So, we didn't plan it this way, but seeing Shutter Island recently and getting The Departed this weekend from Netflix, means that I have back-to-back Scorsese-DiCaprio movies to chatter about! So, here you go, part 2 of the unintentional series: The Departed. Maybe we should do The Aviator next? :)
Plot: Set in Boston, a mobster rat in the state troopers and a police rat in the mob play back and forth trying to find and eliminate each other. Twists, crosses, double crosses and bloody endings abound.
Phenomenal cast. Matt Damon is a likeably arrogant ass. I think that's really the only way I can describe him. Mark Wahlberg (with a baaaad haircut) is funny, in a very dark way. One of those characters who are so foul-mouthed, so wrapped in their own world and own way of doing things, that it's amusing in some sort of way. I dunno. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that, but I was amused. And Leonardo DiCaprio adds this to the list of movies proving to people my age that he is more than Romeo or Jack (from Titanic). He was very good, very believable cracking under the strain. I think I need to add Blood Diamond to the queue now, and see his performance there too. Jack Nicholson is great, cast as the aging, powerful, slightly paranoid, crime boss. He's one of those actors that's just so good as the slightly crazy, powerful type. Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin deserve mentions too, as supporting cast members. Very well done, both of them, but in smaller roles they got overshadowed by the others.
Overall: 5 of 5. Not a 'happy' movie, but very entertaining movie. Deserved the Best Picture Award. Definitely shelf-worthy!
Phenomenal cast. Matt Damon is a likeably arrogant ass. I think that's really the only way I can describe him. Mark Wahlberg (with a baaaad haircut) is funny, in a very dark way. One of those characters who are so foul-mouthed, so wrapped in their own world and own way of doing things, that it's amusing in some sort of way. I dunno. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that, but I was amused. And Leonardo DiCaprio adds this to the list of movies proving to people my age that he is more than Romeo or Jack (from Titanic). He was very good, very believable cracking under the strain. I think I need to add Blood Diamond to the queue now, and see his performance there too. Jack Nicholson is great, cast as the aging, powerful, slightly paranoid, crime boss. He's one of those actors that's just so good as the slightly crazy, powerful type. Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin deserve mentions too, as supporting cast members. Very well done, both of them, but in smaller roles they got overshadowed by the others.
Direction: Scorsese definitely earned his Oscar here. Great job. 'Nuff said. Everyone keeps comparing it to Goodfellas, Scorsese's other key mob movie, which (surprisingly) I haven't seen yet. As much as I liked this one, I think I'll have to bump Goodfellas up a little higher on the queue.
I know the plot is nothing original - cops 'n' robbers, and the movie specifically is a remake from a Hong Kong film Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs). The writing though is very well done. It's very effective, with some very effective lines, and very believable characters. And the writing is very funny too, in a dark sort of way. Not that it's a comedy or even close - just some darkly comedic writing at times. And (being of Irish heritage) I liked some of the Irish jokes in there too.
And yes the very final scene (view of Boston rooftops, with a rat walking across the balcony)... well, I agree with the Simpsons' take on it: as Ralph says, the rat "symbolizes obviousness." Not annoyingly ham-handed, but it was on that side of the spectrum. Doesn't ruin my opinion of the movie or anything, but just a little silly.
Oh - warning: STRONG language. According to IMDB trivia on the movie, this is the movie with the most uses of the word "f***" and its derivatives (237) to win the Best Picture Oscar. And no, f*** is not the only curse word they liked. So, if you are sensitive to language, catch this when it comes on TV and the language gets cleaned up a bit. :)
I know the plot is nothing original - cops 'n' robbers, and the movie specifically is a remake from a Hong Kong film Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs). The writing though is very well done. It's very effective, with some very effective lines, and very believable characters. And the writing is very funny too, in a dark sort of way. Not that it's a comedy or even close - just some darkly comedic writing at times. And (being of Irish heritage) I liked some of the Irish jokes in there too.
And yes the very final scene (view of Boston rooftops, with a rat walking across the balcony)... well, I agree with the Simpsons' take on it: as Ralph says, the rat "symbolizes obviousness." Not annoyingly ham-handed, but it was on that side of the spectrum. Doesn't ruin my opinion of the movie or anything, but just a little silly.
Oh - warning: STRONG language. According to IMDB trivia on the movie, this is the movie with the most uses of the word "f***" and its derivatives (237) to win the Best Picture Oscar. And no, f*** is not the only curse word they liked. So, if you are sensitive to language, catch this when it comes on TV and the language gets cleaned up a bit. :)
Overall: 5 of 5. Not a 'happy' movie, but very entertaining movie. Deserved the Best Picture Award. Definitely shelf-worthy!
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