The Departed

[grady]

I haven't seen it yet but will be later this evening so lets get the thread going now.

Who is seeing it tonight?

From what it sounds like, this is going to be a good Scorsese picture/film, whichever term you prefer. Kind of hard not to imagine Nicholson not being good in the hands of Scorsese. If only DiCaprio wasn't in the film. I just haven't been impressed with the guy and don't see what Scorsese finds so fascinating about him. Maybe this picture will change my opinion.

[Dirty0900]

Im planning on seeing it, i love my benefits of free film tickets! Reviews have all been fairly positive to.

[grady]

Seems like most American critics have been wetting their pants over the film. Part of this I think can be related to the past two rather sub-par films Scorsese made. With lower than low expectations, one can always end up being surprised.

[b.miller]

it's really good. It IS a remake let's not forget but the cast and Scorsese make it interesting even if you know the story. It's really good.

[kagenaki koe]

Infernal Affairs was a really good movie. when i saw the trailer for The Departed (the scene where they break the cast), i immediately thought "hey they ripped that off that HK movie!". didnt know this was the US remake.

[Kennrr]

i didn't know this is the hk remake! now i'm more interested in seeing it. the first two Infernal Affairs movie are great.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

Dicaprio takes his work professionally serious. Never really been a fan, but respect as is deserved.

[grady]

Don't get me wrong, I respect DiCaprio, The Beach is a film that I feel is still greatly underrated, I just have not been a fan of his work in Gangs of NY and The Aviator.

[kid cue]

just got back from seeing this. i thought the movie was really well done, meticulously balanced. Dicaprio i thought was pretty nice. what was with the 'Chinese govt' officials speaking Cantonese? i loved the whole Boston thing too.

[adam]

SPOILERS IN THIS POST! (I copied and pasted this from somewhere else; I had posted it while the forums were mislaid)

I saw it last night. The two people I was with did not like it, which always has such a drastic influence on my experience. That's why I started going to movies I really care about alone.

There were some suspension-of-disbelief points that irked me a tiny bit: SPOILERS AHOY! Like, Matt Damon's final scene with Jack Nicholson...how did they get to be alone there? How did Damon find him? Where were the other cops, and why were they not seeming to react to the shooting? Also, the ending with DiCaprio mailing him the CD and asking him to meet rang false. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he just present his evidence to Alec Baldwin, say, and let him take care of it? That didn't seem like what his character would do...he wanted out, and designing his own sting operation seemed pointless. You could say he wanted to look him the eye or whatever, but really it was just so they could justify showing the psychiatrist listening to the CD and set up DiCaprio's death. That is, I think plot took a back seat to emotional payoffs...here's Damon alone with Nicholson, Damon alone with DiCaprio, DiCaprio getting killed...I don't think those things would have actually played out like that.

That said, that the realism took a back seat to emotional manipulation, it was marvelous emotional manipulation. I love that rare occasion in films when I really care about whether or not a character gets out of a certain situation, and I feel totally uncertain whether or not they will. That is, usually you know either from the plot or, more broadly, from the type of movie that it is, if the protagonist is going to triumph. I love being wrapped up in a character to the point where I'm on the edge of my seat, and I was.

I also thought they played some of their moments with some nice depth. When she asked him if his vulnerability was genuine, and he said, "I think so," I thought that was a wonderful scene. Also, when he tells her to think about whether or not his suicide threat might be real.

Plus I'm totally infatuated with the psychiatrist.

Some of the dialogue was hilarious, too. "Wanna smoke? What, are you one of those health freaks? Fuck you."

I loved it, I just wish they could have found some ways to work in certain emotional payoffs in ways that I found more believable within the plot and characters.

[Sarcasmo]

I was blown away. I fuckin' love Scorsese.

[patrick]

ya. this was brilliant. i didn't find the same problems that adam did in the "how did it happen" stuff. i just thought everything worked. and ya maybe some things were a big un-realistic, but people DO do stupid things in real life. people don't always do the rational thing every-time


also: baldwin and walhberg's characters were fucking hilarious. amazing!

[grady]

I finally saw this and wow, that was a good time. It was good to see a Scorsese Picture again.

Must see it again very soon.

[the mongoose]

Just saw this on HD-DVD and WOW what a fucking great movie!!! Best film I've seen in a loooong time!:cool::cool::cool::cool:

[the mongoose]

Woohoo, best picture, best director, best editing, and best adapted screenplay Oscars!:cool:

[BeautifulBurnout]

Not seen this yet - will be getting the dvd soon. But props to Marty for best pic/best director. About bloody time too, is all I say :D