Lena, thanks :)
The first one of the two you just posted is by Sasha Stone, editor of OscarWatch.com.
Arnzilla,
thank you for the Wall Street Journal review!
And since I'm here...
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FreshTomatoes: 95% (average rating 8.3)
Metacritic: 88 (36 reviews - 12 of them 100s)
BFCA: 91
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StormyTeacup- 10-06-2006
not sure if this is a new one... but it isn't a good one, that's for sure. Only 2.5 stars :shock:
http://www.nwherald.com/
lena- 10-06-2006
___ not to fret Stormy Teacup! Out of over 100 reviews, to have a few negative ones (e.g., at Rotten Tomatoes, 100 positive, 8 negative - now that's incredible, don't you think?)
yapi- 10-06-2006
actually they made a mistake on rottentomatoes :
-they gave a rotten to 4 reviews which rated the movie 2.5/4 (while they give a fresh to others 2.5/4 reviews). It's clearly a mistake.
-Add to that the ross anthony's review which was confusiong since he gave a B to the movie but also a 2/4 :?
so at RT, there are really only 3 rotten reviews. the others ones have been wrongly placed in the rotten camp.
StormyTeacup- 10-06-2006
Re: ___ now that's incredible, don't you think? yes, totally incredible :D :D
I flipped through Leah Rozen's People mag review on the way to the theater: 4/4 stars. Can anyone find it online?
Now here's a shocker. Debbie Schlussel, a conservative columnist with lowbrow tastes sees nearly everything out there and usually hates films that don't support her values.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/10/weekend_box_off_25.html
October 06, 2006
Weekend Box Office: Riveting Mob Masterpiece, Horrid Jessica Simpson Flick
By Debbie Schlussel
This weekend's box office releases have the distinction of including two movies that are, respectively, among the best and worst movies of the year. We'll start with the best:
* "The Departed"--In a novel move for director Martin Scorsese, this is a mob movie. And it's easily one of the best movies of the year, possibly the best mob movie I've ever seen. If you liked "Goodfellas," you'll love this.
It's far better, far smarter, vastly different from any other mob movie, and it's very original (for the American audience--it's a remake of "Mou Gaan Dou" a/k/a "Infernal Affairs," a 2002 Hong Kong thriller). And though it's extremely bloody and violent, it's not as disturbing as "Goodfellas." The movie is thrilling and nail-biting at every step of the way, and unlike most Hollywood fare these days, it's completely unpredictable. Highly entertaining.
Think "The Prince and the Pauper" meet "Goodfellas." Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a Massachusetts State Trooper who has infiltrated the Irish Mafia run by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Matt Damon is Colin Sullivan, Costello's operative who has infiltrated the Massachusetts State Trooper's Office of Special Investigations. Both sides know they have a mole, and both sides, as well as Costigan and Sullivan, are trying to find their respective moles, before the mole kills them.
An interesting and very real sub-plot: the mobsters are working with the Chinese, trying to sell them stolen microprocessors, which can be used to launch missiles against America, Taiwan, and who knows what other countries. And, Sopranos-style, there's even a love interest psychiatrist in "The Departed," though her role is far different that that of the shrink on the HBO mob series.
DiCaprio is clearly the star in this movie as the conflicted good guy who must maim and bully--mafia style--to make his cover believable. I would not be surprised if he gets an Academy Award nomination.
Also good is co-star Mark Wahlberg, as Sgt. Dignam, who overseas the undercover informant. Although the former Calvin Klein underwear model has become a really effective actor, with this and a very touching turn as Vince Papale in "Invincible," I feel bad praising his acting skills or anything about him. Reader "bhmildy" correctly informed me that, when he was 16, this thug, Wahlberg, attacked two Vietnamese people and gouged out one of their eyes with a meathook, while robbing them.) He's a violent thug and it's sad that he's attached to such a good project. It gives me mixed feelings about recommending it.
Lots of good lines in this film, but the best, in my view, is this one uttered by Wahlberg to an FBI agent:
My view of Feds is they're like mushrooms. Feed 'em sh-t and keep 'em in the dark.
(Not my view of the hard-working rank and file federal agents, just their desk-jockey superiors who sabotage their efforts.)
An underlying theme in the movie, encapsulated by that comment, is that the FBI and other federal agencies often work against local and state law enforcement to muck things up, not make them better. (I've noted this problem, which is significant in the war on terror, most notably between the very effective NYPD and highly incompetent FBI.)
If there are any faults besides the blood (which is necessary to the plot and storyline of this film), the film is two-and-a-half-hours long. But it flies by as if it were half that time. Also, the South Boston accents are not accurate, and the actors seem to fall in and out of them. All except thug Wahlberg, who is a genuine Southie from Dorchester, Mass. (I know the accent well, from the days when I worked at a Boston law firm representing NHL players, and my excellent assistant, Barbara Fitzgerald, was a brilliant product of the Southie projects.)
Several in the movie audience at a Forbes Magazine screening I attended hissed at some of the stereotypical statements about the Irish uttered by Irish characters in the movie. And who can blame them? Then, there's the cast of annoying liberal celebs who spout off unsolicited in real life--Martin Sheen (who does well here), Alec Baldwin, and DiCaprio.
Baldwin's character makes the statement: "The Patriot Act. I love it, I love it, I love it." But the scene in which he says that makes clear that the Patriot Act is actually needed and helpful even in organized crime investigations, as the Troopers are surveilling a mob interaction with the Chinese.
For those readers who've criticized me for praising a mob movie, the ending in this one is satisfying, from a law enforcement and justice perspective--and a moviegoer's. I think the many law enforcement professionals who read this site will enjoy this movie, as will most of my other readers.
An extended trailer is on the movie's official website, though even the scenes in the trailer don't capture the genius and thrill of this great film.
And... for this film, the title says it all... For the past year or so, I've hated the title. Having seen the film - It is absolutely the only title that would work.I agree with Harry.
Courtney- 10-07-2006
reviews I know Debbie S. from Howard Stern radio show, arnzilla. She is a frequent guest. Her review makes her out to be multi-personality because she seems to really promote the film yet she decries some of the actors in it like Sheen Baldwin and Leonardo because of their political activism which she doesn't agree with :roll:
On another note, wow, your review was fantastic arnzilla. You easily put many other "professional" critics to shame.
On the other end of the spectrum, a review from the man who actually is the individual who gives out the movie times and locations when you call Movie Fone to get that information.
http://movies.aol.com/franchise/reeldeal.adp#
arnzilla- 10-07-2006
Re: reviews I know Debbie S. from Howard Stern radio show, arnzilla. She is a frequent guest. Her review makes her out to be multi-personality because she seems to really promote the film yet she decries some of the actors in it like Sheen Baldwin and Leonardo because of their political activism which she doesn't agree with :roll:
On another note, wow, your review was fantastic arnzilla. You easily put many other "professional" critics to shame.Awww, thank you Courtney. As strident as Debbie is on her blog, she's a softie on Stern, especially when Artie does his impression of her. Every other word is "jihad.":lol:
Speaking of Howard, yesterday had the Mike Walker gossip game and it featured the Departed cast.
Howard had Mike move on to his game so here's how it goes... Each week Mike Walker calls in with four gossip stories. Three of the stories are from his National Enquirer gossip column. One of the stories is false. Everyone tries to pick out the false story. The stories will appear in Mike's gossip column each week after he plays with Howard. Here are this week's stories:
1. Sandra Bullock and her boyfriend Jesse James have picked up on a new game.. Croquet, and purchased an $11,000 croquet set to play the game.
2. Jack Nicolson went to Cedars Sinai hospital to get checked out for a salivary gland problem. Two interns showed up in masks to do the -*test*-('")ing and when one of them put on a glove and lubed up to do a rectal exam, Jack freaked out. It turned out to be Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon pulling a prank on him.
3. Matthew Perry was practicing tennis against a wall on the set of Studio 60 when he accidentally knocked down a boom mic which led to someone getting their head cut open. The injured staff member had to get stitches at the hospital.
4. Rockstar Supernova winner, Lucas Rossi, apparently broke up with his girlfriend after learning that he had won the competition. He ran back stage and told security not to let her in if she showed up to the set of the show.
Everyone went with story 2 as the fake one. They were all convinced that it had to be false. The actual false story was number one. Howard wrapped up with Mike and let him go a short time later.
StormyTeacup- 10-07-2006
Jack Nicolson went to Cedars Sinai hospital to get checked out for a salivary gland problem. Two interns showed up in masks to do the -*test*-('")ing and when one of them put on a glove and lubed up to do a rectal exam, Jack freaked out. It turned out to be Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon pulling a prank on him. :lol: :lol:
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