I also thought the departed was over rated and no where near the level of goodfellas or even casino.Quote:
Originally Posted by e-ray
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I also thought the departed was over rated and no where near the level of goodfellas or even casino.Quote:
Originally Posted by e-ray
My Two Cents on The Departed:
I think this one was all about the characters. The cast was great, and I thought every performance within the flick was top notch. Maybe the movie didn't have the blow ups, or the Bang, and while definitley not Scorsese's best effort, to me this film wasn't really lacking in any area.
Let's take Nicholson's character first: Although to me Jack is Jack, I thought it was a great portrayal of an old gangster losing his touch. Pretty subtle hints that he handled well. for instance, in his "old" days, he'd have whacked DiCaprio's character in a heartbeat, even knowing his family, but here he just coudn't pull the trigger. You see a guy who's empire is starting to crumble, and what he's done for years has kind of caught up with him, and he's just a bit too tired to really clean up his house.
Alex Baldwin and Martin Sheen nailed their roles as well. Both were understated, yet forceful when they needed to be. Two guys who were "friendly foes", and I think they kept the tension at a good level. There was a relationship, yet there wasn't a relationship. Great job of showing how cops work together while seeming to work against each other; of showing that cops don't even trust each other.
My good friend Marky Mark was flat out fucking great. The mouthpiece for the Chief (Sheen), saying and doing what Sheen couldn't, but really would like to.
Damon has turned himself into a REALLY good bad guy: maybe it's natural, he's reached a point where you see him on screen and think "Fuckhead", and it's sweet when you are an asshole, yet you can still charm the pants off the room when you walk in.
The chick psychiatrist was something. She's got more problems than her patients, and they all flip her. But hey, she's a "government" therapist, so she probably got her degree online anyway.
I guess the old "Hey, if I get killed, give these tapes to the newspapers" way that DiCaprio exposed Damon was a bit too formulaic: The chick psychiatrist could have figured that out herself (especially since she was unwittingly playing Damon and DiCaprio off on each other), but it DID lead to Marky Mark whacking Damon in the end. Up till then, Damon was just reviving his role as "The Talented Mr Ripley".
The last bit of the movie, where everyone ends up getting whacked (good and bad), beginning with Sheen being tossed off a building, I think, is meant to be farcical. It reminds one of Hamlet, where they all kill each other in the end, and it's actually fucking hilarious. By now, no one knows who is who, who to trust, who to like, they've all crossed some line or another, and they can't even figure themselves out, except for DiCaprio (Hamlet), so whack 'em all and start over tomorrow.
(I'm not comparing this movie to Hamlet as a masterpiece, guys, so don't panic. There are elements of Shakespeare in everything that has been written for the last 400 years).
I'll leave you with two points: The scene where DiCaprio's cell phone rings after Sheen has been killed, and it's Damon, is riveting. It's one of those scenes that brings you up in your chair a notch.
Point two: This is why I try not to think too much before I post.
That's more like 42 cents.
Inflation. It's everywhere.
you read pretty goddam fast.
He's not the one that actually reads your posts, that's me you are thinking of.
I thought I was the only one who read my posts.
See? This "Intranet" thing is helping people connect with people all over the world.
Good call, I totally didn't read that. (I haven't seen the Departed yet)
Then see it, read my review, and damn if you won't agree with the three other people in the world who don't wish I'd die in a grease fire.
I mean i like damon and dicaprio and i think mainly what made me see the movie was my legence to them. catch me if you can, the titanic, good will hunting, rounders are some of my favorite movies.
I understand what you are saying in your analysis, however I feel that there are much better chemistry moments in other movies. such as in casino when pecsi gets beat witht he baseball bat or in good will hunting when damon starts crying or hell even in the Karate kid when danielson kicks willaim zabka with the crane kick and elizabeth shue runs out sreaming and myagi just nods his head because he knows how great the situation is.
Yeah, but if you're talking Karate Kid, everyone and their mother knew what was coming when he went into the Crane Position.
I'm quite sure they didn't make the movie only to have Ralph Macchio take a knee to the junk, fall down coughing blood, and lose.
Now, tell me you knew DiCaprio was going to get whacked in the elevator.
Hey, don't rain on Scorsese's parade, guys: He should have gotten an Oscar long ago, but his fucking eyebrows probably scared the shit out of everybody. Imagine him winning, and them damn things get out of control and eat somebody. Not pretty, and definitely NOT tailor made for the Academy Awards.