The Departed (SPOILERS)

[Dream]

I watched The Departed last night. It was good but long.

DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson played their parts well. DiCaprio did the best job. Boston made a nice setting. While watching I kept expecting Colin to have big action scenes since I rewatched the Bourne movies recently so I was disappointed he got taken hostage so easily at the end by Billy. I hated the ending though since it seemed so rushed. I wished Colin and Frank were better developed because we barely got any background on them and then they are dead. I thought it was strange how Billy and Colin just happened to fall for the same woman.

Do you think it deserved it's Best Picture oscar?

 

[Harvey]

I don't think it deserved any of the awards it was nominated for, or won. The original Hong Kong film it is based upon, Infernal Affairs, is far superior. In that version, the same woman that Billy and Colin fall for is actually three separate characters. It also helps that there are the film is part of a trilogy (the other two installments are the rather blandly named Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III) that really develops every character in the films

But that's just my two cents. Saw the original in the theatre a couple years before The Departed came out, and loved it immediately.

 

[firehawk12]

They're each good for what they are. Although American machismo can get pretty annoying sometimes, especially in the hyper-realistic gangster reality that was presented in The Departed.

 

[Dream]

I don't think it deserved any of the awards it was nominated for, or won. The original Hong Kong film it is based upon, Infernal Affairs, is far superior. In that version, the same woman that Billy and Colin fall for is actually three separate characters. It also helps that there are the film is part of a trilogy (the other two installments are the rather blandly named Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III) that really develops every character in the films

Yeah, I heard about them. They sound good and I'll probably check them out eventually. With the way The Departed ended with the main three dead I guess there won't be a sequel for that...

They're each good for what they are. Although American machismo can get pretty annoying sometimes, especially in the hyper-realistic gangster reality that was presented in The Departed.

Machismo indeed. There was way too much cursing in The Departed. I usually don't complain about stuff like that in movies but it got distracting. It felt like they were doing it just to get away with it.

 

[firehawk12]

I didn't so much mind the swearing... it just seemed way too... Mamet-like, for lack of a better term on my part. It might have worked on paper and maybe even as a play, but as a film there were parts of it that felt awkward.

 

[Thrall]

I don't think it deserved any of the awards it was nominated for, or won. The original Hong Kong film it is based upon, Infernal Affairs, is far superior. In that version, the same woman that Billy and Colin fall for is actually three separate characters. It also helps that there are the film is part of a trilogy (the other two installments are the rather blandly named Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III) that really develops every character in the films

But that's just my two cents. Saw the original in the theatre a couple years before The Departed came out, and loved it immediately.

Maybe so. But Infernal Affairs doesn't have Mark Muthafuckin' Wahlberg, South Boston, and The Dropkick Murphys. This movie made Irish goons cool again. The dialogue is what makes this movie. It's some of the most crisp, hilarious, attitude-laden banter ever written.

And actually it was also influenced by something that actually happened in real life. South Boston Irish gangsters really did have a rat in the state FBI for years.

 

[LutherSloan]

I didn't so much mind the swearing... it just seemed way too... Mamet-like, for lack of a better term on my part. It might have worked on paper and maybe even as a play, but as a film there were parts of it that felt awkward.

You mean like Deadwood where every other word has to be censored because everyone knows people in the Wild West talked like that?

 

[sidious618]

I loved the movie quite a bit and was happy to see it win all of those awards.

 

[Thrall]

And too much machismo? It's a bunch of Southies from Boston.

 

[firehawk12]

Well, the only other Boston movie I can think of is Good Will Hunting (shot in Toronto, but whatever) and well, the dialog in one seems perfectly natural while the dialog in another seems like I'm watching a film.

I guess it depends on whether The Departed was meant to be more self-aware than realistic. If it's supposed to be an examination of Scorcese's older films or of the genre as a whole, then fair enough.

Either way, the original point is that it's tonally different from Infernal Affairs.

 

[Aragorn]

I think this is the first time I've ever seen anyone praise Infernal Affairs II and III.

 

[Tim]

I loved the movie quite a bit and was happy to see it win all of those awards.

I thought the Oscars were richly deserved. Scorsese having been passed over for that long is a crime.

 

[Thrall]

Well, the only other Boston movie I can think of is Good Will Hunting (shot in Toronto, but whatever) and well, the dialog in one seems perfectly natural while the dialog in another seems like I'm watching a film.

Boondock Saints?

 

[Cky]

Boondock Saints is possibly the best film I've ever watched.

But @ The Departed: It was on Film4 about a month ago and I remember looking at the trailers when it was released in the cinema and told myself I would go and watch it, but didn't have the time. I watched it when it came on Film4 and I really enjoyed it. I loved the ending of the film a lot. Watching that film actually made me watch Gangs of New York, which I always enjoyed.

 

[Harvey]

Yeah, I heard about them. They sound good and I'll probably check them out eventually. With the way The Departed ended with the main three dead I guess there won't be a sequel for that...

Not to spoil the films, but the second film is solely a prequel that focuses on the characters that would be played by Martin Sheen and Jack Nicholson in The Departed. The third part is a hybrid sequel/prequel.

Maybe so. But Infernal Affairs doesn't have Mark Muthafuckin' Wahlberg, South Boston, and The Dropkick Murphys.

I'll trade the cinematography of the original (supervised by Christopher Doyle of Hero fame) and Tony Leung over Marky Mark, thank you very much.

 

[SlyCardie]

I actually found Wahlberg's character to be too over the top ridiculous in this movie.

 

[IndyJones]

Well, the only other Boston movie I can think of is Good Will Hunting (shot in Toronto, but whatever) and well, the dialog in one seems perfectly natural while the dialog in another seems like I'm watching a film.

Boondock Saints?

Mystic River as well.

None of them seem to set up a real cheery version of the city.

 

[Starbreaker]

I thought both Babel and Little Miss Sunshine were much better than the Departed. I had trouble staying awake during it.

 

[Dream]

I thought both Babel and Little Miss Sunshine were much better than the Departed. I had trouble staying awake during it.

Maybe The Departed won it's Best Picture Oscar because it had the coolest title out of all the movies that were nominated that year?

 

[Thrall]

I'll trade the cinematography of the original (supervised by Christopher Doyle of Hero fame) and Tony Leung over Marky Mark, thank you very much.

Tony Leung never said anything as awesome as "My theory on feds is that they're like mushrooms. Feed em shit and keep em in the dark.". Of course if he did, I probably wouldn't understand it.

I actually found Wahlberg's character to be too over the top ridiculous in this movie.

I know a guy from that area. It's pretty accurate. Those are some violent, shit talking motherfuckers in South Boston.

But the one thing about this movie I loved was Leo. This was the moment that I took back every bad thing I've ever said about him. This was the movie where he stopped being the ultimate Hollywood pretty boy and became a genuine badass a la Brad Pitt. Your move, Orlando Bloom.