So I went and saw The Departed on Saturday (good timing, eh?), and let me just say it: It shouldn't've won best picture.
It was very, very good-I was ready to say it's the best damn gangster movie since Miller's Crossing. And then, without revealing too much, they cut the emotional legs out from under the audience. I think it was done to give it that Scorsese feel, but it really was unnecessary, because of the way things were going anyway. I was left dissatisfied, because the movie fucked with what I wanted from it as a story.
Don't get me wrong: Scorsese is one of the best, and most important directors in cinema. What he's forgotten about movies is more than any 4 people know about them. But The Aviator was a much better movie, and Goodfellas is a classic.
My desire, however, to see Infernal Affairs remains unabated.
I've also started watching The Wire and while some people have said it's the best show on TV (yeesh-the hype, the HYPE) I'm not seeing it yet. I've only watched 3 episodes, though, and it is pretty good.
3 comments:
So what should've won? Certainly not The Queen and DEFINITELY not Little Miss Sunshine. I can't comment on Babel or that other one (what else was nominated?)
The Wire is best during seasons 3 & 4 -- which is good for you. You have nowhere to go but up.
I got the same feeling from the Departed and I'm guessing for the exact same reasons. It was going strong and then suddenly I'm all, wtf? That's how it ends? Anyhow, good movie but I didn't leave as satisfied as I wanted to. I would like to see it again, as I tend to pick up a lot more from a movie on a second viewing.
I think that The Wire is very, very good. I just finished Season 3 and wish it wasn't over. Keep on truckin' with it.
To everyone:
I've only seen Little Miss Sunshine; The Queen, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Bable I haven't seen yet.
And I really liked Little Miss Sunshine a lot-more than The Departed at least.
But The Departed just broke one of the fundamental rules of storytelling,(spoilers here) by killing the only character the audience had to really care about (end spoiler) and, to me, didn't do it wisely. It did so to make it a 'Scorsese' movie, I think, and, granted, it's hard to tell a master when he's wrong, but it was a poor choice. It betrayed what the audience expected (or at least this audience) and then I didn't give a fuck about what happened to anyone else, I just knew it was going to be bad.
I'm told Infernal Affairs is too redemptive, and I'll have to see that to judge, but The Departed could've used some redemption-just a little bit, and the movie is suddenly amazing.
I guess I just wish that Scorsese had won for a truly excellent movie (and there's no shortage of those in his career). The Departed was good, but I didn't feel it was great.
I will continue with The Wire. If there's nothing for it to do but get better, that's great. Especially given the curve of most shows.
Post a Comment