest one. The author, English as he his, constructs as broad an image of this particular celebrity actor as would seem possible given his well-known, almost obsessive protection of his privacy. We learn of the broken marriage of his parents, his NY upbringing and his powerful motivation to express himself theatrically and the intensity of his focus and ambition as an actor.

This book will likely serve as a strong inspiration for actors who hope to emulate Robert De Niro's method of acting and certainly an abundance of tips and motivations are expressed through countless interviews, circumstances and situations. This is where the book succeeds. It gives an account of the relentlessness in De Niro's pursuit of excellence, balanced with those areas where it is suggested he skated through his roles either by necessity or for the money. The book fails, (for this reader) by attempting to speculate on Robert De Niro's psychology. It's simply over-done in this biography and ultimately unfair. The author draws conclusions based on De Niro's family structure and upbringing that are based on hugely external observations. As there is not one direct interview or account by anyone to support the facts in this book, it is vastly inappropriate to draw the conclusions that the author does about his subject's motivations.

But as indicated earlier, the attempt seems at least an honest one. As the author sets out to write a biography about an impossible subject, he's almost doomed from the start. Still, it's an interesting read if you take the personal subject matter with a massive grain of salt. You learn a bit more about Robert De Niro's film career than you did before, you get a better sense of his goals and motivations but you wind up feeling like you've dug through his dirty clothes hamper a little more than you would've liked to.

In chapter 8 (p65 paperback), Dougan says De Niro "is the only person in the Godfather films who utters the immortal phrase about non-refusable offers. 'I'll make him an offer he don't refuse.'" This is incorrect. Brando says it in The Godfather, to explain how he's going to get that washed-up actor the role he wants. It is ironic that Dougan missed it and wrote about the phrase in a chapter called "The New Brando". Nonetheless, the book is, without question, very well-written and a fast read. I hope Mr. De Niro is happy with it.

I'm a big fan of Robert DeNiro.This book help me to see him in different view.The way he's prepare for each role his endeless hard work and great performing.He's know as a private person and the book is not only talk about his great movies,but tell a lot of his private life.I learn so much and I recomended everybody who loves him.

biography I have read in a long time. Mr De Niro is a credit to his chosen career.

It took me a long time and I mean a very long time about 6 mths. to actually get into this book but after I did I enjoyed it and found out alot of information that I never knew about Deniro. The one thing that bothered me about this book and took me so long to get into it was the grammar in this book I mean I am no English lit. teacher but at least proofread the book before publishing it. I mean come on there was alot of mispelling of words and missing words that you just kind of had to fill in for yourself along the way, and it was a little confusing the way the author went back and forth with certain events and movies you really had to follow along every single step of the way. Overall I liked it because it was a good book as far as info. was concerned. I really only bought the book because I love Deniro as an actor and think he is THE sexiest man alive!!!

DEE-Cleveland,OHIO

The writer has no first hand interviews of anyone who has or had a personal relationship with the actor. He never delves into where the actor gets his characters souls from.

This writer only seems concerned with the fact that Mr. DeNiro prefers black women.

The question that begs to be asked is "What in God's name do black women see in Mr. DeNiro"?