Wasn't sure where to put this..but in commentary Wells mentions what John Lennon song was used in film It's amazing what can happen when the right song is laid onto the soundtrack of the right scene in the right film. This special chemistry happens for reasons I don't yet fully understand when Martin Scorsese uses John Lennon's "Well, Well, Well" in a scene in The Departed -- a scene between Leonardo DiCaprio's frazzled cop-mole character and Jack Nicholson's grizzled mob boss. I haven't listened to this song in a long time, but it popped through in some live-wire way the other night when I was watching The Departed for a second time. A couple of lines of dialogue about Lennon are heard around the same time. Nicholson asks DiCaprio, "Do you know who John Lennon was?" and DiCaprio answers, "Yeah...he was the president right before Lincoln." The musical ride that Scorsese takes you on in this film is great -- a series of late '60s/early '70s rock tracks that fortify the scenes (or portions of scenes) they play under, but not in any literal "oh, the lyrics are commenting on what we're seeing" way. It's more of a visceral -emotional thing, and it feels dead perfect. Scorsese achieved a similar connection when he used Mott the Hoople's "All The Way to Memphis" at the very beginning of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. I had never given much of a shit about Mott the Hoople before seeing that film, but I always felt a measure of respect for those guys (and certainly their son) after they were processed through the Scorsese grinder.

I was watching The Departed for a second time some people have all the luck :roll: thanks for that Pea 8) 8)

Lyrics for Lennon's "Well, Well, Well" I took my loved one out to dinner So we could get a bite to eat And though we both had been much thinner She looked so beautiful I could eat her Well well well, oh well We sat and talked of revolution Just like two liberals in the sun We talked of women's liberation And how the hell we could get things done Well well well oh well I took my loved one to a big field So we could watch the English sky We both were nervous feeling guilty And neither one of us knew just why Well well well oh well

Stormy For sure ..would love just to have experienced just my FIRST viewing !! :)

Newsweek review: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15078349/site/newsweek/ Get That Mole Removed Scorsese returns in grand style with 'The Departed,' the brutal—and hilarious—tale of two snitches. By David Ansen Newsweek Oct. 9, 2006 issue - Martin Scorsese's profanely funny, savagely entertaining "The Departed" is both a return to the underworld turf he's explored in such classics as "Mean Streets" and "GoodFellas" and a departure. What's new is that he's hitched his swirling, white-hot style to the speeding wagon of narrative. For all his brilliance, storytelling has never been his forte or his first concern. Here he has the devilishly convoluted plot of the terrific 2002 Hong Kong cop thriller "Infernal Affairs" to work from, and it's a rich gift. Screenwriter William Monahan has done a terrific job transposing the story to ethnically fraught Boston. He's added many savory (and unsavory) new elements while staying true to the cat-and-mouse twists and turns of Alan Mak and Felix Chong's original script. (Strangely, there's no acknowledgment that it's a remake until deep into the end credits.) "The Departed" is the tale of two moles. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a clean-cut rising star in the Boston Police Department's Special Investigative Unit, which is determined to bring down the kingpin of the Irish-American mob, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). But in fact he's Costello's man, groomed since childhood to infiltrate the police force. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up trying to escape from his working-class, criminal background, is now up to his neck in mob activities, working as Costello's trusted associate. What only two people in the world know is that he's actually a cop, planted to tip the police to his boss's every move. Desperately unhappy to be forced into the identity he tried to escape, he's becoming emotionally unraveled. The plot thickens when both sides realize that there's an informer in their midst, and the search for the rat begins. The task of uncovering the mole inside the force is assigned to Sullivan, who is the mole, while the paranoid, volatile Costigan must pretend to find the mob's Judas before he gets discovered and whacked. Complicating matters further, both men fall for the same woman, the psychotherapist Madeleine (Vera Farmiga), who doesn't know either's secret. The symmetries and complications are pitched on the edge of absurdity, and Scorsese dives headfirst into the fray, simultaneously playing it for maximum suspense and a kind of mad, blood-spattered comedy. You often find yourself laughing and gasping at the same time. Nicholson's gaudy, racist, foulmouthed mobster, first shown only in satanic shadows, is a flamboyantly depraved villain, and Jack plays him with Jacobean gusto. But the entire cast is firing on all cylinders. The first half of the movie belongs to Damon, oozing the confidence, charm and false modesty of a master deceiver. DiCaprio, his eyes unable to mask the torment of a man whose identity is slipping away from him, dominates the second half. This is DiCaprio's coming-of-age role: he's finally put boyhood behind him. Then there's Mark Wahlberg's mad-dog Ser-geant Dignam, a cop whose default mode is raging irrational hostility; Alec Baldwin's hilariously blunt police supervisor Ellerby; Martin Sheen's Queenan, who calls the shots for Costigan and is as much his father figure as Costello is for Sullivan. It's a great ensemble, rounded out by Farmiga's smart, decidedly unconventional shrink. "The Departed" is Scorsese's most purely enjoyable movie in years. But it's not for the faint of heart. It's rude, bleak, violent and defiantly un-PC. But if you doubt that it's also OK to laugh throughout this rat's nest of paranoia, deceit and bloodshed, keep your eyes on the final frames. Scorsese's parting shot is an uncharacteristic, but well-earned, wink.

4/5 stars http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/reviews/article_1207001.php A rich kid who rejected his corrupt Boston Brahmin family for the questionable legitimacy of the city’s Southie culture, Costigan has a nearly uncontrollable temper and a problematic past. He is perfect for both the role and the purpose of the double agent. Damon played the Boston Southie before in “Good Will Hunting” but this is new territory for DiCaprio and he pulls it off OK, although there is something about his frame and features that doesn’t quite click—he’s simply not beat up enough. A "rich kid" who doesn't look "beat up" enough?

Among elements which are changed from the Hong Kong film are the fact that Costigan's secret is known by two people not one,Actually, two people DID know Yan's secret. The first one is the guy he salutes in memoriam.

Thanks everyone for all the new reviews. :) Arnzilla, I don't get their point in the last one... Do they mean rick kids are supposed to look beat-up?

Stuckonlife Thanks for Newsweek review :) Arnzilla For whatever reason can't get that review to open ...but...thanks for finding it for those who can.... :) Will As to comment...he doesn't look beat up enough....to me the writer is being critical of DiCaprio for being too 'attractive' ...if he were 'less attractive' =more beat up looking= or more of an ordinary looking guy = than he would be willing to accept him... As always =different folks=different strokes....but didn't seem that any other reviewers had a problem with DiCaprio's good looks..

Peanut, here ya go... Although there will be claims of wasted talent, Scorsese’s new blockbuster wanna-be combines sizzling dialog with no-holds-barred action for this year’s top-of-the-heap gangster flick Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon as undercover rats in the feral world of organized crime, screenwriter William Monahan has crafted an action thriller that entertains from beginning to end. The film starts off with fast and furious dialog that gets the characters out of the gate like raging bulls and pulls the audience into the story in real time. But when it comes to stealing the show, the lead pipe cinch for Oscar nominee for Supporting Actor will go to Jack Nicholson. Still wild-eyed after all these years, Nicholson trumps the best of both of the Kingsley and Freeman acts in their recent “Lucky Number Sleven” portrayals of hardened mobsters growing old and extremely grumpy. Nicholson plays aging gangster king-pin Frank Costello, the lion that eats ruthlessness for breakfast. Sensing an undercover spy in his midst, Costello tells his undercover protégé Colin Sullivan (Damon),”You know, in the past, when something like this happens, I’d just kill everybody. Kill ‘em all, you know?” When Nicholson says it, we believe it. In fact, there is an undercover spy in Costello’s mob, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio). A rich kid who rejected his corrupt Boston Brahmin family for the questionable legitimacy of the city’s Southie culture, Costigan has a nearly uncontrollable temper and a problematic past. He is perfect for both the role and the purpose of the double agent. Damon played the Boston Southie before in “Good Will Hunting” but this is new territory for DiCaprio and he pulls it off OK, although there is something about his frame and features that doesn’t quite click—he’s simply not beat up enough. But when it comes to Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg they are exactly in their element—as blunt as a winter Northeaster and cynical as a defense lawyer. Mark Walhberg plays the third of the unholy trinity of the two undercover spies and the legitimate cop. He is the gum shoe of gum shoes; the Delta Force of serving and protecting. He is an equal opportunity despoiler of dignity and the cloud of vaporous bile that follows his boss Martin Sheen and everybody else from the moment they put on a badge until the moment they are put in a hole. In terms of pacing, the film establishes such a rapid-fire pace in the beginning that writer Monahan is hard pressed to sustain it to the end. The excellent acting out of the starting gate seems to take a back seat to the plot twists of the last thirty minutes and we are left wishing the plot stayed more simple and the dialog more intense. Instead the movie ends with a blood bath of killing that updates the original “Godfather” with the best of modern blood-spraying special effects. Super-realistic and super-gritty, down to the last man standing. But the actors are not so much acting as they are offed, and when the guns do the acting the audience is left in the lurch. Better would be a final reconciliation of the thoughts and attitudes of the characters. In the context of such complexity, the reconciliation of the mixed mores of the whole lot by death is a cop-out (no pun intended). A valid supporting performance by Vera Farmiga, the police psychiatrist who assists both undercover agents in through their pre- and post-traumatic syndromes (although her easy lapse into sexual healing with both patients is one the more outstanding mistakes in Monahan’s screenplay). Ray Winstone plays second-in-command to Nicholson’s Costello and the two in combination are perfect; nary a slip from either one. Rounding out the stellar cast is Howard Shore’s moody, searching soundtrack that leaves the words and pictures to tell most of the story with just the right notes at the right time and ‘Gangs of New York’ Oscar nominee Michael Ballhaus’ dark and steamy cinematography. Another thoroughly entertaining piece of the work by Martin Scorsese for those who can get past the ultra-realistic violence and who can sufficiently steel themselves for Nicholson’s heart-felt portrayal of an insanely brutal mob boss with nothing left to lose. Opens wide September 26, 2006. MPAA: Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material Although there will be claims of wasted talent, Scorsese’s new blockbuster wanna-be combines sizzling dialog with no-holds-barred action for this year’s top-of-the-heap gangster flick Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon as undercover rats in the feral world of organized crime, screenwriter William Monahan has crafted an action thriller that entertains from beginning to end. The film starts off with fast and furious dialog that gets the characters out of the gate like raging bulls and pulls the audience into the story in real time. But when it comes to stealing the show, the lead pipe cinch for Oscar nominee for Supporting Actor will go to Jack Nicholson. Still wild-eyed after all these years, Nicholson trumps the best of both of the Kingsley and Freeman acts in their recent “Lucky Number Sleven” portrayals of hardened mobsters growing old and extremely grumpy. Nicholson plays aging gangster king-pin Frank Costello, the lion that eats ruthlessness for breakfast. Sensing an undercover spy in his midst, Costello tells his undercover protégé Colin Sullivan (Damon),”You know, in the past, when something like this happens, I’d just kill everybody. Kill ‘em all, you know?” When Nicholson says it, we believe it. In fact, there is an undercover spy in Costello’s mob, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio). A rich kid who rejected his corrupt Boston Brahmin family for the questionable legitimacy of the city’s Southie culture, Costigan has a nearly uncontrollable temper and a problematic past. He is perfect for both the role and the purpose of the double agent. Damon played the Boston Southie before in “Good Will Hunting” but this is new territory for DiCaprio and he pulls it off OK, although there is something about his frame and features that doesn’t quite click—he’s simply not beat up enough. But when it comes to Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg they are exactly in their element—as blunt as a winter Northeaster and cynical as a defense lawyer. Mark Walhberg plays the third of the unholy trinity of the two undercover spies and the legitimate cop. He is the gum shoe of gum shoes; the Delta Force of serving and protecting. He is an equal opportunity despoiler of dignity and the cloud of vaporous bile that follows his boss Martin Sheen and everybody else from the moment they put on a badge until the moment they are put in a hole. In terms of pacing, the film establishes such a rapid-fire pace in the beginning that writer Monahan is hard pressed to sustain it to the end. The excellent acting out of the starting gate seems to take a back seat to the plot twists of the last thirty minutes and we are left wishing the plot stayed more simple and the dialog more intense. Instead the movie ends with a blood bath of killing that updates the original “Godfather” with the best of modern blood-spraying special effects. Super-realistic and super-gritty, down to the last man standing. But the actors are not so much acting as they are offed, and when the guns do the acting the audience is left in the lurch. Better would be a final reconciliation of the thoughts and attitudes of the characters. In the context of such complexity, the reconciliation of the mixed mores of the whole lot by death is a cop-out (no pun intended). A valid supporting performance by Vera Farmiga, the police psychiatrist who assists both undercover agents in through their pre- and post-traumatic syndromes (although her easy lapse into sexual healing with both patients is one the more outstanding mistakes in Monahan’s screenplay). Ray Winstone plays second-in-command to Nicholson’s Costello and the two in combination are perfect; nary a slip from either one. Rounding out the stellar cast is Howard Shore’s moody, searching soundtrack that leaves the words and pictures to tell most of the story with just the right notes at the right time and ‘Gangs of New York’ Oscar nominee Michael Ballhaus’ dark and steamy cinematography. Another thoroughly entertaining piece of the work by Martin Scorsese for those who can get past the ultra-realistic violence and who can sufficiently steel themselves for Nicholson’s heart-felt portrayal of an insanely brutal mob boss with nothing left to lose.

Arnzilla Thanks for posting interview :)

The Sunday Mirror - 4/4 stars WHAT'S GOOD? The Departed puts director Martin Scorsese just where you want him to be - directing a dark, beautifully controlled crime epic peopled by actors at the top of their game. This is the crime film of the year and should feature prominently at the Oscars. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a startlingly gritty performance, while Matt Damon has the less showy role, but does an equally fine job. Best of all is a snarling, sinister and brutally benevolent Jack Nicholson as the mob godfather given to moments of bloody rage. WHAT'S BAD? The casual violence may grate as might the hefty running time. The movie is based on the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and, while it can't replicate that film's immersion into gang culture, its character development is more subtle. HOW LONG IS IT? An epic 151 mins. FINAL VERDICT Bloody, brutal and brilliant - DiCaprio and Nicholson shine in the crime movie of 2006.

Arnz Thanks for review :) Don't know if you saw my question to you on Time interview thread....but shouldn't there be a REVIEW of movie somewhere in magazine as well ???

I guess that'll be next week's issue.

Arnz Thanks for response about Time/movie review :) Also personally have to wonder if this person saw the same "IA" I saw... while it can't replicate that film's immersion into gang culture