Robert De Niro is an intensely private man, whose rare public appearances are often marked by inarticulateness and palpable awkwardness. It can be almost painful to watch at times, in powerful contrast to his confident movie personae. In DE NIRO: A LIFE, Shawn Levy writes of these many De Niros, seeking to understand the evolution of an actor who once dove deeply into his roles as if to hide his inner nature, and who now takes roles that make few apparent demands on his overwhelming talent.