Have you ever noticed that often when we are on the road driving to somewhere, suddenly there's 2-door convertible Porsche whizzed by on either side of your 10-year old clunky Corolla, you looked up and you always found the driver of that $100thousand sport car was a gray haired or baldy old gizzard. That scene always made you think: Why so many old farts driving these kind fast cars? After you looked in the mirror and did some deep soul search, you'd suddenly realize that time is the essence of forcing you to do something more extravaganza before it's too late. Everybody wants to go to heaven/paradise(*if there's one), but better late than sooner; and before the curtain calls you to kick the bucket, better drive a dream car before DMV requesting you to do a eyesight test.
De Niro, I think also got this before-its-too-late urgent syndrome. Like some of the other old Hollywood gizzards, Christopher Plummer, Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Diane Keaton, Michael Cann... he would respond and accept any cast thrown his way, cashing in his old fame is the only way to add up more zeros in his bank account.
But there's a negative drawback: most of these films he signed on were not serious enough movies but so-called "Comedy", the genre that has been messed up with "Farce"(or, Farmedy?). By doing so many clown-like characters in so many farces, now his facial expressions and his acting were limited only to his face: his mouth and his wrinkles acting formula, and nothing else. Almost in all of his recent years' movies, he just repeatedly used his ugly and uglier old facial expressions to waltz through all of these formulaic miserable farces, the only improved difference is that mole on his face. Making more money as he still could, to hell with the screenplay, the scenario, the plot...since farce does need or require his once great performing art, all he has to do is his squeezed facial expressions, dirty words in the dialog are the easier part. Want me to play a role in your farce? Money first, no refund, if the movie turned out to be a bummer. Once you decided to become a beggar, you just couldn't be a picky chooser. My God, look at his facial expressions in every movie, they were all the same.
