I like to go to movies around 10:00 on Friday night. This gives me a chance to spend time with the kids, then spend time with Jess before I spend a couple hours at a movie. This is also a good time to see movies because there are less teenagers and older people, and it's usually less crowded. It is also good because when the movie lets out, generally after midnight, the streets are quieter and this allows me to contemplate the movie I just saw. I open up this review with all this information merely to set the stage for my thoughts about the movie I saw last night "The Departed".
First of all let me tag on a little disclaimer. Most of you do not want to see this movie. Some of you would hate this movie, and some I must say wouldn't understand this movie. I myself struggle with why I like certain movies. I have already talked to some of you about this, specifically regarding "The Godfather". I think, to be honest there is a part of me that is drawn to the idea of the criminal life. It is something foreign to me, just as much fantasy as "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars". I also think that I bring my perspective into the theater. I do look for good and beauty in films that are dark and pessimistic. That being said, "The Departed" is the best film I've seen in a long time. This movie is on a level above "The Illusionist" and "Good Night and Good Luck". Scorsese extends this film beyond mere storytelling or entertainment. It is about core human behaviour and motivation. This takes place in a fallen world, so the picture painted is not pretty. There is a criminal who pretends to be a cop, and a cop who pretends to be a criminal. The irony is that in a way they are what they are pretending to be, the lines of good vs. evil are blurred. This is a very basic summary of the film, what stands the film apart are its characters. I need to apologize to Leonardo, he seems to distinguish himself further with each new role he takes on, and this is my favorite. Let's just say, back when he made "Titanic", I'm pretty sure my little sister could have beat him up, easily. Now he is a man to be taken seriously, and it would probably take Nate and my little sister to beat him up. And what about Matt Damon, he gets to use his "Good Will Hunting" accent, and he gets to go head to head with one of the greatest... And that brings me to Jack Nicholson, a little bit paranoid, a little bit crazy, a little bit of The Joker and not at all afraid to get his hands dirty (although that red stuff wasn't dirt). The DiCaprio/Damon perfomances left me thinking, the Nicholson perfomance just left me hoping I never run into him in a dark alley, or even a nice sunny open park, unless he's in a very good mood.
1 comment:
I agree all the way. This was the best movie I've seen recently and probobly my favorite DiCaprio film, I was glad to hear Damon's Boston accent, and Jack was easily at his best, and he was crazy and scary. I also liked all the side characters as well. Martin Scheene? I don't know how to spell his name, and Marky Mark were sweet togerther, a true good cop bad cop. Alec Baldwin's character was good, the other criminals, even the little man from India who owned the convinent store.
I think what I also enjoyed so much about this film was that the characters had a place. They weren't just thrown in to get a laugh here or a scare here. They all played a paart in the story and Scorseseses did a good jjob telling this brutal mob story.
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