The Departed ***Spoilers!!!***

[stratman]

I just saw The Departed.........DISTURBING. Damn good movie, if you like crime drama. Scorcese's finest in a long,long time. I saw trailer for "300" all I can say is WOW!!!! You think this can be the next big Oscar winner (The Departed)?

 

[hemiram]

I just saw The Departed.........DISTURBING. Damn good movie, if you like crime drama. Scorcese's finest in a long,long time. I saw trailer for "300" all I can say is WOW!!!! You think this can be the next big Oscar winner (The Departed)?

I really liked The Departed. The ending was kind of a surprise. I like all those gangster type movies anyway, since I slightly knew the real characters Casino was based on.. I would imagine that there will be some Oscar action on it..

When i saw the trailer for 300 my reaction was a little different, it was more like..."Oh jeez, another one of those pieces of *&K! again!". I really hate those kinds of movies. Anything with wizards, CGI armies shooting arrows, saying profound stuff, and screaming a lot just turn me off. Like role playing games..

 

[stratman]

Isn't it funny how film studios have spent millions trying to make cgi more life-like then you get a movie like Sin City that turns it around. BTW I checked up on The Departed, it's a remake of an asian movie (Japanese?, Chinese?)which I also believe was titled Infernal Affairs, my buddy thought the movie was true crime, like Casino.....but the real Frank Costello was Italian not Irish, so I did some research and yes it's just a remake, not even composite characters....still a good movie.

 

[skizzerflake]

I really did NOT like the Departed. The brain spatter quotient was just not believable and I felt like I was seeing a composite of Goodfellows and Gangs of New York (havn't we seen Di Caprio infiltrate a gang before?), with a little Pulp Fiction thrown in for good measure. I saw the movie in a mainly adult theater, and was suprised to hear the audience breaking into increasingly loud chuckles as the "climax" approaced. I didn't think it was supposed to be funny but I though it was to excessive that the movie seemed to have lost the audience (especially me). One thumb down and a nod to a once great film maker.

 

[Audioholics]

Thanks for the feedback - with the cast it was something my wife and I thought we'd want to see.

I am, however, really getting tired of overly gross effects and shock value. Just tell the dang story.

I probably won't see it now even on video.

 

[stratman]

Hey Clint,

Don't write it off yet....Go to Rottentomatoes.com, you'll be surprised, most critics liked the movie. My wife who is really not into this kind of movie liked it.
THe laugh that I also heard towards the climax was not funny but rather a nervous incredilous laugh at the audacity of the consequences leading up to the climax. I think you'll enjoy it, but don't take my word for it.

Stratman

 

[Audioholics]

Spoilers... Questions...

OK, I watched it cause I'm reviewing the HD DVD (technically, not for content)... I have to say that it was fun to watch but COMPLETELY predictable and had a stupid ending (IMHO). I'm not sure if it wasn't meant to be. It also didn't make sense in that it seemed to leave a lot of open ends and trails.

For instance:

• Why did DeCaprio make such a big deal about the manila envelope and then it never get used or implemented?
• Why did the girlfriend not immediately turn in Matt Damon's character after hearing him? She HAD to know something wasn't right...
• Why did Mark Wahlberg's character take so long to show up again? You KNEW he was coming back...
• Why did Matt Damon not warn off "Dad" when he broke the tail? Why did he lead everyone to him knowing they'd have to kill him?

 

[highfihoney]

Anybody see the fat stack of Mcintosh home theater gear in the movie,seems like ole jack likes mac,it seems to appear in many of his movies.

 

[Audioholics]

Yeah, it's in my notes for the review. Thought that was funny. Obvious product placement, too, as you couldn't miss it.

 

[highfihoney]

Product placement for sure.

 

[j_garcia]

I didn't find it disturbing at all, just a very well done movie. It was predictable, but still good.

Why did DeCaprio make such a big deal about the manila envelope and then it never get used or implemented?

Why did the girlfriend not immediately turn in Matt Damon's character after hearing him? She HAD to know something wasn't right...

Why did Mark Wahlberg's character take so long to show up again? You KNEW he was coming back...

My understanding was the manilla folder is the reason why Dignan (Wahlberg) was in Sullivan's (Damon) apartment waiting for him. That is likely the instructions contained in the envelope...for her to contact Dignan and tell him what was going on. Once on leave, there was no benefit to having him in any scenes. Can't answer why she didn't turn him in...maybe because she didn't think he was as deep in as he was, and she loved him.

Why did Matt Damon not warn off "Dad" when he broke the tail? Why did he lead everyone to him knowing they'd have to kill him?

Sullivan had no choice but to lead them to Costello because HE had to kill him or make sure he died otherwise his own deception would be revealed... Now that he knew he was a protected FBI informant, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered. If he lead them on a wild goose chase, they would know he was the mole.

 

[Pwner_2130]

Yeah i thought watching The Departed felt like a chore, it was predictable, and there is no way you can have a guy that the entire audience hates and has no real big role in the story live and kill the main character. For me, it sucked.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I watched it last night. Overall, I liked it. The girlfriend didn't immediately turn him in because he was most likely the father of her unborn child (could have been DiCaprio?). There were obviously some deleted scenes toward the end. The tempo of the movie went berserk and jumped a bit.

Damen's character led them to Nicholson to cover his own @ss. Things were getting messy for him. Nicholson getting dead was the best way for him to save himself.

The envelope I'm not sure about. Dicaprio's classmate from the academy who got shot in the end was supposed to bring Wahlberg's character with him. We don't know if he contacted Dignan or not or if the girlfriend did. Dignan knew in his gut that Damen's character was crooked after the captain got killed, that was made clear.

I don't expect absolute perfection from a movie. I expect to be entertained and not have my intelligence insulted. The holes in the story weren't big enough to ruin the movie for me. I think overall it was well done, though a bit predictable at times, but well done. At the end I didn't feel insulted and more importantly, I was entertained. And to me that's what really counts.

Jack

 

[Audioholics]

But were you "academy-award" level entertained? I wasn't and couldn't for the life of me figure out why they chose THIS film to honor Scorsese & co. This is his best work? Hardly.

It won: Best Motion Picture, Directing, Editing, Adapted Screenplay... and Wahlberg - who is always excellent - was nominated for Supporting Actor. None of these make sense to me - except that 2006 was hardly a banner year for films. Oh well...

 

[highfihoney]

I was trying to avoid slamming the movie & wrecking it for people who had not seen it yet but since its been discussed allready the gloves are off.

This movie was terrible through & through,the plot sucked & was ill concieved,the music score was absolutely horrible & in most cases didnt seem to fit the scene.

When we watched it within the first half hour i was forcing myself to keep watching,my wife fell asleep & my son had long since gave up & left the room,the best part of the entire movie for me was seeing some good home theater equipment.

 

[j_garcia]

I agree, it isn't Oscar quality to me, but enjoyable. Just like Unforgiven and Million Dollar baby - I hated both of them, but they got high praise. This movie wasn't surprising, was exactly what I expect from Scorsese, and yet I still enjoyed it.

DiCaprio WAS the father, don't you remember the scene where Damon had a little issue with ED? That suggested to me that Damon was not the father.

 

[Jack Hammer]

DiCaprio WAS the father, don't you remember the scene where Damon had a little issue with ED? That suggested to me that Damon was not the father.

I remember the ED reference but Damon's character would have to be totally retarded to think he knocked her up if he knew his equipment wasn't working. Her too, to tell him she was pregnant if they hadn't been able to do it. But I agree, my gut said DiCaprio was most likely the father.

Oscar worthy? I dunno bout that. I really don't pay much attention to the Oscars at all. I don't know who or what was even nominated (or won). In a general sense I'd have to say not Oscar worthy, unless all the other contenders were total turds - as apparently they must have been.