*** Official The Departed Discussion Thread - Page 4

Kevin Grey · 10-09-2006, 10:09 PM

Yeah, I thought Sheen was great. As much as I would like to see Scorcese and DeNiro on another project, this really wouldn't be the role to pay that off.

AaronMan · 10-10-2006, 04:08 AM

DeNiro would have been better in Nicholson's role. I thought Nicholson, as good as he was, was in full self parody mode here. He was really hamming it up and I was glad when he died. De Niro would have been a bad motherf*cker.

Sam Favate · 10-10-2006, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Grey

Yeah, I thought Sheen was great. As much as I would like to see Scorcese and DeNiro on another project, this really wouldn't be the role to pay that off.

I also thought Sheen was great. He isn't used enough, IMO, and it was refreshing to see him in this. As opposed to DeNiro, whom I love, but who has been in everything. Plus, to a certain segment of the audience, Sheen is beloved (as Jed Bartlet) so his character's resolution in the movie has that much more impact.

Haggai · 10-10-2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronMan

DeNiro would have been better in Nicholson's role. I thought Nicholson, as good as he was, was in full self parody mode here. He was really hamming it up and I was glad when he died. De Niro would have been a bad motherf*cker.

To each his own, but I don't see why anyone thinks that Jack wasn't just right for this role. Everyone points to how funny the script is as one of its biggest strengths, and if you want a larger-than-life bad guy who can maximize the humor that's there on the page, who could possibly be better than Jack?

Jerry R Colvin · 10-10-2006, 02:13 PM

Here is my petty complaint (overall, I pretty much loved the film).

Sometimes when they showed phone numbers, they were realistic phone numbers. Other times, they were the ole "555" numbers.

??? If they could find a way to use real-looking numbers some of the times, why did they have to go with the "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to point out that you are watching a movie now!!" 555 numbers?

555 all the time is bad enough, but part of the time is even worse. I couldn't mentally resolve whether I was supposed to be watching something set in the real world versus something set in 555 world...

Nathan V · 10-10-2006, 07:19 PM

Enduring 555 phone numbers is one of the prices we pay for watching movies. It's great when they can get around it, though. Seeing the use of full addresses, phone numbers with accurate corresponding area codes, and credit card numbers (!) in Punch Drunk Love was very refreshing.

Regards,
Nathan

Jose Martinez · 10-11-2006, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Faiola

I thought it was great until the last 15 minutes. The "let's get the hell out of here" finish was inexcusable. You have a complicated web of characters and counter-espionage going on and it all ends budda-bing budda bang. A more satisfying conclusion would have been very welcome, even if it meant going another reel (PRINCE OF THE CITY was 167 minutes).

I agree. Up until Sullivan kills Costello, it was Best Picture material to me. After that, it felt like everything was rushed or they couldn't figure how to end it. Digman disappears after quitting and suddenly shows up at the end just didn't cut it for me. Sullivan's wife knows her husband is the rat and yet nothing comes out of it. What was in the brown envelop Costigan gave her? Did the filmakers forget about it? Why was there another mole in the police when Costello seemed to be only communicating and getting information from Sullivan? I'm sure you'll all come up with answers but they sure weren't obvious when I saw it and I don't intend to see it again.

In fact, I think Gangs in New York is a far superior film. I don't believe this is Scorsese's year at the Oscars either.

***/*****

Robert Anthony · 10-11-2006, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Digman disappears after quitting and suddenly shows up at the end just didn't cut it for me. Sullivan's wife knows her husband is the rat and yet nothing comes out of it. What was in the brown envelop Costigan gave her?

These are all pretty linked, actually. Dignam quits, and it's been shown the only way he can contact Costigan is through his old boss's phone--which is in evidence, which he can't get to, because he's just quit. He has to wait for Costigan to try and contact him, which he does BY:

Giving the envelope to Madolyn. Who Madolyn then gives to Dignam. Dignam knows where Sullivan is, because Madolyn lives with Sullivan.

Those seemed obvious, to me. The 2nd Mole, not so much--but it makes sense that someone that crooked would have a backup. But that backup wasn't in the same position Sullivan was in, so there's no reason for Costello to be checking in with him. He wasn't VITAL, more like a hedge bet.

But yeah, Dignam (who's character doesn't exist in the original) was sort of a deus ex machina, but he's not SLOPPILY integrated into the film, I don't think. It makes sense, even if it's not explicity spelled out onscreen. I like that Scorsese and Monahan left that open, as well as not hammering that Madolyn's kid is Costigans.

Jose Martinez · 10-11-2006, 05:38 AM

But it wasn't established what was in the brown envelop. Costigan only got the evidence from Costello's lawyer after he gave that envelop to Madolyn. I believe Costigan told her to open the package if he didn't come back after 2 weeks. Last time the envelop was shown on screen was Madolyn writing Costigan on the envelop and stuffing it away in her desk at work. I also think it was pretty sloppy of Costigan after all he went through (this is I believe the screenwriter's fault) that he would only send the evidence to Sullivan. I don't think he ever knew Sullivan was married to Madolyn yet he knew his address, the same one where he gave her the envelop outside her door.

Henry Gale · 10-11-2006, 08:39 AM

Viewed the film for the second time yesterday.
As the credits began to roll the older couple sitting nearby stepped in front of me on their way out. Which is when the wife said, "It wasn't Brad Pitt, it wasn't Brad Pitt!"

Kevin Grey · 10-11-2006, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose Martinez

But it wasn't established what was in the brown envelop. Costigan only got the evidence from Costello's lawyer after he gave that envelop to Madolyn. I believe Costigan told her to open the package if he didn't come back after 2 weeks. Last time the envelop was shown on screen was Madolyn writing Costigan on the envelop and stuffing it away in her desk at work. I also think it was pretty sloppy of Costigan after all he went through (this is I believe the screenwriter's fault) that he would only send the evidence to Sullivan. I don't think he ever knew Sullivan was married to Madolyn yet he knew his address, the same one where he gave her the envelop outside her door.

I think the envelope contained Costigan's summary of what happened, linked Sullivan as the mole, and instructions to pass the info to Dingam. Since this was before he had the tapes, Costigan didn't have any real proof but he knew that if Dingam knew what had happened and who the mole was that he would be able to take care of it (though I doubt he thought that Dingam would kill Sullivan outright).

And, maybe I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that Costigan gave Maddy the envelope outside of her office, not her home. Costigan had no idea that Maddy was ever involved with Sullivan and had no way of knowing that she would actually intercept the envelope that he sent him.