Steve Crook

Not a British film by any means, but it does have Ray Winstone in it

I was invited to a preview screening of it this moring at the Apollo West End in Regent Street. A 10am start to see a film. It doesn't seem right. But from talking to some of the others there, that's what it's like for many professional critics as well as film-makers.

So what was the film like?
Nobody does gangster movies as good as Scorsese does. From the opening onslaught of "Gimme Shelter" to the shock ending, it looks & sounds wonderful and there are some great performances all the way through. There are dead bodies, blood and gore aplenty. You begin to wonder if there's anyone left alive in Boston.

Jack Nicholson, what can you say, the man's a legend. The others do struggle at times to keep up with him.

Some people say that Ray Winstone's only good for shouting a lot and hitting people. He does those very well here, but he also does more than that. I'm still sure there's a very good actor in there struggling to get out, but people only seem to want him to shout a lot & hit people.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are just a bit too similar in looks and styles. As they are playing opposite ends of essentially the same role, it can get
confusing if you don't pay attention. But they both give wonderful performances even though I do still have a bit of trouble believing Leo as a tough guy. I wonder what he's going to do when he grows up? :
He is still cursed by youthful good looks

Martin Sheen is great, especially in the scenes with Alec Baldwin. Shame he had to take an early exit (well, not too early).

If I have to criticise anything I think it'd be the plot which did leave a few holes
and unexplored avenues. What happened to the microprocessors? How did Leo suddenly get so close to the shrink? Why did Scorsese of all people think that the big villain would test the coke just by rubbing it on his gums. Don't they have chemists in Boston?

I think some more background to some of the other characters wouldn't have gone amiss. Especially for the important smaller roles like Mr French (Winstone). And why was Leo having such personal problems? Was it the job he was doing, or was it just the way he was?

Somebody seems to have fallen in love with the technology of cell phones
(as they call them in the States). But remember that they're actually quite a lot more advanced and used more in the rest of the world.

And they need somebody who can Photoshop better than the people they have. There were a few scenes where we looked at photos of the characters when they were young. It's quite a standard device and has been used in many films. But here they did seem to be badly stuck on to old photos.

But that's only if I'm being really fussy. I don't think it's another Goodfellas. But what is? That one was in a league of its own. And Scorsese did set the bar very high with that, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and a few others.
This one's definitely a "must see".

Steve

Marky B

Isn't it supposed to be based upon the Hong Kong film Internal Affairs? Through lack of chance,I haven't seen many Scorsese films:Cape Fear and Gangs of New York,I think only come to mind. Along with Steven Spielberg,he helped Robert Harris (and Sir David Lean) restore Lawrence of Arabia - I believe he has been heavily influenced by British film and British film makers.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Steve Crook

Not just supposed to be, it is.
He's a great film-maker. But try to see some of hos earlier work like Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, After Hours etc.

And yes, he is very knowledgeable about British film and British film-makers, especially Powell and Pressburger. He by no means copies them, but they are an influence on him and his films.

Steve

Phil Turner

Having recently watched The Departed, I feel compelled to comment on the poor quality of the script, and the absolute torrent of bad language to establish characterisation. As a regular cinemagoer I am not easily shocked, and I expect an 18 certificate gangster film to contain a lot of adult material. However, I felt the script was lazy and repetitive and the over reliance on the "F" word, a trait of many Scorcese films, lacked subtlety, quality and originality.

I was brought up on Bogart, Cagney and Edward G, and their ability to convey menace through sharp dialogue and top notch acting is a lesson The Departed should learn from. I am an admirer of many of Scorcese's films, such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and also respect his photographic knowledge of cinema history. However, sometimes he oversteps the mark and exercises a complete lack of restraint and self discipline where language and violence are concerned. The lack of censorship in modern cinema is a powerful tool, and should be exercised responsibly.

As for the film as a whole, I thought the plot was strong and the cast performed well but, as in Scorcese's recent film The Aviator, the running time was too long. A film that could have been so much better with a firmer hand, and without a reliance on tasteless extremes of dialogue and violence.

Regards
Phil Turner

Hugo

I hate to be pedantic (no, I don't really) but the original was called INFERNAL AFFAIRS not Internal Affairs.

Cuffy

I quite enjoyed The Departed, at least until the closing scenes. It's the first Scorcese flick I've seen since Casino (which also featured 'Gimme Shelter' in the soundtrack if I remember rightly) and it seemed much in the same vein.

What I will remember is that ending really spoiled a good film for me - it left me thinking that yeah, great film, but what was the point?

For the benefit of those who haven't seen it I won't elaborate, but I'm wondering if anyone else felt the same as me?

David Brent

I saw the film at the weekend and quite enjoyed it.
It was good but not as good as some of the critical reviews had led me to believe.
There have been many films made over the years with a similar storyline.
The ending was a little complicated and I can understand why Cuffy felt a little let down by the final act.
Ray Winstone was good but I can never get used to him performing with a fake American accent.

Dave.

Cuffy

Yeah, I agree - it was a shame that it overshadowed a fairly good performance. I think it would have worked quite well if Ray Winstone had done his usual 'cockney geezer' bit - it awould have added even more menace to the character.

Phil Turner

Don't worry Cuffy, he's back on the big screen again in Anthony Minghella/Jude Law's new film Breaking and Entering playing a tough cockney detective. I must admit I'm not a fan of Ray Winstone. I draw the line when he even plays Henry VIII as a cockney geezer!!

Cuffy

I still develop a mental picture of a chuckling Sid James when people mention Henry VIII!!!

Seriously though....

I've not seen Winstone as Henry VIII and, in all honesty, can't see it working. I just think that Ray Winstone is one of those actors who manages to play a certain role, but happens to play it particularly well - perhaps he's playing himself, I don't know, but whatever it is I think it would actually have also worked particularly well in The Departed.

WiseFilms

For me, the last Scorsese film that wasn't a bloated /&/or trashy mess, was over 17 years ago.

His early work, like Mean Streets and King of Comedy , was vital and exemplary work.
The idea that's prevalent on the IMDb now, that Scorsese should get top honers, regardless of the low quality of this work, is infuriating.
Scorsese doesn't have ANYTHING "coming to him" as regards an Academy Award.

If they give him a major award this year, it's proof of how pointless and fickle they are.

Steve Crook

We already know that Oscars are pointless and fickle, and even worse, political.
They do still owe him a few for his masterpieces like Goodfellas.
He was definitely robbed of one for that.

It was quite a tough choice that year but Goodfellas should have easily beaten Godfather III and Prances with Wolves (the eventual winner)

But I think that Marty himself is resigned to never winning one for one of his films. He's just not very good at kissing up to the powers that be in Hollywood.

"I think when you're young and have that first burst of energy and make five or six pictures in a row that tell the stories of all the things in life you want to say... well, maybe those are the films that should have won me the Oscar. When Taxi Driver was up for best picture, it got three other nominations: best actor (Robert De Niro), best supporting actress (Jodie Foster), and best music. But the director and writer were overlooked. I was so disappointed, I said: 'You know what, that's the way it's going to be.' What was I going to do, go home and cry?"

Steve

WiseFilms

Actually, I think he did. That's why he made The Age of Innocence, Kundun, and the like -they were all vain grabs for Oscar attention.

And if you want to give a nod to the best gangster movie of 1990, and the best gangster movie of the last fourty years, it's not Goodfellas.
The name of it is Miller's Crossing.

theuofc

Total agreement, Steve, that Scorsese deserved an Oscar for his earlier masterpieces. But I hugged myself to see Marty win an Oscar for Best Director tonight! It should have come earlier, but I'll take now also.



Bravo also to the brilliant editor Thelma Schoonmaker on her Oscar tonight for The Departed. I wish Micky had been there to share her joy.

All the best,

Barbara