Vaelastraz Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 So what do you guys think about that movie... I watched it a couple of days ago, and it's just brilliant. One of my favourite movies. Even Dicaprio did a good job! Martin Scorcese really deserves an academy award imo... Edit: misspelled "departed" how humiliating... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inyri Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 The Departed was a great film. Dark, twisty, and very entertaining, with a great plot and some excellent acting. I certainly hope it wins something when the awards ceremony rolls around. Truly going to be one of the best of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 It was definitely one of the better films of the year (compared to the barrage of garbage that studios normally release). Considering that it's based on another (foreign) film, I think it might be at a slight disadvantage for Best Screenplay. I would say that it has a decent chance at beating out Babel for Best Picture, but I think Babel has a better chance at Best Director. I'm not sure why I get so hung up on the little things, but the inconsistent (and just plain weird) use of cell phone ringers in this movie keeps me from giving it the double thumbs-up it deserves. In fact, Scorcese should have considered ditching that whole alley chase altogether. Also, help me understand how Colin is able to find Frank at the construction site by holding up his goddamn cell phone!? If Frank was holding his up for Colin to find him, the scene would make sense. Maybe next time I lose my keys, I should ask them to call me. That way I can use my ringing phone to track down their location. Don't get me wrong: it was a good movie (I saw it twice in the theaters), but it has strong(er?) competition in every category for which it will get a nod. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabish Bini Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 I thought it was a great movie, with an excellent plot. It should win something in my opinion. But it's not better than Unleashed. Great movie that. @Achilles - What scene was that? I seem to have forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 But it's not better than Unleashed. Great movie that. I love Ahto. I see things here that I'm pretty sure I couldn't see anywhere else. @Achilles - What scene was that? I seem to have forgotten. Frank has just escaped a police trap at a construction site and is sitting on the business end of an earth-mover. He's dialing Colin on the cell phone and then suddenly we hear a phone ringing, not too far off. The sound of the ringing phone gets closer and then Colin emerges with his ringing cell phone held high in the air. Not sure how his ringing phone helped him to locate the person that was calling him. If Colin had called Frank, heard Frank's phone ringing, and followed the sound to Frank, that would be one thing. The way it is now, the scene makes no sense. As for the alley chase, Billy follows Colin into a theater and witnesses a meet between Colin and Frank. Billy starts getting pinged with text messages (presumably from Dignam and Queenan), that are coming in with the most uncanny of timing (I kept waiting for a break-away shot of Dignam and Queenan hiding out in a car giggling like kids while they crank-call their undercover guy). Lame and contrived? Sure, but we expect to see that from time to time, even in "good" movies. Where it goes too far is when the phone alternates from silent-mode to "sweet jesus, my cover is blown!" at a key moment in the chase for no reason. Throughout the movie, that silent-mode buzz is used as a plot device to ratchet up the tension, however in these two scenes the phones mysteriously revert to eardrum-shattering wails without the slightest hint of explanation. This is sloppy movie making on par with all the electronic device that we saw working after the EMP in War of the Worlds (not to mention the wind-up watch that stopped working after said EMP). If Scorcese wants Best Director, I would think that he would need to try a little harder than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabish Bini Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Um, he found Frank by fluke? I don't know. He just did. And I agree with you on silent-to-on phones happening mysterioulsy(sp?). And why wouldn't you see my Unleashed comment anywhere else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Um, he found Frank by fluke?Seems unlikely. If that's what he wanted to say, then he could have just shown that. Instead, there's this big deal about hearing the phone ringing close-by followed by Colin entering the scene doing his impression of the Statue of Liberty. Meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaelastraz Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 Well now that you mention it, this scene is indeed a bit weird. But such flaws can be found in every movie... Hm I don't think that it has a stronger competition in every category. I haven't seen all other good movies though. I'm willing to bet that this movie at least gets one award. Best Director would be the best one, for if i'm not mistaken, Scorcese has never won that award so far. And it's about time i think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Well now that you mention it, this scene is indeed a bit weird. But such flaws can be found in every movie... That's a bit of a stretch. Agreed that no movie is perfect, but at the risk of repeating myself, this is just sloppy. You dig hard enough you can probably find minor plot holes in almost any film, but this is blatant-out-in-the-air-I-can't-be-believe-someone-didn't-catch-it-in-production-the-director-must-think -we're-stupid kinda stuff. Hm I don't think that it has a stronger competition in every category. I haven't seen all other good movies though.I haven't seen them all either. In fact a few of the movies up for Golden Globes (the precursors to the Academy Awards) haven't even been released yet (judges get them via "screeners"). Best Motion Picture - Drama Babel - Strong competitor. Not nearly the movie that 21 Grams was but still a solid movie. Without having seen Little Children or The Queen, I would say that it's between this and Departed. Also, this is the last installment of a "trilogy" (I use the term loosely) and the Academy tends to lean toward films in that category. Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland - I doubt it will go this way though. "King" is an indie film that hasn't received nearly the same amount of marketing as either Departed or Pursuit of Happyness. It's be nice to see Smith get it, but I suspect that it will go to Leo for Departed (not that he doesn't deserve it). Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Jack Nicholson for The Departed - Haven't seen two of the other three films nominated, but something tells me that it doesn't matter. Best Director - Motion Picture Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima - As much as it physically pains me to know that another Paul Haggis movie is up for an award, this movie is getting way too much critical acclaim not to win. Ditto for Flags. Babel deserves a win here, but Scorcese could certainly get the "finally" win. Best Screenplay - Motion Picture Too close to call. Two of the five movies aren't out yet, but based on the info out there, this could be a dead heat. If Babel doesn't get Best Picture, then it should win here. The good news is that neither of the Eastwood/Haggis movies were nominated here (which should tell you something, Paul!) which means I won't have to go on suicide watch. I'm willing to bet that this movie at least gets one award. Best Director would be the best one, for if i'm not mistaken, Scorcese has never won that award so far. And it's about time i think... No, he hasn't but I'd prefer to see him get it for a movie that he deserves to win for rather than a potential "pity" win. You've probably heard it a hundred times before, but if he's ever deserved to win, it was in 1991 for Goodfellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaelastraz Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 Now that I've seen Babel... It's a very good movie, but IMO there are some scenes in it which seem unnecessaryly stretched. I don't think Babel deserves the award for best director. It's a very good movie, yes, but aside from some good directing ideas (like that out of the girls perspective in the disco in Tokyo) I don't see why it should deserve the director award. If it wins an award, I'd say Best picture. I still bet my money on Departed for best director. I know, people will hate me for saying this, but IMO Departed is a more entertaining movie than even Goodfellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 I guess we'll find out shortly which way the judges are going. Remember that I called Eastwood (despite my obvious personal vote for Babel) EDIT: btw, have you seen L' Enfant yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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