The Departed

[yargs7]

Just rented the DVD and watched it today. I'm extremely disappointed. The dialogue was great, but I'm pushing 30 and I need more than F-bombs and homo jokes. I may catch hell for this from the Scorcese fans, but the movie did nothing for me.

Damon basically played an evil version of Good Will Hunting and Nicholson was The Joker sans make up. DiCaprio was good. Marky Mark's character gets lost in the script. That's about it.

Anyone else see this and feel the same?

[swerb]

Really?

Man, I've heard nothing but great things, from all my go to movie sources.

Should be in my mailbox tomorrow ... plan on watching it Fri night.

[Guest]

I just bought the DVD and plan on watching it this weekend myself

[mswerb]

I'll have to borrow that one Spoon, with Marky Mark in it, it has to be good.

[yargs7]

Really?

Man, I've heard nothing but great things, from all my go to movie sources.

Should be in my mailbox tomorrow ... plan on watching it Fri night.

Really.

I heard great things too.

I'm curious to see what you think about it Swerb.

[docstank]

I agree with the previous post to a point. I thought the movie was a little above average, and definitely not worth the hype overall. Better than most movies out there, but that does not say much. It is no Goodfellas to say the least, IMO.

stank

[yogi]

I've got this movie at the top of my request list with "Flags of Our Fathers" #2.

Mike Francessa from "Mike & the Mad Dog" radio show also said, while he did like it, he hated the ending. Didn't elaborate because he didn't want to spoil anything for his viewers that hadn't seen it.

[swerb]

Watching this tonight, and I'm fired up.

Dortmunder on ice ... surround sound and big screen resting peacefully at home in anticipation.

Also watched the first half of Flags of our Fathers last night, hoping to watch the second half after The Departed.

From what I can gather so far, Mitch's Flags of our Fathers review is spot on.

[Guest]

I can see Francessa's point...and you'll understand when you see it.

For me...I was not 'happy' with it (the ending) either, and almost gave it a "3" instead of a "4" because of it. But after sitting back and thinking about it for two days before writing the review, I changed my mind.

We'll discuss it more after you've both seen it.

[swerb]

Wow, what a movie. Brilliance by Scorcese. One of his best efforts ever. And one of the best 30-40 movies I've seen in my life. I need a couple days to let the film sink in to properly place it in my Top 150, but it will be up there.

I was told going into this not to expect Goodfellas, and that was good advice. I think if you did go into this movie expecting to see that type of gangster movie, heavy on underworld dealings, pinstripe suits, offers you cant refuse, and brown paper bags full of cash ... I guess I could see how you would not see this film as eilte.

But what a great plot line. A squeaky clean cop who rockets to the top of the force, yet is secretly crooked. And an undercover agent, deeply entrenched in the Boston mob underworld. Both being pupeteered by Jack Nicholson, in a brilliant role as "the boss".

The acting in this film was as collectively good as any movie I can remember seeing in a long, long time.

Hands down, Leonardo DiCaprio is the best actor on the planet under 40 years of age right now. There are few better. The roles he takes. The dominant performances he consistently delivers. He's excellent. The best in the biz right now for my money. His role was nothing short of amazing, and it's a crime that he did not get nominated for an Oscar for this role. His performance in this film has you wrapped up in his character. Phenomenal.

Nicholson is predictably brilliant, showing he still has it, now in his 70's. The wild Nicholson eyes, disheveled hair, and mangy goatee complemented this role perfectly.

Mark Wahlberg was awesome as Sgt Dignam in a supporting role. Matt Damon delivered his best performance since Good Will Hunting, and was perfectly suited for his key role in this film. I've never been a big Matt Damon fan, but he was good in this one. And Alec Baldwin was superb as well as the wisecracking police captain. He pulled the role off perfectly. Even Martin Sheen turned in a solid performance as Wahlbergs boss.

This movie was casted absolutely perfectly in my view. In hindsight, the actors chosen for the various roles ... its hard to pick more perfectly suited actors for each of them.

And the leading gal ... Vera Farmiga. Very hot in this movie, a seriously sexy quality. I thought her look was perfect for her role, and I was impressed with her acting performance. I don't remember seeing her in anything else, and this could be a coming out party for her.

As someone who's never been to Boston, but really wants to get there to visit, maybe I'm not the best person to comment on the scenery and accents, but I thought they both were portrayed brilliantly in this film as well. To me, often times when actors are trying to do Bahstan accents, they overdo it. ALL the actors involved pulled it off well.

The musical score was great as well. "Just a Shot Away" by the Stones is one of my all time favorite rock songs, and interspliced with the Irish bagpipe heavy music throughout the film, it helped provide the right mood and backdrop.

I was on the edge of my seat, literally, for the last 45 minutes of this one. The film had me secretly begging to see the Damon and DiCaprio characters finally meet, and I like how that doesn't happen on several occasions you think it will ... despite how tied together the two characters are.

Man, this was a good one. And I had no problems with the ending, which made me shout out loud enough to wake my wife and son up. On two different occassions!

It's films like this that remind me that really, there's few things better in life than saddling up in front of the big screen for a great movie.

[Guest]

I'll watch it for the first time since I saw it in the theater tonight...and now I'm hopped back up to seeing it again.

I think my response about the being at first bothered by the ending is because it threw me quite a bit. We all want neatly tied up satisfactions, and what Scorsese did was throw cold water right in our faces when we didn't expect it.

But that was part of the brilliance of the film...and to have changed the ending would have lessened the film.

[swerb]

I think I'm gonna head out and buy it today ... I got a couple straggler Best Buy gift cards from the holidays.

Great fahkin movie. I've been talking like a Chowderhead all morning.

[Guest]

Boston has to be one of my favorite cities in the country to visit. Too bad it's so damn cold there half the year.

Damon and Wahlberg of course have the accent down pat, as they are both from South Boston.

Leo did pretty good himself with it...but Martin Sheen went back to his Bobby Kennedy impression from "Missiles of October".

[consigliere]

Saw this movie over the weekend. I'll agree, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It took awhile for me to get into it, by by about the 20-25 minute mark I was hooked in.

Gotta agree with you Rich on Leonardo. Guy is awesome. The acting was sensational with Damon, Wahlberg, and Nicholson as well.

As for the ending, I didn't have a problem with it at all. And loved some of the twists with Nicholson's character and Damon's as well. BTW, Damon plays a *dick* very well. Still remember him as that asshole in School Ties and how I wanted to beat the ever-living-shit out of him....guy definitely knows how to make you want to kick his ass. I kept hoping the whole movies he'd get caught.....

[swerb]

Im rerunning Mitch's movie review Thurs on this.

Great, great flick.

[furls]

rented it today, looking forward to it. I just skimmed all the posts because I want no info on it.

[Guest]

Great f-ing movie, just got done watching it. Best movie I have seen in awhile also. The ending was great.
Marky Mark is sweet.
Is it me or could Damon and Leo pass as brothers? They had them looking pretty similar in the movie.

[swerb]

Great f-ing movie, just got done watching it. Best movie I have seen in awhile also. The ending was great.
Marky Mark is sweet.
Is it me or could Damon and Leo pass as brothers? They had them looking pretty similar in the movie.

Great acting, great casting all around.

DiCaprio, Damon, Wahlberg, even Alec Baldwin ... all four were more deserving for best supporting actor nods. Wahlberg ended up getting it, and losing.