*** Official The Departed Discussion Thread (2 Viewers)

[Ray H]

Isn't that what he usually does?

 

[Kyle_D]

 

[MikeRS]

Marty should direct more action set-pieces.

This is a very entertaining (with a capital E) pulp directed by a master technician/artist, but I don't consider it light years above "Gangs and Aviator - but then I looove those films. "The Departed" clearly has the advantage of containing the strongest 'second half' of the three. Kudos to William Monahan's tight script. It begins good and just keeps getting better and better, right till the end.

The editing was insane in this picture - particularly in the final hour. Think character crosscutting at the intensity of Goodfellas' final 20 minutes (Thelma!!). This is also one of the best male (and one dame ) ensembles ever. Everyone must have enjoyed working on this picture because they all get their moment of glory. Alec Baldwin was definitely the funniest.

I guarantee Marty wins Best Director this year. I will quote this post on Oscar night and call myself Nostradamus.


If I had to choose one actor of the group that I enjoyed the most, it would be Matt Damon. Best acting since "The Talented Mr. Ripley".

Can't wait to see again.

 

[MikeRS]

Oh yeah....

Ray Winstone

 

[Shawn.F]

The film plays even better the second time around.

Bring on the HD DVD!

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

One of the best movies I've seen in awhile. Greatly entertaining that had me at the edge of my seat from the first frame to the last.

Just one question, what was in the envelope at the end? Was it just implied that it was DiCaprio's real identity and basically a layout of everything that went on as well as who Damon was? It just seemed weird how they had the whole scene explaining what to do with it, then nothing happens with it and instead a different letter comes in the mail with the CD.

Oh and, bring on the Blu-ray.

 

[ChrisMatson]

I agree.

So far, this and Little Miss Sunshine are my favorites of the year.

 

[Quentin]

"It's just a meatier film on every level."

On every level EXCEPT one. Don't get me wrong...I love THE DEPARTED. But, it fails to follow through on the father/son theme that makes INFERNAL AFFAIRS so good.

It goes for something else - the backstabbing, morally bankrupt, world of rats upon rats. Unfortunately, that "theme" is not as meaty or emotional as the father/son thing. I'm not saying I don't like it. I just don't like it as much...

 

[Quentin]

BTW...if anyone deserves an award here...

My first award goes to Monahan. This script has some of the best dialogue since PULP FICTION. It is just spectacular.

My second award goes to Mark Wahlberg. In a film filled with top notch performances, he takes a throw away character and nearly steals the friggin' show. He is EXCELLENT as Dignam.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I too preferred this to Infernal Affairs. There is different emphasis between the two films. The only think I really preferred from IA was the central sequence of back and forth text messaging during the survellance, but overall this is a far richer and exciting experience.

I also happen to adore Gangs of NY, so I'm not going to go with the "best since..." line here.

Anyone else think Farmiga's walkby in the funeral is a direct nod to The Third Man?

 

[Claire Panke]

Of course it is!

Think about who made this movie.

If I hadn't already seen IA, that woulda told me right there Sullivan was gonna get his.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Well, Claire, when I stated that the cuts to a stone lion and a body being hooked were nods to Potemkin and On the Waterfront in "Gangs," no one else responded (same thing happened with Match Point). So this time I phrased it as a question to bait someone, and thank you for it!

 

[Shawn.F]

Thinking back to the scene...you're right. It does feel like a nod to The Third Man. Good call.

 

[Richard Kim]

I agree. The gangster as cop (played by Matt Damon in The Departed) is much more sympathetic in Infernal Affairs, as he has conflicting loyalties with both sides and tries to do the right thing in the end. Damon OTOH is more concerned with just saving his own skin. As a result, the ending in IA is much more emotionally resonant, whereas in the Departed, it just seems too haphazard and abrupt. Perhaps it would have been better if Scorsese and Monohan used IA's alternate "censorship" ending in which Andy Lau's/Matt Damon's character is arrested after the cops discover he's working for the mob.

 

[Kyle_D]

Well you guys got me on that one. I do agree the father/son angle is played up more in the original, especially between the undercover cop and the police chief. I think that's mostly because they decided to have Dignam do most of the talking during the scenes with Queenan in The Departed, so it's a bit of a trade-off.

Damon's character is more of a weasel in this version, clearly using Nicholson from the beginning just to get ahead, and the same with Nicholson. Nicholson is still a father to him, but only in the sense of material support and bringing him into the life of crime. Because of the way Nicholson is portrayed in The Departed, it would be hard to buy Damon having any real sympathetic feeling for him.


I disagree. I was much more invested in the paranoia and desperation of Leo's character that when he buys it at the end, so close to getting his identity back, I was shattered -- and this is coming from someone who knew it was coming. Letting the "bad" mole get away with it in IA came across as yet another clever and cynical twist in the original, but didn't really carry any weight with me. When Damon buys it at the end of The Departed, it plays right into line with Dignam's character, the fraternal order of the police, and the broader theme of Catholic retribution that shows up in most of Scorsese's films. No one goes unpunished for their sins.

 

[JonZ]

"My second award goes to Mark Wahlberg. In a film filled with top notch performances, he takes a throw away character and nearly steals the friggin' show. He is EXCELLENT as Dignam."



Ive never seen infernal affairs. How was the end of that film different? Did the character Will is based one survive that film?

 

[Kyle_D]

 

[Sam Favate]

Great film. Didn't feel overly long at all; in fact, it flew by. Masterful performances by all involved (although I wished Nicholson was less "Jack" in places; whenever he goes into one of his "Jack" moments, it takes you out of the film as you're thinking "Hey, that's Jack Nicholson!"), great soundtrack, and beautiful photography.

Some minor nits to pick: I found it hard to swallow that Damon was the cop to whom Leo had to report at the end. Surely, there was another cop in the department over 30 that would have handled the responsibility. Also, Leo's undoing was his ego. He could have simply sent the tape of Damon and Jack to the department instead of bringing Damon in himself.

One of the very best films of the year. If this in any indication how the movies will be this fall, it's going to be great. Of course, Scorcese deserves the Oscar, but I fear the film is too violent for the Academy voters, and he will be denied yet again (maybe it will go to an actor again, like Clooney or even DeNiro, both of whom have pictures coming this year; that is Marty's curse, as we saw with Redford and Costner).

 

[Kyle_D]

Damon was the only one in the department who had any contact with Leo after Queenan was killed and Dignam left. He had unofficially taken over both their responsibilities in handling the undercover unit since he was the only one who knew Leo was a cop. Therefore, it made perfect sense that Leo would report to Damon.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Loved it. Review soon.