The Departed - Review

[UncleMao]

Let's get this off to a good start.

The Departed is a fucking solid film. I will daresay its almost a masterpiece. People say its better than Goodfellas? I can totally see where they're coming from. And I agree.


Interesting "everybody knows" factoid - Yes. It IS based on the HK Trilogy Infernal Affairs I, II and III (There is a pretty big bitchfest going on in imdb now about Hollywood ripping off HK from one corner and the HK film being absolute shit that Hollywood improved, from the other corner.).

But to be perfectly honest, besides the film borrowing on the premise of the two main characters (one is a gang sponsored infiltrator who has worked his way up in the department. The other is a lonely orphaned cop who gets kicked out of the force on an assault jacket in order to infiltrate the gang) and the dynamics of the main cat-n-mouse interplay of the two characters, The Departed brings so much more to the film than Infernal Affairs.

The gist: Location: Boston. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is an Irish ganglord who acts with impunity out of his territory. He recruits Colin Sullivan (Damon) to work his way up from the inside to become his informant.


Sullivan makes it to Detective and supplys Frank with intel. Meanwhile, William Costigan (DiCaprio), is a lonely rookie who's been brought in by a two man investigation team, to infiltrate Costello's gang.


To do so he has to get kicked out of the force to spend prison time and then hobnob his way among criminal elements to get to Frank. As events unfold, Sullivan and Costigan's worlds come closer and closer together, and both stop at nothing to find out the identity of the other, to violent and treacherous results.

Whats good about it:
1) The ensemble cast acting is fucking fantastic. Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Winstone. Exception: Anthony Anderson (fucking nigger, who the fuck started getting the idea in Hollywood that this Oreo cookie doughboy could act?). All the supporting roles come in strong, so even though the story has about 7 or 8 main players, each one fleshes out fantastically.

2) Classic lines:
There are a bucket of lines in here that people are just going to be repeating down the track. And Departed, for a serious film, really has more than a few fucking "haha, he made funny" moments

3) Lean:
For a film that runs 165 minutes, there are very few places in the film that sags or gets boring. That is really one of the film's strengths. Crime pieces usually need good characterisations, but then to get slowed down or just plain yawn-y (Godfather anyone? Yes. Im a heathen). This film doesn't do that.

4) Leonardo:
I'll be honest. I didn't give a fuck and then some about him drowning in Titanic. I honestly wanted to kick his face in in the Aviator. Gangs of New York, puhleeese.... but this film, fucker is actually mesmerizing (well, except that he still has the body of a 12 year old girl.) I never ever felt the need to give brownie points to Growing Pains kid for acting, till now.

5) Story:
The cat-n-mouse interplay and the character building arcs play in seamlessly. I went into the movie expecting Tinseltown style heavy handed character exposition hastily plastered on what would have essentially been the Infernal Affairs plot skeleton. But it doesn't play that way at all. The Departed is sumo strong on its on right, and reluctantly I say even more so that the HK original.

On the other hand...

A) Ok, you Scorsese-sucking Commie fuck biscuit. If Departed is the best thing since Angelbaby's warm body and fanta flavoured ice cubes, what fucking sucks about it (the movie, not the body) then?:
- Well, if there is anything to remotely call flawed in the Departed, is that the last 15 minutes of the film does seem hideously contrived. They have chosen to alter the outcome from the original HK film somewhat, it works, to an extent but then also results in a hideous plot hole emerging from one of its revelations.

B Do not watch this film if you...
- can't handle bloody scenes. There's plenty of blood in this movie.
- I also give this film the CounterStrike award (for the number of headshots).

Rating: Even though it is not without fault (though few and very far between) - I'm giving this film my first 5/5. It is definitely one for repeated watching and the DVD shelf.

Commie out.

[Dex]

Your use of the word "nigger" and also making me imagine AB's "warm body and fanta flavoured ice cubes" really made me sick to my stomach. Otherwise, good review.

Yeah, like Mao said... I saw this movie 4 years ago when it was called Mou gaan dou, or "Infernal Affairs". I liked it very much at the time, and refuse to pay to see another crappy american remake of a great HK movie.

I will rent it on DVD and burn a copy, or download it illegally.

Thats how I roll.

[smash]

I thought it was very good (giving it five stars on my site). The plot hole you refer to, Mao, is that regarding Mark Whalberg at the end? The only assumption is the letter given to Madolyn somehow contains information supplied to Whalberg.

I find it odd that they left these two events incomplete. That was the only potential misstep. Well, that and Nicholson's ham-fisted acting. It was like watching Jack Nicholson doing an impression of Jack Nicholson acting.

:S Still worthy movie in my opinion.

[eamon angelface]

Yeah Anthony Anderson was stuck in there for the express reason of drawing in a different demo who would otherwise have stayed away from this movie. Which is racism accounting for racism. But it's okay cause its the socially acceptable kind.

I thought the same thing Smash did at the end. That Whalberg has gotten the file on who the mole was or had just put it together himself based on the outcome of the ordinary finale (ordinary being the IA ending). It was a nice touch.

This really is a great example of how a remake can improve the original though. It's good because now people will know that it's not the concept of a remake that's flawed, it's the people who have been executing them. X2 showed a younger generation that a sequel can be better than the movie it's following. X3 showed it can be worse. It comes down to who is making it.

From a creative standpoint throwing the words remake (when you own the rights) and/or tentpole potential makes people a lot more receptive so get used to movies like this.

[Seriously]

What is tentpole potential?


I googled and wikied it but it's hard to get many context clues when all the sentences containing it go something like "x has tentpole potential".



Irritating.

[eamon angelface]

It means if it's successful it's easy to do a sequel or spin off or move into other mediums like video game versions etc.

[Steampunk]

I figured, used in context, it would be something like:

AngelBaby has tentpole potential.

[smash]

Correction: Dex.

[UncleMao]

*spoiler warning*

No guys.

The plot hole I was referring two was the fact that late on in the story it was revealed that Costello actually had 2 moles in the department than solely Sullivan.

Which then begs the question then why Costello didn't just juggle between both moles in order to deflect the investigation.

[smash]

that was also completely unneccessary to the plot. He could have done what he did in the elevator out of misplaced loyalty to Colin instead of being a mole.

It was an odd bit of plot...agreed.

[efilflah]

that was also completely unneccessary to the plot. He could have done what he did in the elevator out of misplaced loyalty to Colin instead of being a mole.

It was an odd bit of plot...agreed.

I agree, it seems a lot of potentially great movies always seem to fall apart slightly at the end, and in the case of remakes they have the opportunity to solve certain annoying things like this, but then choose not to, which I think kinda defeats the purpose of remaking it in the first place.



*NOTE FOR DEXY*

I too liked Infernal Affairs, but this movie was still very watchable. Knowing the story beforehand does take a lot out of it, but I can appreciate that it is a good remake amidstt a deluge of shit remakes.

[eamon angelface]

Yeah that part was off. If they were going to change the plot they should have just made it a big fight between the two main guys and said fuck it to the whole elevator thing.

[AngelBaby]

Finally saw it this Sunday, and yes...better than fried Coke (or better than the yumbiness that I imagine fried Coke to be).

thumbs way up...5 out of 5



I suppose now I'll have to watch that Hong Kong trilogy...