Comments on: The Departed http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/ culture blogging for the good of the planet Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:01:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Stroke Treatment http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-134752 Stroke Treatment Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:18:13 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-134752 The Departed is actually a remake of a Chinese film but it is definitely way better directed in the English version. The Departed is actually a remake of a Chinese film but it is definitely way better directed in the English version.

]]> By: San Antonio Remodeling http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-133105 San Antonio Remodeling Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:14:37 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-133105 This film haven't triggered my curiosity, well I think I just don't like the flow of the story This film haven't triggered my curiosity, well I think I just don't like the flow of the story

]]> By: newcritics - » And the Oscar doesn’t go to… http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-771 newcritics - » And the Oscar doesn’t go to… Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:05:43 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-771 [...] I have seen the other four nominees, and reviewed three of them, The Queen, The Departed, and now Little Miss Sunshine—that’s my latest post at newcritics.  I think of it as my other review of Little Miss Sunshine.  I plan to do a second review looking at a different aspect of the film here.  My mini-review of Babel is a part of this very post and will appear right before your very eyes. [...] [...] I have seen the other four nominees, and reviewed three of them, The Queen, The Departed, and now Little Miss Sunshine—that’s my latest post at newcritics.  I think of it as my other review of Little Miss Sunshine.  I plan to do a second review looking at a different aspect of the film here.  My mini-review of Babel is a part of this very post and will appear right before your very eyes. [...]

]]> By: sean http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-636 sean Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:05:49 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-636 A few thoughts on Scorsese: 1. Infernal Affairs may not have been great, but it sure was compact compared to Scorsese's padded work. One of the virtues of the original (outside of Tony Leung and Andy Lau)is the near absence of psychologizing. It's a clever, fast-moving genre piece, adroit with something useful to say about the choices we make. Onto this Scorsese has mapped all kinds of spurious philosophizing, replete with William Monahan's gratuitous high-art references (Freud, Joyce). 2. Remember when Scorsese had an ear for music? Remember "Be My Baby" floating over the opening of "Mean Streets?" There was a time when he could throw Bach, Bad Brains, and "Someone To Watch Over Me" into the mix, using each for effect or counterpoint or whatever. Now he's sounds like he's stuck on the same ipod playlist. How many times is going to use "Gimmie Shelter?" 3. While Chinese directors like Ringo Lam and Johnnie To and plenty others surely owe Scorsese a debt, the horror movies Hollywood has been leeching off have been Japanese: Ringu remade as The Ring, Kairo as Pulse, and Ju-on as The Grudge. Each of the remakes are personality free A few thoughts on Scorsese:

1. Infernal Affairs may not have been great, but it sure was compact compared to Scorsese’s padded work. One of the virtues of the original (outside of Tony Leung and Andy Lau)is the near absence of psychologizing. It’s a clever, fast-moving genre piece, adroit with something useful to say about the choices we make. Onto this Scorsese has mapped all kinds of spurious philosophizing, replete with William Monahan’s gratuitous high-art references (Freud, Joyce).

2. Remember when Scorsese had an ear for music? Remember “Be My Baby” floating over the opening of “Mean Streets?” There was a time when he could throw Bach, Bad Brains, and “Someone To Watch Over Me” into the mix, using each for effect or counterpoint or whatever. Now he’s sounds like he’s stuck on the same ipod playlist. How many times is going to use “Gimmie Shelter?”

3. While Chinese directors like Ringo Lam and Johnnie To and plenty others surely owe Scorsese a debt, the horror movies Hollywood has been leeching off have been Japanese:
Ringu remade as The Ring, Kairo as Pulse, and Ju-on as The Grudge. Each of the remakes are personality free

]]> By: Jason Chervokas http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-634 Jason Chervokas Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:21:36 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-634 I haven't seen Infernal Affairs, the 2002 Hong Kong noir of which The Departed is a remake....aparently there were more female characters and love interests floating around in the original, although I hear they were equally perfunctory. I love Scorcese and I really enjoyed The Departed. It's a thrilling nuevo noir. But two things I wonder about--the enormous inpact of Chinese cinema on Hollywood at the moment is fascinating, perhaps the cultural leading edge of the new century of Chinese ascendency? Or just the latest world arts fetish? Certainly the look of movies will never be the same after the impact of Chinese horror movies. Second, although its a very entertaining movie w/ great acting, it's really slight. A damn shame that this is the movie Marty will win for instead of his truely great, original, and personal movies--the troika of Taxi Driver, King of Comedy, and Raging Bull. And even his severely flawed movies, like Gangs of NY and Age of Innocence, were a lot meatier than The Departed. Will Scorcese ever make a great movie again? At least as remakes go it trounced Scorcese's awful Cape Fear. I haven’t seen Infernal Affairs, the 2002 Hong Kong noir of which The Departed is a remake….aparently there were more female characters and love interests floating around in the original, although I hear they were equally perfunctory.

I love Scorcese and I really enjoyed The Departed. It’s a thrilling nuevo noir. But two things I wonder about–the enormous inpact of Chinese cinema on Hollywood at the moment is fascinating, perhaps the cultural leading edge of the new century of Chinese ascendency? Or just the latest world arts fetish? Certainly the look of movies will never be the same after the impact of Chinese horror movies.

Second, although its a very entertaining movie w/ great acting, it’s really slight. A damn shame that this is the movie Marty will win for instead of his truely great, original, and personal movies–the troika of Taxi Driver, King of Comedy, and Raging Bull.

And even his severely flawed movies, like Gangs of NY and Age of Innocence, were a lot meatier than The Departed. Will Scorcese ever make a great movie again?

At least as remakes go it trounced Scorcese’s awful Cape Fear.

]]> By: John Baker http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-631 John Baker Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:51:56 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/02/16/the-departed/#comment-631 Sounds like one to miss, then? I haven't seen a better film than <em>Volver</em> in the last twelve months. Sounds like one to miss, then? I haven’t seen a better film than Volver in the last twelve months.

]]>