3. that horseshit scene when dude was shot and dying on the couch, and says, 'i know its you....ughhhhhhhhh'. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. That was when I checked out. Movie didn't, though; 45 minutes to go.
Don't have a problem with this criticism although they were trying to show that the shot guy had some kind of loyalty to DiCapprio because they'd been through so much that perhaps he didn't want to rat him out.
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
Ga***h, you took the words right out of my mouth, I almost kicked the guy in front on me after the super special surprise ending scene. This movie was a mess. I found myself saying I don't care about any of this characters, which is the hallmark of a really great cinematic experience for me. Yet, I have to admit that Leo was excellent. I also thought Damon was great.
Edith, I noticed in the movie thread that you like the foreign and more arty stuff. I am stuck that your musical tastes seems more straight ahead, less out, especially on the strut where people seem to be in a hurry to floss their latest private press turds. Any thoughts about the (supposed) difference in your movie and music likes? I clocked in my tops in the movie thread and I think it pretty much parallels my musical preferences; quality, not necessarily known, but nothing very outre or overly abstract (hate the free jazz).
really? i don't think my musical tastes are so straight ahead. i think i am more open about expressing my enjoyment for guilty pleasures these days compared to when i first came on here, i actually did talk a lot about free jazz & skronky noisey shit. i still own these records, but i don't break them out as often. but i think my movie & music taste mirror each other. there's one side of me that loves polanski & pere ubu and on the other hand i love anchorman & cheap trick as well. everything i love depends on whatever i am in the mood for at that given moment.
anyway, g*reth told me on waxidermy that his work blocked SS so he can't respond in this thread from there. here's his response to my question in this thread. hopefully this will spark more geeky movie discussion...
Anyway, at your request, I submit a list of some of my favorite films, with the following explanation. What I found I did not like about the Departed was that it was a movie that created a world with rules, and the rules were interpreted by the actions of the characters. I felt the movie then broke those rules for the purpose of advancing the plot, which is why the inconsistencies within the movie bothered me so much, and why I came down hard on it. Cases in point, imo, are Crazy Costello acting out of character in trusting a new guy (TO THE POINT WHERE HE BEQUETHED HIS TAPES TO HIM! GTFOOHWTBS!), and Colin Sullivan getting to coldheartedly run roughshod over the police department, and then suddenly breath a sigh that he is out of the mob. That change was only hinted at, and it asked me too much as a viewer based on what the characters had offered me.
When you mentioned 'believability,' on SS, I understand your point, but all I ask is believability within the world the artist is creating. Case in point: I found Pan's Labyrinth more plausible than the Departed; not that I believe in fairies and talking goats, but that the film created a world with rules, and stuck by them. Not that it was flawless- the Captain was a caricature of evil, which I understand for the film's purpose, but it was a form of shorthand- but, I found that movie much more successful, and 'believable,' based on the world it created for the viewer.
Anyway, all that nonsense aside, I wanted you to know I took your comments seriously- and I have little going on at work today, and I was able to give this some thought and time. So, without further adieu, here is my list of movies I like, in no particular order.
The Big Lebowski- the Coens can create a world. Wow. This is my favorite of their films- I think that Miller's Crossing is BETTER, but this is my favorite. But, the characters in this are so well defined because of the language. I think it is possibly the best written movie I've ever seen; the language is so funny, subtle, and does such a good job at crafting the characters who inhabit LA circa 1990 that this movie will never grow old for me. Great period film, as well.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid- talk about a world created! these two characters (and yes, actors) work so well together, and with the scenery, that it makes that whole movie come alive. This is one where the characters and the pictures make the world of the film for me.
Ghostbusters- No shit; probably my favorite comedy ever made. Bill Murray's performance is unreal; I wrote an essay once (never polished it off) about how this movie, though I love it, could be read as the conservative response to 9/11- you know, new threat in NYC, fuck the EPA pencil neck weenies, we've gotta kill 'em! Still, though...'Nice shootin', Tex.'
Rushmore- I feel like this is Wes Anderson's best film, as it combines his witty style WITH a story. I love the characters, and I love how their actions inspire the story, not the story driving them. I think in his last two movies (ESPECIALLY Life Aquatic, which I thought was hot garbage) he's let his desire to create a new world trump his storytelling. I'll respect any artist trying new things and failing (see my next entry...) but I'm getting concerned that Anderson is losing sight of the most important part of filmmaking: compelling story telling.
The Charlie Kauffman Collection (esp. Eternal Sunshine)- I don't care how you tell a story; i'll give a filmmaker carte blanche on how loose and sprawling they want a story to be, and how fucked up the method is that they choose to tell it. But, I want to be captivated underneat it all. And this man writes captivating movies, no doubt about it. They are flawed...but, they are beautiful, absurd, thought provoking, and unabashedly creative, inventive and intellectual. I will support his failures (Confessions of a Dangerous MInd...oof) and his triumphs because I am hungry for more.
One last wildcard, because I think this is one of the movies I keep coming back to in recent years, and an incredible acting job....
The Insider- Russell Crowe kills me in this film; and talk about getting the most out of a 60 minutes story. What a great look at ego, hubris, and the people that make up a corporation. I think this might be Al Pacino's last great role (they were smart to cast him playing himself at this point in his career) and this movie has some wonderful acting to it. This was up against American Beauty for best picture, and to me, has held up so much better in the last 6 years.
my response: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It???s been a while since I saw The Departed at the multiplex, but I remember understanding that Costello started trusting the Dicaprio character as uncoplike after he wigged out and almost beat some old mobsters to death? My memory is shoddy but I didn't think that was so out there. And I can totally see Sullivan running roughshod over the PD and breathing a sigh of relief when he is released from the mob. I dunno, it seems like pretty standard inner conflict shit to me. He has his loyalty to Costello for helping out his family as a kid but he also wanted to be a do-gooder in the traditional family values sense and have a normal life living with a wife and whatnot. For me, the flaws in that movie had to do with the plot and the ending, not the characters. I thought the character development was pretty damn good. You don't really sympathize with Sullivan cause he is cold and calculating, but Costello I felt was a good character because even though he is killer, he is also a fat, funny and somewhat likable shlub. It???s a Tony Soprano thing. He does a lot of bad shit but then he has those moments of generosity as well. I love morally ambiguous crap like that in the movies.
Anyway, I???m surprised that you don't have issue with the Coen Brothers. It seems like most people on SS who didn't like The Departed complained of "All style and no substance." But that's how I feel about Coen Bros flicks. I find their characters to be one dimensional and
zany to the point where it kinda irritates me like I am watching a Three's Company type sitcom. I know that is not their aim to create real people, but I start to lose interest because of that. I enjoyed Millers Crossing, but found the dialogue and characters so schmaltzy and overwritten. My favorite Coen bros flicks are probably their most understated ones like Blood Simple and The Man Who Wasn't There.
I thought Pan's Labyrinth was okay. I have a problem with plots that feel too set-up and predictable though, like when pan strictly warned her to not eat anything when in the lair of the kid eating monster and she did. I saw that shit coming a mile away.
When you mentioned 'believability,' on SS, I understand your point, but all I ask is believability within the world the artist is creating. Case in point: I found Pan's Labyrinth more plausible than the Departed; not that I believe in fairies and talking goats, but that the film created a world with rules, and stuck by them. Not that it was flawless- the Captain was a caricature of evil, which I understand for the film's purpose, but it was a form of shorthand- but, I found that movie much more successful, and 'believable,' based on the world it created for the viewer.
Actually, the thing I found most objectionable about Pan's Labyrinth was how it created these two parallel worlds and
SPOIILERSSSSSS
undercut the fantasy world at the end w/ the stupid reveal shot - it made it seem like 'oh cute little girl believes in the power of IMAGINATION' rather than leaving you with ambiguity that i think would have served the film a lot better (aside from this critical aspect I really really like PL...which is why it was so disappointing!).
definately check out infernal affairs. there are also 2 sequels which arent that good but decent. I heard they wanted to adapt those too for us audiences.
hmmm.
i dunno what's to adapt??? its pretty watchable and better than most hollywood films ive seen recently.
What I meant to say is that your musical tastes seem "more" straight ahead then your film taste which are more of the arty flavor. I guess I have noticed more of your music stuff recently.
I think you're right about the Coen brothers in general although about 1 out of 3 films seems to really work. They are capable of such bad looks (Hudsucker Proxy and the one with Clooney/Zeta Jones) that it's hard to believe they made Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski. Fargo worked well too. Their dramas are much harder to take for some reason. I've been meaning to revisit Blood Simple since so many people recommend it.
I agree with G##### about the living in the world ideal. I want a movie to completely get you to forget your watching a movie because your so caught up in the experience. Hoaky or contrived plotting, bad acting and (for me) too much artsy dead space (2001: A Space Odyssey), just kill a movie.
Ga###, another good movie that you've probably seen a lot given your Kesey crush is Cookoos Nest. That movie could have been so heavy handed (a la Awakenings) but they just walked the line perfectly.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
departed was one of my favorite movies from 2006.
definately check out infernal affairs. there are also 2 sequels which arent that good but decent. I heard they wanted to adapt those too for us audiences.
hmmm.
i dunno what's to adapt??? its pretty watchable and better than most hollywood films ive seen recently.
The ending of The Departed pretty much blew out of the water any chance of a credible sequel based on Infernal Affairs III at any rate.
um. wow. I can't believe a simple question has yielded such a lengthy discussion.
I really dug the Departed, and loved the fact that everyone dies/gets killed in the end. Not a typical happily-ever-after hollywood ending. I really want to see the proper version, cause I BT'd this movie, and it clearly looks like a rough edit as there are jumpy cuts, and one or two scenes that start off completely off-center and some of the dialog isn't synced up properly.
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
He wasn't a cop. They police told the reporters he was a cop so Costello would believe the informant was dead and presumably no longer worry about a rat in his gang. Costello explains this in the same scene.
As for the complaint someone had as to why Costello was so trusting of Costigan, even though he was "the new guy", it was because Costigan's uncle Jackie was one of Costello's top men (after French.) This is mentioned quite a few times in the beginning.
while i thought the departed was a great movie, i think i prefer infernal affairs. i felt there was a much stronger and noticeable emotional dilemma within the fake cop. in the OG you could really get the sense that he wanted to become good and i don't think they did a very good job of that in the departed.
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
He wasn't a cop. They police told the reporters he was a cop so Costello would believe the informant was dead and presumably no longer worry about a rat in his gang. Costello explains this in the same scene.
As for the complaint someone had as to why Costello was so trusting of Costigan, even though he was "the new guy", it was because Costigan's uncle Jackie was one of Costello's top men (after French.) This is mentioned quite a few times in the beginning.
i was under the impression we weren't really know who to believe here
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
He wasn't a cop. They police told the reporters he was a cop so Costello would believe the informant was dead and presumably no longer worry about a rat in his gang. Costello explains this in the same scene.
As for the complaint someone had as to why Costello was so trusting of Costigan, even though he was "the new guy", it was because Costigan's uncle Jackie was one of Costello's top men (after French.) This is mentioned quite a few times in the beginning.
i was under the impression we weren't really know who to believe here
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
He wasn't a cop. They police told the reporters he was a cop so Costello would believe the informant was dead and presumably no longer worry about a rat in his gang. Costello explains this in the same scene.
As for the complaint someone had as to why Costello was so trusting of Costigan, even though he was "the new guy", it was because Costigan's uncle Jackie was one of Costello's top men (after French.) This is mentioned quite a few times in the beginning.
yes, this is why it was believable that costello would let bill in was because 'his family was dug into the southie pj's like ticks.'
Ga###, another good movie that you've probably seen a lot given your Kesey crush is Cookoos Nest. That movie could have been so heavy handed (a la Awakenings) but they just walked the line perfectly.
yeah...love it...although, apparently Kesey didn't; whatever, he didn't like anything.
I just tried to write some long ass thing following this about the aging american new wave actors and directors, but i got tangled up in the writing. good discussion, though.
oh, and one thing i found funny in one of Motown's clarifications: 'he isn't the biggest gangster in Boston. he's the biggest IRISH gangster in Boston.' That means he is the biggest GANGSTER in Boston.
I found the actors in Infernal Affairs more convincing than the Departed (all around, not just the main characters). Maybe it was the Boston accent that threw them off. And who can type a text message without looking at the keypad?
Hey, the Academy was only 17 years late in giving Marty his Oscar. Dances with fucking Wolves. Gimme a break.
Oscar quote of all time, from last year's show. John Stewart after "It's Hard to Be Pimp" won best song. "That's 3-6 Mafia one, Martin Scorcesse zero."
I know I'm late here, but I thought The Departed was THE best Movie of the year! I am a bit tired of Jack Nicholson, but everyone else - minus the no need for blonde- was terrific! Leo should have gotten the Nom for this movie instead of Blood Diamond- which I also enjoyed. I've never been a fan of his- but he blew me away! I am a big fan of Infernal Affairs which I did see first, and I love that film as well. The Morse code was cool. But I still think The Departed was better. Tony Leung is a current fave actor and I thought he and Andy Lau were terrific. I agree there was no reason for the girl being in the The Departed. It's funny the Infernal Affairs DVD I purchased had the misleading pic of some hot babe w/ Tony and Andy on the cover. No hot chicks w/guns in the film of course.
When I watched The Departed with my girl I commented to her that it was like a trashy page-turner novel you read at the beach. It's full of unbelievable plot twists and ridiculous coincidences but you still want to know what happens next. As for winning best picture, it will go down in the annals as yet another movie that only won because the filmmaker had been deserving in the past. In Scorsese's filmography this movie ranks right about the same as The Color of Money- not essential but still kind of entertaining.
truth! i really thought he was awesome in the departed. i was shocked that he could act well. anyone remember Gangs of New York?
I think Leo surprised a lot of people with The Departed, including myself. It was also the first time I can remember looking up at the screen and not seeing a 16 year-old boy staring back at me. In other words, he's finally starting to look grown. That was a HUGE problem for him prior to this and was the main reason why I could never buy into Leo playing Howard Hughes. I also think that had a direct affect on his acting chops as well. He seemed more confident in Departed. Maybe now perhaps we'll finally start seeing the Leo that Marty has been seeing all this time.
RE: Gangs of New York, that was for me, probably the biggest cinematic letdown of my life (aside from Army of Darkness). Luc Sante's book had SO much promise and potential and I really thought Marty was going to do for that book what Francis did for the Godfather. What a mess. And to be fair, I can't realy blame the actors so much as Scorcese himself. He just looked lost.
One flew over the cuckoos nest? China Town? Five easy pieces?
I agree he was the weak link in the departed, but he is one of the greatest actors EVAR. no doubt about it.
Matt Damon and Leo were amazing in the departed. It wasnt a perfect movie, but the performaces were pretty incredible, it had some great tense moments, etc. What was up with the music though?
RE: Gangs of New York, that was for me, probably the biggest cinematic letdown of my life (aside from Army of Darkness). Luc Sante's book had SO much promise and potential and I really thought Marty was going to do for that book what Francis did for the Godfather. What a mess. And to be fair, I can't realy blame the actors so much as Scorcese himself. He just looked lost.
RE: Gangs of New York, that was for me, probably the biggest cinematic letdown of my life (aside from Army of Darkness). Luc Sante's book had SO much promise and potential and I really thought Marty was going to do for that book what Francis did for the Godfather. What a mess. And to be fair, I can't realy blame the actors so much as Scorcese himself. He just looked lost.
saying. i really really wanted to love Gangs of New York. i thought Herbert Asbury wrote the book though? I read Asbury's book The Barbary Coast about seedy san francisco during the gold rush so i was really excited about the subject matter. but then there was the corny trip-hop during that opening fight scene and the dumb carmen diaz & leo love plot.
saying. i really really wanted to love Gangs of New York. i thought Herbert Asbury wrote the book though?
You'd be right Ms. Head. I'm thinking of Sante's "Low Life" which I read around the same time as Gangs of New York and dealt with a lot of the same lore.
I read Asbury's book The Barbary Coast about seedy san francisco during the gold rush so i was really excited about the subject matter. but then there was the corny trip-hop during that opening fight scene and the dumb carmen diaz & leo love plot.
There were so many crazy characters and stories Marty could've drawn from but something obviously happened along the way. The Hell Cat Maggie character was by far the most memorable female character in the books but in the film she was played by ??? and was on screen for all but 5 minutes?? In fact, when I first heard of the casting I thought Cameron Diaz was going to be playing Maggie. I thought, damn, now that sounds interesting (and brave). Could've easily been the role she would always be remembered for (by all accounts the real Maggie makes the fictional Tony Montana look pussy). I mean, imagine Cameron Diaz biting off motherfucker's ears and wearing them around her neck?! Or filing down all of her teeth to sharp points?? BAD - ASS. But alas, someone, somewhere chickened out and instead we were treated to the world's first sanitized New York gangster flick from Martin Scorcese. No thank you.
Comments
The dude who died on the couch was a cop. Shortly after he dies there is a TV news report about a dead cops body being found. The crew is shocked that he was the rat.
really? i don't think my musical tastes are so straight ahead. i think i am more open about expressing my enjoyment for guilty pleasures these days compared to when i first came on here, i actually did talk a lot about free jazz & skronky noisey shit. i still own these records, but i don't break them out as often. but i think my movie & music taste mirror each other. there's one side of me that loves polanski & pere ubu and on the other hand i love anchorman & cheap trick as well. everything i love depends on whatever i am in the mood for at that given moment.
anyway, g*reth told me on waxidermy that his work blocked SS so he can't respond in this thread from there. here's his response to my question in this thread. hopefully this will spark more geeky movie discussion...
kitchenknight:
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Anyway, at your request, I submit a list of some of my favorite films, with the following explanation. What I found I did not like about the Departed was that it was a movie that created a world with rules, and the rules were interpreted by the actions of the characters. I felt the movie then broke those rules for the purpose of advancing the plot, which is why the inconsistencies within the movie bothered me so much, and why I came down hard on it. Cases in point, imo, are Crazy Costello acting out of character in trusting a new guy (TO THE POINT WHERE HE BEQUETHED HIS TAPES TO HIM! GTFOOHWTBS!), and Colin Sullivan getting to coldheartedly run roughshod over the police department, and then suddenly breath a sigh that he is out of the mob. That change was only hinted at, and it asked me too much as a viewer based on what the characters had offered me.
When you mentioned 'believability,' on SS, I understand your point, but all I ask is believability within the world the artist is creating. Case in point: I found Pan's Labyrinth more plausible than the Departed; not that I believe in fairies and talking goats, but that the film created a world with rules, and stuck by them. Not that it was flawless- the Captain was a caricature of evil, which I understand for the film's purpose, but it was a form of shorthand- but, I found that movie much more successful, and 'believable,' based on the world it created for the viewer.
Anyway, all that nonsense aside, I wanted you to know I took your comments seriously- and I have little going on at work today, and I was able to give this some thought and time. So, without further adieu, here is my list of movies I like, in no particular order.
The Big Lebowski- the Coens can create a world. Wow. This is my favorite of their films- I think that Miller's Crossing is BETTER, but this is my favorite. But, the characters in this are so well defined because of the language. I think it is possibly the best written movie I've ever seen; the language is so funny, subtle, and does such a good job at crafting the characters who inhabit LA circa 1990 that this movie will never grow old for me. Great period film, as well.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid- talk about a world created! these two characters (and yes, actors) work so well together, and with the scenery, that it makes that whole movie come alive. This is one where the characters and the pictures make the world of the film for me.
Ghostbusters- No shit; probably my favorite comedy ever made. Bill Murray's performance is unreal; I wrote an essay once (never polished it off) about how this movie, though I love it, could be read as the conservative response to 9/11- you know, new threat in NYC, fuck the EPA pencil neck weenies, we've gotta kill 'em!
Still, though...'Nice shootin', Tex.'
Rushmore- I feel like this is Wes Anderson's best film, as it combines his witty style WITH a story. I love the characters, and I love how their actions inspire the story, not the story driving them. I think in his last two movies (ESPECIALLY Life Aquatic, which I thought was hot garbage) he's let his desire to create a new world trump his storytelling. I'll respect any artist trying new things and failing (see my next entry...) but I'm getting concerned that Anderson is losing sight of the most important part of filmmaking: compelling story telling.
The Charlie Kauffman Collection (esp. Eternal Sunshine)- I don't care how you tell a story; i'll give a filmmaker carte blanche on how loose and sprawling they want a story to be, and how fucked up the method is that they choose to tell it. But, I want to be captivated underneat it all. And this man writes captivating movies, no doubt about it. They are flawed...but, they are beautiful, absurd, thought provoking, and unabashedly creative, inventive and intellectual. I will support his failures (Confessions of a Dangerous MInd...oof) and his triumphs because I am hungry for more.
One last wildcard, because I think this is one of the movies I keep coming back to in recent years, and an incredible acting job....
The Insider- Russell Crowe kills me in this film; and talk about getting the most out of a 60 minutes story. What a great look at ego, hubris, and the people that make up a corporation. I think this might be Al Pacino's last great role (they were smart to cast him playing himself at this point in his career) and this movie has some wonderful acting to it. This was up against American Beauty for best picture, and to me, has held up so much better in the last 6 years.
my response:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It???s been a while since I saw The Departed at the multiplex, but I remember understanding that Costello started trusting the Dicaprio character as uncoplike after he wigged out and almost beat some old mobsters to death? My memory is shoddy but I didn't think that was so out there. And I can totally see Sullivan running roughshod over the PD and breathing a sigh of relief when he is released from the mob. I dunno, it seems like pretty standard inner conflict shit to me. He has his loyalty to Costello for helping out his family as a kid but he also wanted to be a do-gooder in the traditional family values sense and have a normal life living with a wife and whatnot. For me, the flaws in that movie had to do with the plot and the ending, not the characters. I thought the character development was pretty damn good. You don't really sympathize with Sullivan cause he is cold and calculating, but Costello I felt was a good character because even though he is killer, he is also a fat, funny and somewhat likable shlub. It???s a Tony Soprano thing. He does a lot of bad shit but then he has those moments of generosity as well. I love morally ambiguous crap like that in the movies.
Anyway, I???m surprised that you don't have issue with the Coen Brothers. It seems like most people on SS who didn't like The Departed complained of "All style and no substance." But that's how I feel about Coen Bros flicks. I find their characters to be one dimensional and zany to the point where it kinda irritates me like I am watching a Three's Company type sitcom. I know that is not their aim to create real people, but I start to lose interest because of that. I enjoyed Millers Crossing, but found the dialogue and characters so schmaltzy and overwritten. My favorite Coen bros flicks are probably their most understated ones like Blood Simple and The Man Who Wasn't There.
I thought Pan's Labyrinth was okay. I have a problem with plots that feel too set-up and predictable though, like when pan strictly warned her to not eat anything when in the lair of the kid eating monster and she did. I saw that shit coming a mile away.
Actually, the thing I found most objectionable about Pan's Labyrinth was how it created these two parallel worlds and
SPOIILERSSSSSS
undercut the fantasy world at the end w/ the stupid reveal shot - it made it seem like 'oh cute little girl believes in the power of IMAGINATION' rather than leaving you with ambiguity that i think would have served the film a lot better (aside from this critical aspect I really really like PL...which is why it was so disappointing!).
I think you're right about the Coen brothers in general although about 1 out of 3 films seems to really work. They are capable of such bad looks (Hudsucker Proxy and the one with Clooney/Zeta Jones) that it's hard to believe they made Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski. Fargo worked well too. Their dramas are much harder to take for some reason. I've been meaning to revisit Blood Simple since so many people recommend it.
I agree with G##### about the living in the world ideal. I want a movie to completely get you to forget your watching a movie because your so caught up in the experience. Hoaky or contrived plotting, bad acting and (for me) too much artsy dead space (2001: A Space Odyssey), just kill a movie.
Ga###, another good movie that you've probably seen a lot given your Kesey crush is Cookoos Nest. That movie could have been so heavy handed (a la Awakenings) but they just walked the line perfectly.
The ending of The Departed pretty much blew out of the water any chance of a credible sequel based on Infernal Affairs III at any rate.
I really dug the Departed, and loved the fact that everyone dies/gets killed in the end. Not a typical happily-ever-after hollywood ending. I really want to see the proper version, cause I BT'd this movie, and it clearly looks like a rough edit as there are jumpy cuts, and one or two scenes that start off completely off-center and some of the dialog isn't synced up properly.
He wasn't a cop. They police told the reporters he was a cop so Costello would believe the informant was dead and presumably no longer worry about a rat in his gang. Costello explains this in the same scene.
As for the complaint someone had as to why Costello was so trusting of Costigan, even though he was "the new guy", it was because Costigan's uncle Jackie was one of Costello's top men (after French.) This is mentioned quite a few times in the beginning.
All glowing and tubey.
i was under the impression we weren't really know who to believe here
No, it was a covery story.
I'm with you G.
Hey, the Academy was only 17 years late in giving Marty his Oscar. Dances with fucking Wolves. Gimme a break.
yeah...love it...although, apparently Kesey didn't; whatever, he didn't like anything.
I just tried to write some long ass thing following this about the aging american new wave actors and directors, but i got tangled up in the writing. good discussion, though.
oh, and one thing i found funny in one of Motown's clarifications: 'he isn't the biggest gangster in Boston. he's the biggest IRISH gangster in Boston.' That means he is the biggest GANGSTER in Boston.
Oscar quote of all time, from last year's show. John Stewart after "It's Hard to Be Pimp" won best song. "That's 3-6 Mafia one, Martin Scorcesse zero."
I am a bit tired of Jack Nicholson, but everyone else - minus the no need for blonde- was terrific! Leo should have gotten the Nom for this movie instead of Blood Diamond- which I also enjoyed. I've never been a fan of his- but he blew me away!
I am a big fan of Infernal Affairs which I did see first, and I love that film as well. The Morse code was cool. But I still think The Departed was better. Tony Leung is a current fave actor and I thought he and Andy Lau were terrific.
I agree there was no reason for the girl being in the The Departed. It's funny the Infernal Affairs DVD I purchased had the misleading pic of some hot babe w/ Tony and Andy on the cover. No hot chicks w/guns in the film of course.
Must See THE HOST and Woman on The Beach!
peace
That one kinda had me mystified.
i wonder what the acceptance speech would have been like - given the room full of people with that shit dripping off their ears, necks and wrists
truth! i really thought he was awesome in the departed. i was shocked that he could act well. anyone remember Gangs of New York?
I think Leo surprised a lot of people with The Departed, including myself.
It was also the first time I can remember looking up at the screen and not seeing a 16 year-old boy staring back at me.
In other words, he's finally starting to look grown.
That was a HUGE problem for him prior to this and was the main reason why I could never buy into Leo playing Howard Hughes.
I also think that had a direct affect on his acting chops as well.
He seemed more confident in Departed.
Maybe now perhaps we'll finally start seeing the Leo that Marty has been seeing all this time.
RE: Gangs of New York, that was for me, probably the biggest cinematic letdown of my life (aside from Army of Darkness).
Luc Sante's book had SO much promise and potential and I really thought Marty was going to do for that book what Francis did for the Godfather.
What a mess.
And to be fair, I can't realy blame the actors so much as Scorcese himself.
He just looked lost.
One flew over the cuckoos nest?
China Town?
Five easy pieces?
I agree he was the weak link in the departed, but he is one of the greatest actors EVAR. no doubt about it.
Matt Damon and Leo were amazing in the departed. It wasnt a perfect movie, but the performaces were pretty incredible, it had some great tense moments, etc. What was up with the music though?
word.
saying. i really really wanted to love Gangs of New York. i thought Herbert Asbury wrote the book though? I read Asbury's book The Barbary Coast about seedy san francisco during the gold rush so i was really excited about the subject matter. but then there was the corny trip-hop during that opening fight scene and the dumb carmen diaz & leo love plot.
You'd be right Ms. Head. I'm thinking of Sante's "Low Life" which I read around the same time as Gangs of New York and dealt with a lot of the same lore.
There were so many crazy characters and stories Marty could've drawn from but something obviously happened along the way.
The Hell Cat Maggie character was by far the most memorable female character in the books but in the film she was played by ??? and was on screen for all but 5 minutes??
In fact, when I first heard of the casting I thought Cameron Diaz was going to be playing Maggie.
I thought, damn, now that sounds interesting (and brave).
Could've easily been the role she would always be remembered for (by all accounts the real Maggie makes the fictional Tony Montana look pussy).
I mean, imagine Cameron Diaz biting off motherfucker's ears and wearing them around her neck?!
Or filing down all of her teeth to sharp points??
BAD - ASS.
But alas, someone, somewhere chickened out and instead we were treated to the world's first sanitized New York gangster flick from Martin Scorcese.
No thank you.
Imagine the camera operators freaking out, not knowing whose face to lock in on?