The Departed
I’m not going to say much about The Departed right now, exceot to say that Scorsese is trying a lot of new stuff, it is perhaps the funniest cop movie ever, and once he gets out of the too-long first act, this is Scorsese’s best work since Casino. In many ways, it is better than Casino, but really, I want to look again before writing much more.
DiCaprio makes his next step from The Aviator. Damon continues to ascend. Nicholson is terrifc, though not chewing as much scenery as you might expect, considering how broad Bill Monahan’s brilliant script is. And smaller roles by Wahlberg, Winstone, Sheen, and especially home run pinch hitter Alec Baldwin are something special to behold.
This might be a truly great movie. (A 15 mimnute trim of the first act would help.) And while, in “Old Scorsese” tradition, this is an unlikely Oscar Best Picture player, you never know. I would be chasing acting, writing, directing, and craft nods in a big way if I was WB.
ADDITION, Saturday – I probably should have written “funniest serious cop movie ever.” This movie gets deadly serious, but damn, it is funny.
I would not recommend seeing Infernal Affairs first. Spending the whole time comparing is not my idea of a good way to see any movie. Seeing it afterwards and putting together the pieces would be fun though.
I think Casino is not the strongest of Scorsese’s gangster movies, but it is part of that run for him and has some great, great work in it (some of his most memorable). This film isn’t like the early films at all. Scorsese has brought his bigger budget bag of tricks to this film. And it is not the slice of perfection that GoodFellas is… as beloved as that film is, I still consider it underrated. There is a mature assuredness in that film and Scorsese is pushing himself like a kid filmmaker here, which I love. But he has so much power talent behind him, all the flourishes are just that, delightful as most of them are. I don
Well this is encouraging at least. This it the first word I’ve heard from a screening.
I’m not sure really saying it’s Scorsese’s best work since Casino is gonna help some people because wasn’t that movie quite unpopular? It certainly doesn’t have anywhere near the following of, say Goodfellas. I did like Casino for the most part, though.
But do you really think the actors like DiCaprio and Damon have a shot at Oscar (I currently think Damon will be nommed but for Good Shepherd)? And Scorsese for a lone Director spot? The Departed doesn’t really seem like it’s in a Taxi Driver-esque position “The movie’s a bit risque but we’ll nominate the movie”.
Also, didn’t Casino only get an Oscar nod for Sharon Stone?
No matter how good or bad this film really is, this will be the movie that will earn Scorcese his (payback) Oscar.
For one, it’s the closest in tone and material (even though based on the Hong Kong film) to the kinds of films that has given Scorcese his (deserved) deified status among filmmakers. It very well may be his last great film that makes his pantheon of Casino, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull.
Two: There hasn’t been a film in awhile that smacks of such prestiege and, for lack of a better term, real Hollywood glamour. This is a real powerhouse cast. The last film that had this kind of vibe that comes to mind in terms of real star wattage in a story with some real bite is Heat. That was 10 years ago.
Those two factors alone will earn Scorcese his much deserved Best Director Oscar.
Even with the purported “anti-academy” third act (of which I know nothing about); Everyone knows the degenerated Academy awards are only about politics now anyways. When’s the last time it was about the movies, 1987?
Psyched for this movie, tho.
I’m curious to know how close it is to Infernal Affairs, and if my viewing of Scorsese’s movie would be hurt or helped by renting the older one.
Come now, DP… “Casino” was one of Scorsese’s big failures. It was an ugly, empty, redundant mess (Joe Pesci as a maddog killer? You don’t say!). I think because of its stylistic kinship to Goodfellas it fooled a few into thinking it was worthwhile. But other than offering an intruiging glimpse into the inner-workings of a Old Vegas, it doesn’t offer much in the way of dramatic veritas. Nowhere near as bold and challenging as “Gangs” and “Aviator.”
I DID Netflix “Infernal Affairs” last month and enjoyed the heck out of out. Can’t wait to see how (and if and why) Marty & Co. rework the plot-heavy original into a more restrained character piece.
Casino was an absolutely terrible film – a bloated, overlong, emetic retread of Goodfellas. At least Poland is saying The Departed is better in some respects compared to Casino. Which ones though? A shame about the overlong first act but this at least sounds like an improvement over the incompetently told GoNY & the awful gimme-an-Oscar embarrassment of The Aviator. All things considered it could be a lot worse.
Infernal Affairs is a great HK movie…so smart and sleek, yet watching it I also acknowledge that Scorsese really has a chance to improve upon it or at least make it different in a great way. Best thing about it is that there were two sequels that kept the formula but were infernally inferior…if all goes well, what if Scorsese made this one his trilogy??
“I’m curious to know how close it is to Infernal Affairs, and if my viewing of Scorsese’s movie would be hurt or helped by renting the older one.”
It would be hurt IMO. Most people who are loving the movie never saw the original and its prequel which is where most of the cool ideas were sampled from quite literally and you won’t be as shocked when certain things happen. Yes, Jack is great, as is Mark Wahlberg, and the writing is solid and very entertaining. Leo and Matt were just okay. Not sure if I’d give too many technical awards because the cinematography/production design really didn’t blow me away compared to Aviator/Gangs of New York, which I thought were much more ambitious projects for Scorsese.
At the press conference yesterday, Scorsese said that his next project was also remaking another Asian film…not sure if he was joking or not.
As much as I think Scorsese deserves an Oscar, I don’t think he’ll get it for The Departed…or even a nomination. Like I said, it’s not that ambitious project and maybe people keep comparing it to Casino because he uses some of the same music and visuals. If they didn’t give him an Oscar for Aviator, I think he’s going to have to settle for the Lifetime Achievement award, and then maybe he can pull an Eastwood and start making movies worthy of an Oscar.
“At the press conference yesterday, Scorsese said that his next project was also remaking another Asian film…not sure if he was joking or not.”
A Japanese film adaptation of “Silence” was previously made in 1971.
“funniest cop movie ever?”
Are you thinking of the Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour movies when you say this…or do you mean that it’s the funniest non-comedy cop movie ever?
“Two: There hasn’t been a film in awhile that smacks of such prestiege and … real Hollywood glamour.”
Except in this day and age they strive for realism and so they all have beards, shabby clothes and don’t speak such zingy dialogue.
“The last film that had this kind of vibe that comes to mind in terms of real star wattage in a story with some real bite is Heat. That was 10 years ago.”
And Heat got zero Oscar nominations. Sure, it deserved ’em, but it didn’t get any.
People seem to have forgotten that Martin doesn’t get nominated for every single movie he directs. In fact, before Gangs of New York his prior five films failed to get Best Picture/Director nods, and the only nomination Scorsese received was a writing one for The Age of Innocence (in my Top 3 Scorsese films actually).
He doesn’t have the Wienstein machine to get him nominated this time, so I’m not convinced it can happen with a Hollywood remake.
People who dis Casino don’t really understand the movie. Casino is a brilliant continuation of GoodFellas. It completes Scorsese’s Italian Mafia trilogy. Combining Mean Streets, GoodFellas, and Casino we see a breathtaking portrait of power and crime in America. Mean Streets deals with the lowest men on the food chain who scrape by until they are caught, killed, or ruined. GoodFellas deals with the middle men who enjoy a comfortable life until “the life” becomes impossible to manage. That’s why a lot of middle management types are usually the ones to turn state’s. GoodFellas is a profound examination of a world of sin without guilt. Casino deals with the most powerful men who have earned the right to not get their hands dirty. They pull the strings in backroom dealings that decided the fate of everyone around them. Pesci’s character is fascinating because, unlike Tommy D in GoodFellas, he’s a “made guy” who can do anything he wants. That allows him a certain amount of freedom that leads directly to his anihilation. The Pesci’s character’s death in Casino isn’t a form of payback, but the Mob’s version of forced retirement. Casino is a profound movie about the innerworkings of corporate America.
A reporter from a Hong Kong newspaper (Apple Daily) also attended to the New York press screening .
The reporter said that he (or she?) was very disappointed with THE DEPARTED. He said that the story THE DEPARTED was very similar to INFERNAL AFFAIRS, but THE DEPARTED lost the “dark” feeling of INFERNAL AFFAIRS.
The reporter also wrote about about audience’s reaction in the press screening. Many Asian press, who had already seen INFERNAL AFFAIRS, didn’t love THE DEPARTED as much as what Western press did.
Hey, Arnzilla, you taking the subway or cabs these days?…
“The reporter also wrote about about audience’s reaction in the press screening. Many Asian press, who had already seen INFERNAL AFFAIRS, didn’t love THE DEPARTED as much as what Western press did”
That’s pretty much what I’ve been saying.. if you know the original movie, you won’t appreciate The Departed as much because you know what was taken from it and won’t be as surprised in certain places. (which is why I don’t recommend seeing Infernal Affairs until after seeing The Departed)
EDouglas, thanks for the tip. I was thinking of renting Infernal Affairs before October 6, but I’ll hold off.
I’m liking what I’m hearing about The Departed so far though. If it’s really as good as the press are saying, it wouldn’t be any surprise if it didn’t get any Oscar love. Who would choose Braveheart over Heat these days? No disrepsect to Braveheart, which is a great film IMO, but it’s no Heat.
Let me back up Ed here… there are a few genuine surprises in Infernal that look to be making their way into The Departed (cough*elevator*cough). Seeing them fresh in the Scorsese picture is gonna knock some socks off. So yeah, ignorance might be bliss in that case. That said, it also might be a tickle to see how the director puts his own twists on the twists.
And a very passionate defense of Casino, Jimmy. I just found it hard to care about anyone in the film. The brain is impressed, while the muscle that filters real cinema (the kidney?) is not.
BTW, I’m not sure but with Departed, Scorsese might surpass his current position on this chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_ordered_by_uses_of_the_word_fuck
(2 movies in the top 5! Surprisingly, Tarantino isn’t even in the Top 10)
Entire theatres full of “press” writing untextualized burps passing as criticism to wrap internet ad dollars around.
I think people will prefer the version of the movie they saw first. Much like the situation to THE RING. Those who saw the Japanese version first felt it was superior and those who saw the U.S. version first. This is because the twists and turns are shocking and amazing so seeing it fresh is the best way to go (meaning, do not watch the Hong Kong Version first). This bodes well for Warner Brothers because about 23 people saw the Hong Kong version.
THUng… can you be more clear? Seems like a slap, but can’t tell what you are really after…
If Scorsese didn’t see it, why should you?
But it is a classic of recent Asian cinema…
“This bodes well for Warner Brothers because about 23 people saw the Hong Kong version.”
You mean domestically right? Cause in Asia it was a huge hit (spawned two sequels within one year) and totally revitalized the industry and has led to more ambitious projects.
Are there no HK film lovers here?
Based on the article, I think Scorsese did see INFERNAL AFFAIRS
[Says director Scorsese: “‘Infernal Affairs’ is a very good example of why I love the Hong Kong Cinema,….]
I’m from HK, but I’m not HK film lovers. (Im Johnnie To films’ lover, though.)
In fact, few people in Hong Kong are HK film lovers. In Hong Kong, most people only like to see the movies from United States and nothing else. (Even Bong Joon-ho’s THE HOST becomes a big box office flop in Hong Kong)
By the way, Stephen Chow and Johnnie To are two of the few Hong Kong filmmakers who still have some box office draws in Hong Kong.
Scorsese did see Infernal Affairs, as did the others. I asked them.
I was down on the set of the remake of the Japanese horror film One Missed Call earlier this week, and none of the people involved watched the original, intentionally.
I’m talking about the greasier sites with ads for Circus Circus Las Vegas and car sites, with lead-ins like, “But I am running this link (to a production still) because it is an excuse to talk about a movie I saw tonight, The Departed.”, and then burp out fawning platitudes culminating in “it’s mainstream AND it’s awards-worth.”… more later, I’m off to the junket and, I never do this, I’m bringing my Last Temptation to get “the greatest living director to sign it for me.”
I wish you could find a place here on The Hot Blog to showcase some print criticism. I’m not suggesting you read and post large quantities, but a select piece of fine criticism that complements or sets off your review to help keep alive the art form and keep it fresh in the minds coming up that there really is something to it, and that it’s very unique and worth striving for.
I hope that greasy comment isn’t reflecting the fact that Italians run CHUD, TH Ung.
I saw INFERNAL during its brief theatrical release here. Yes, there are some plot twists it would be better not knowing, but then I’ve seen lots of movies based on books or plays I’d read or seen that had surprises in them (e.g., L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, SLEUTH) and still enjoyed them. So I think it’s up to each individual to decide which to watch first.
Greasy like cheesey, Faraci, how would I know. Are they after me like The Mob, now? Maybe you could put up extracts from reviews for your readers, they might like exposure to the kind of critical thought others have had the good fortune to experience. Don’t underestimate their capacity for the art form and your role in keeping it alive or killing it off, bringing it to them before it’s too late, and inspiring the next generation of writers.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like a condescending jerk, I only meant to address those who were planning on seeing the Scorsese version and were wondering whether seeing the original Hong Kong version would enhance the experience. Just like how many people prefer not to read the major spoilers of a film, you may prefer to go into The Departed without knowing much else besides the concept because it will definitely blow you away. I believe the experience of watching The Departed on the big screen may be more enjoyable than watching the Hong Kong version on DVD.
And yes, “palmtree” I meant the U.S. theatrical run, sorry for the ambiguity.
Another Scorsese film leads inevitably to another ‘is this finally Marty’s year?’ Oscar discussion. I have a feeling that the fact that Marty is always strongly pushed for an Oscar has actually had a detrimental effect on his directorial instincts and choices. I’m sure that, left to his own devices, Marty would rather make small offbeat movies like Kundun or Bringing Out The Dead, which may not be perfect and stand zero chance of getting any awards recognition, but are almost certainly closer to his heart and sensibility that GONY, The Departed or The Aviator. Look, i really liked Aviator, it was a terrific Hollywood Big Picture, but there’s something intrisically wrong with Martin Scorsese making Hollywood Big Pictures in an attempt to get an Oscar. It’s simply not his field of expertise nor where he wants to be in his career.I often reflect on the irony of Scorsese being seen as a true maverick in the ’70’s, while his friends Spielberg and Lucas were seen as the blockbuster slicksters. And now, Spielberg and Lucas do what the hell they like whether critics and audiences follow or not, while Scorsese has become, if anything, the guy chasing recognition from the Academy and audience approval. I suggest a moratorium on any article with the words ‘Scorsese’ and ‘Oscar’ contained within, then perhaps he can get back to the kinds of movies that really do engage him.
Agreed. Enough with the Marty/Oscar talk. All it does is enable the syndrome.
Scorsese and Miramax whoring themselves for Gangs of New York was the most unseemly and transparant Oscar grab since Chill Wills. Remembering the editorial “written” by poor Robert Wise still makes me seethe with anger.
Kubrick wrote an editorial too: http://movienavigator.org/scorbrick.htm
Wrecktum, the talk has only just begun, get used to it or suffer. Devin, you were trying to tell me that you aren’t Chud, you just work for the KrakenHeads, right?, so forget what I said about YOU running excerpts (copyrights, links, money hadn’t entered my mind), if your bosses had faith in their readers and a certain kind of interest, they might work it out. I’m just back from Chud now, and I’m feeling more and more, there’s a long, sad history about who took the writer out of “press.”
I don’t think the academy and cop films have seen eye to since The French Connection have they? So are you hotter on INFERNAL than you were on MIAMI VICE Dave? And CASINO was a hugely entertaining mess that for all its faults is still leagues above wannabe gangster crapola like BLOW.
GoNY and The Aviator had “I want an Oscar” written all over them for sure, but there is honestly little outside of good casting that senses of this on The Departed. It honestly looked like more of a move from Scorsese to simply return to genre roots he is familiar with, all while moving at a pace he has not been associated with before.
The fact that the Asian audience didn’t find it dark enough is telling, as I was surprised by just how light Infernal Affairs turned out to be.
And offense intended – why do terrifying nerds from Chud feel the need to come to this sandbox? Don’t you have 10,000 forums to discuss the colour of some transformers douche?
TH Ung, I really have no idea what the heck you’re talking about at all. Kindly restate, using coherence, and I’ll try to respond.
Jeff,
I’m slightly shocked that you haven’t seen the original. It’s the best HK film I’ve seen since the glory days of the 90s–but I’d wait at this point, because it will definitely make The Departed less enjoyable for you.
Tofu: IF was “light”? Compared to what, Irreversible? I want to avoid spoilers, so we’ll have to talk about this later.
I have a question for anyone who’s seen both: who’s the equivalent to the SP Wong character played by Anthony Wong Chau-Sang? Whoever it is should be a heavyweight on a level with Nicholson, since he’s that character’s counterpoint. Since there’s no one else of this wattage in the cast (I like Baldwin, but there’s no way he qualifies as Jack’s equal) I’m guessing they cut this role down to throw more meat to the big boy (actually, I’m more than guessing–Nicholson said in a recent Esquire article that he refused the part until they gave him more to do). If this is the case, does it hurt the “twin doubles” aspect of the original?
I love Marty as much as anyone here does, and I thought IF was great. I really want to like this, so I hope marychan is wrong.
“Scorsese did see Infernal Affairs, as did the others.”
Okay, ED….but did he see it before making The Departed? That for me is the crucial point. He stated that he didn’t.
Mary, Johnny To does rock indeed…can’t wait to see Exiled and the Election films here. Wonder how The Departed will do in HK?
Just saw a new interview from Apple Daily, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon said to the reporter that they did saw INFERNAl AFFAIRS before working on THE DEPARTED.
palmtree, I believe THE DEPARTED would do well in Hong Kong. It wouldn’t do as good as what INFERNAL AFFAIRS did in Hong Kong, though.
Good to heard another Johnnie To fans is in here. (I wasn’t his fans until I saw BREAKING NEWS, though)
Tartan Films USA will release TRIAD ELECTION (aka ELECTION 2) in theaters in 2007. Magnolia Pictures will also release EXILED in 2007.
mutinyco, is that a reference to something clever I said to you 5 years ago?
Crow T Robot, I’ve heard that the cough*elevator*cough has a different number of players than the original.
EDouglas, did Scorsese say when he saw IA? In an interview that he did with Michael Henry Wilson on the set last year, Scorsese said that he didn’t want to be influenced by it. The production notes also state that screenwriter William Monahan didn’t see IA and was working from a translation of the Chinese screenplay.
There’s a difference between not wanting to read spoilers and ignoring an entire film. Infernal Affairs was a great little flick and I would encourage people to see that before The Departed, maybe then we will actually get some good talk out of it.
I find it shocking that so many people think it’s blasphemous to remake films that don’t need to be remade yet when Martin Scorsese decides to remake a quality film from another country people are more concerned about avoiding spoilers than anything else.
Double standards, much?
Re: One Missed Call, I would trust Scorsese to make a great film having no seen the original HK version but absolutely not some first-time filmmaker ripping off an HK original. That just shows disrespect and ignorance for some newbie to not check out the original version.
Jeff: One Missed Call is Japanese….different country than Hong Kong.
But from Scorsese’s reponse at the press conf (where the HK paper got its quotes), it seemed like he was familiar with Infernal Affairs before making the movie, that he knew HK crime movies well. That said, he didn’t completely mimic any direct shots like Cameron Crowe did with Vanilla Sky.
I do know that Monaghan has said that he didn’t see the original movie and just based his adaptation on a translation of the Chinese script and then worked from there.
I saw this about a month or so back and do agree that while it is a serious cop movie it does have some outrageous moments, especially near the end. It has alot of similarities to Infernal Affairs (what some characters do and how things are revealed) but what Infernal Affairs does and some reviewers who’ve seen both fail to mention is that in Infernal, 2 actors play each role, one as a teen and then one as an adult, fully in their mole positions, where in Departed its one actor and therefore no sense of time passing is shown, therefore making it seem too easy and convenient for each side to have moles. I’m interested in seeing what is finally put into Nicholson’s role because in the version I saw there was apparently some sex scene deleted from an earlier screening but which Nicholson and even one of the actresses in the scene were talking about in the press awile back, although some remnant with a sex toy is in the cut I saw. I think Sheen is playing the Anthony Wong character, and he has some good interaction with Nicholson, but it’s all Jack’s movie as he chews up the screen like he was still the devil from Eastwick, I swear there are scenes where DiCaprio is just staring at him, wondering what the fuck did he just say, and he even vocalizes this in one scene which was hilarious. Overall I loved the movie but can defintely see some labelling it a glorified mess or work of genius.
“I have a question for anyone who’s seen both: who’s the equivalent to the SP Wong character played by Anthony Wong Chau-Sang? “
I haven’t seen The Departed yet but from the trailer my guess is that Martin Sheen plays the DP Wong character. I have no idea who the counterparts to Alec Baldwin or Mark Wahlberg would be.
5 years? No, I’m not that old…
Just acknowledging your existence.
GONY could never have won directing cuz there’s too many dissolves coving bad directing that fail to sell. Devin, I’ll try again some other time, never mind Boam’s Doc, redemption arrives via Russ Fischer’s coverage of The Pusher.
covering bad directing, that is.
Covering bad directing or covering Harvey-induced cuts to get the film below three hours? DP, among others, has detailed the changes that marred GONY from Marty’s original intent.
If you have to dissolve to cut down on shoe leather, that’s not a good sign.
Thanks Abra Cadavra, this was all I could find, “to close the circle” (that’s industry speak popularized by too many assholes doing yoga). DP 1/30/02: What about Scorsese
Sheen–now that makes sense. He has the firepower to stand up to Jack. My thanks to those who replied.
Still, considering the billing, this character’s role has probably been cut down. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be yet another film hurt to appease a star’s ego.
Camel: you’re right, of course. It would be better if everyone had seen the original. But if it’s going to be remade because Americans won’t watch subtitled films, it may as well be remade by someone who knows what he’s doing.
Sheen–now that makes sense. He has the firepower to stand up to Jack. My thanks to those who replied.
Still, considering the billing, this character’s role has probably been cut down. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be yet another film hurt to appease a star’s ego.
Camel: you’re right, of course. It would be better if everyone had seen the original. But if it’s going to be remade because Americans won’t watch subtitled films, it may as well be remade by someone who knows what he’s doing.
Those dissolves in Gangs don’t seem to be there to cut down on exposition, it seems to be a bizarre attempt to cross-cut two scenes that don’t want to be cross-cut, one set at night, one set during the day.
I’m happy to blame Harvey Scissorhands for that clunkiness.
I am looking forward to The Departed for a number of reasons.
Infernal Affairs I just loved, mostly because it was pretty different even for a Hong Kong crime thriller. It is hard to use the word “subtle” with many movies of that genre, but it was in many ways.
I don’t “mind” that Scorcese has taken a crack at it, since he’s a great director. I am hoping that he has left in many of the moral ambiguities and problems of IA, which made it a great picture.
So I really hope they left the “dark” in the story š
I really don;t want Infernal Affairs to get the “Black Dahlia treatment”.
I highly recommend that anyone see IA, but maybe after The Departed.
I would like to remain optimistic
“but what Infernal Affairs does and some reviewers who’ve seen both fail to mention is that in Infernal, 2 actors play each role, one as a teen and then one as an adult, fully in their mole positions, where in Departed its one actor and therefore no sense of time passing is shown”
harosa, that was one of the problems I had with IA: no sense of time passing. Tony Leung makes his first appearance 10 minutes into the film with expositional dialogue complaining about how tired he is working undercover for so long.
EDouglas, so you asked Scorsese if he saw the original and his answer wasn’t conclusive?
Jeffmcm, I refuse to rent and watch it again, but I remember other ones that didn’t involve dissolving day to night to show passage of time, but uses that revealed hand tieing, as in no option but to dissolve, which directors would either appreciate as stubborn (as in in cut it the way I shot it) or shortsighted (as in design with options or be sorry).
I would ask you for a specific example but obviously none will be forthcoming, and maybe you’re right. But we all know that Harvey Weinstein has a reputation for strong-arming directors to recut films for his own reasons, often to the detriment of the film. I know for a fact that Cold Mountain was recut in a number of ways to make Jude Law’s character ‘less passive’ and I’m guessing that something similar probably happened in GONY.
T.H.Ung, if you Google the 1993 screenplay draft of GONY, you’ll count the word “dissolve” 20 times.
Do you think he gave bad producer’s notes on Cold Mountain? He didn’t execute the cuts, he gave notes, right? It didn’t pop out at you when watching the movie that Walter Murch had trouble building the asked for changes. Designing things to be cut one way and then having it end up not working, has inspired taking director’s names in vain with graphic cursing. Best to live with and not fix it.
There’s only so many ways you can say “make a montage here,” that accounts for most of them. I just moved it to the top of my Greencine cue. I’m assuming there aren’t any in The Departed.
Since The Age of Innocence, he’s been using dissolves quite a bit. One of his methods is to remove the middle part of a camera move and link it with a dissolve. In GONY’s opening sequence, for example, he tilts up John C. Reilly’s body with a dissolve. It’s certainly not used to make the film any shorter as it would’ve saved a mere two seconds.
Amzilla, if you thought the passage of time was rushed in IA then you’ll hate it even more in Departed, i only bought up the point because in IA, the passage is 10 yrs, more clearly shown with 2 different actors for each role, whereas in Departed they’re both rushed from the academy to positions of prominence in 4 months.
I get what you’re saying, but I don’t mean chronologically. I mean Leung alerts us to the fact that he’s battle-weary within ten minutes of the opening titles. Is DiCaprio already settled into Costello’s gang after only ten minutes following the Warners logo?
Arnzilla,
I don’t think your criticism is entirely fair, since both characters are ensconced in their respective positions as IF begins. The movie is not about how they got there–it’s about what happens as a result, as the situation comes to a boil.
The prequel (which I found so dissapointing that I never bothered to see part 3) tells the backstory. You can’t really fault a film for not doing what it doesn’t set out to do in the first place.
T.H.Ung: Hail, fellow Greenciner. Hentai, hentai, hentai!
TH, to answer your question on Cold Mountain, yes, he gave bad producer’s notes – not just bad aesthetically, but bad because they required really glaringly bad editingto execute. When you have to put ADR on the back of somebody’s head in order to forge a new character trait, that’s not bad editing, it’s bad decision-making from the top down. And yes it did pop out at me when watching the film, in the scene I’m referring to.
Robert Aldrich used to blow cigar smoke in front of the camera to ruin footage that he didn’t want to cut to, to ensure his vision of a scene. Harvey Weinstein would have used that footage and thrown in a VO of someone explaining “oh, I just set myself on fire” to justify it.
frankbooth, my complaint is obviously with the screenplay because how he got there motivates his desperation. Since the story starts out at a boil, I couldn’t empathize with the toll it took on him. Having two different actors play him only made it worse. The only sense I got of the “real” Yan and the identity that he sacrificed was that photograph of him at the end, but I thought that was too late.
Amzilla, since its obvious from the trailers and press that they’re the leads so its no spoiler to say that them both getting into their mole positions is done quickly to get the movie going, i guess its more like 15 minutes and theyre both in.
But how many minutes until DiCaprio starts complaining to Sheen that he wants out? That’s the gist of the first IA scene with Leung and Wong.