It certainly has a wonderful cast. But Scorsese's always been good at casting the right people in the right places. As far as directing actors goes, he's up there with Hitchcock.

I can't wait for this.

Neither can I. It will be a great birthday present.

When I saw "Miami Vice" the other night, I saw the trailers for "Babel", "The Black Dahlia", and "The Departed" all in a row. The BEST trailer lineup I have ever seen.

BTW Omar, thoughts on VICE?

THE BLACK DAHLIA. that fucker premiered at the Venice Film Festival the other night.

Standing ovation for 5 minutes. The People went apeshit for it.

Anyway, hope THE DEPARTED rocks the joint as well!

Uh, the only similarities I can even fathom are the fact that it's a Scorsese film and that "Gimme Shelter" is in the trailer. Both of these characteristics make me more excited for the film.

Anyway, it looks good. I'm glad to see Nicholson teaming with Scorsese.

Besides, THE DEPARTED is about Irish gangsters, not Italians.

But whats with the hate at CASINO, or worse, GOODFELLAS? Ridiculous...

This isn't really the thread for this, but I find them to be overly polished, fast paced, and the stories very much insignificant to me...Capo said in his proview for Casino that much of Scorsese's films are very predictable, and I agree with that. Many people find the fast paced editing, slick camera movements and fitting soundtrack enjoyable, but that kind of stuff really doesn't do much for me. They were good films to watch when I was first discovering cinema, but now they're just totally irrelevant to me, now that I've seen some much better films.

Man, I feel so ostracized now. I'm probably the only poster on these forums who has this opinion, and I just get this image of a biker gang surrounding me in a bar and telling me, "We don't like your kind 'round here boy..." and beating me to a pulp and stealing my wallet before throwing me out.

Please don't hurt me, GBB...

Scorsese'll do that to people.

I find it interesting that you seem to respect films exclusively for their emotional message and not at all for their technical execution.

I appreciate films for whatever strikes an emotional chord with me. Neil Young's score in Dead Man, and the beautiful cinematography in Paris, Texas play huge roles in my love for those films.

"They were good films to watch when I was first discovering cinema, but now they're just totally irrelevant to me, now that I've seen some much better films."

You know, coming from an arrogant film buff prick like myself, that post was written with arrogance.

Sure after we fans of cinema go beyond the initial wave of films that really inspire us to explore outisde Ango-American movies, or those especially outside of our present timeframe, many of us are arrogant in thinking that we're more "enlightened" with what we've found after we've watched Kurosawa or Welles or Bergman or whatever the fuck.

I went through a stage in my life where I thought I was a smart little shit because of all these movies I saw, and I acted as such. God if I met me of this timeframe, I would have strangled him.

With film criticism, you have to be neutral, fair, and honest with the movie you're watching.

Sure, maybe STAR WARS or PULP FICTION, or FIGHT CLUB or even GOODFELLAS are the only branch of "great" movies there are, as I learned outside of High School. However, those particular pictures are still pretty fucking good in their own particular ways.

The problem with many critics is the tendency to be snobbish. NEVER hold yourself higher, in intelligence or in taste, above anyone else...unless they really deserve it.

Film analysis can go on for hours, but it's all pretty reductive, really; what matters is what affects you, for whatever reason. It's clear DVC has moved on from Scorsese now, and he justified that I think with the very same quote RRA picked up on: "They were good films to watch when I was first discovering cinema, but now they're just totally irrelevant to me, now that I've seen some much better films."

What, we're not allowed to revise our opinions now? What happens if I grew up on Michael Bay films all my life until my late forties, then watched Citizen Kane, got blown away, and started to dismiss Bad Boys and Pearl Harbor and whatnot because they were no longer relevant to my current tastes?

I find it difficult to appreciate films in a time warp; I can't cater for past tastes, I'm much too of the moment for that. DVC seems even more of the moment, with Videodrome in his Top Ten of all time already, having just seen it yesterday. I'm not that spontaneous just yet, but I do value current moods and tastes more than reflective self-empathy, trying to actively personify my own ghost of the past.

I am being 100% neutral, fair, and honest with my opinions on movies. I simply can not enjoy Goodfellas or Casino anymore. Do you want me to pretend like I do?

Keep in mind that wasn't an official list outside of the top 5, but yeah, I tend to appreciate films more when I've seen them recently and they're still lingering on my subconscious.

Atleast you are not the only one, I too did not like Goodfellas that much, though I am yet to watch Casino. But I have not "moved on" from Scorcese or anything like that. I still have have Raging Bull and Taxi Driver in my top 10, but on the other hand I cannot enjoy something like Gangs of NY.

I enjoyed Gangs of New York (one of a few) for 2 simple reasons. Leo put together a pretty decent performance and surprised me (up to this point I still hated him). But the MAIN reason I dug this movie was for (the should be Oscar-winner) Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher (one of my favorite movie villians).

Irish, I thought you liked GANGS OF NEW YORK because of all the Irish micks in it. Really, you ever not like a movie with Irish in it? Even PATRIOT GAMES?

Balls busting aside, GANGS OF NEW YORK(***) is a nice movie that's underminded by the erratic editing, which I'm sure if it was released in the actual-intended edit, it would make for a much more satisfying film. But hey, Lewis was the shit! You were right Irish!

Anyway Capo, I'll only say that you of all people would know DVC's current situation.

Well ya that too And I've never seen Patriot Games, but you're right, whenever there's an Irish theme in the movie I'll probably tend to like it (The Boondock Saints was great and I only saw it once but somewhat enjoyed Blown Away with Tommy Lee Jones, Jeff Bridges and Forest Whitaker). Not to mention Ron Howard's Far and Away (with my favorite actress Nicole Kidman) :p

I've just watched the trailer. It's very ordinary-looking.

I remember Infernal Affairs to be far more visually attractive.

I'll agree there. It seemed much lighter and happier than I'd imagined it. With a name like The Departed you think somber and tragic, at least I do.

Departed pics

As for the lighting issue with THE DEPARTED, shouldn't one then argue that GOODFELLAS' photography should have been more joyous and lightful?

Anyway, Scorsese was never a director who was obsessed with cinematography like maybe Sir Ridley Scott or Kubrick would be.

The Departed *** 1/2
(First Viewing)

The movie was great! Nicholson should be up for an Academy Award (although it's hard to say if he'll win it or not). This movie had A LOT of humor in it (which is really one of the only differences I saw between it and Infernal Affairs). Great use of music by Marty as always and Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio put together some great performances.

The Departed
(2006/Scorsese)
Excellent comeback film. While Scorsese's work since Casino has had some good moments here and there, he hasn't had a 3 star film in over a decade. Cast was great, especially Alec Baldwin and Nicholson. Story was convoluted but interesting, and while it dragged a little in the middle, the ending made up for it. Scorsese opts for a pretty simple lighting style, except for one notable exception where Nicholson is cast in a devilish red glow in one scene. And some of the trademark Scorsese camera work was back. Overall, great film.

Just saw the movie. It is not one of his best movies, but it is interesting on its own. The cast is great and DiCaprio is excellent. The ending is very good. Overall good, but I will not rewatch this anytime soon.

I'm probably going to go see it this weekend. I'm a little scared though, the trailer made it out as a mediocre action/drama crime flick. But I guess I shouldn't judge on appearances, eh?

Just so you know, this isn't Marty's "come-back" movie in any respect. He's always been here and he'll be sticking around for years to come. He just expanded in 2004 into an epic bio-pic which was a minor masterpiece in my humble opinion.

As for this film...

The Departed (2006/Dir. Martin Scorcese): * * * * *

Best film of the year. Please. Someone. Get the man a fucking oscar.

I gotta basically agree with Sully.

Marty's been around. Hell, he made some good movies after GOODFELLAS, like the thriller-genre entry CAPE FEAR, the much (wrongly) ridiculed "Diet GOODFELLAS" in CASINO, and even the underrated AGE OF INNOCENCE(yeah, the Marty making a period costume piece. Go figure!)

Though I'll have to say GANGS OF NEW YORK was a movie that was aborted in the editing room, and THE AVIATOR is a well-made technical acheivement, with a plane crash of a script that's under-written like a mother fucker. Still, charges that Marty was hunting for an Oscar, I can't enter a "Not Guilty" plea for.

But you know what? Scorsese is going to win the Best Director Oscar for THE DEPARTED.

Maybe I am expecting too much because this was a Scorcese film, I dunno. But I think I will have to wait to see the other nominations before I am convinced of its oscar worthiness. It is very good, but not one of the greaest. If Raging Bull and Taxi Driver could not get oscars for Scorcese, then this one is not likely to. But Oscar is wierd. Titanic got oscar :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Hey, better he win for DEPARTED than fucking GANGS OF NEW YORK or even AVIATOR. Right?

Great show!! it was worth staying up late on a school night to see.