Post by Evil Inclination on Jul 10, 2009 8:53:57 GMT
Okay, so every so often I'll post a review about a movie I recently saw of about 500 words. Anyway here's the first one which I had to do for english:
Review Of The Departed
The Departed (2006) is filmed in a Boston setting and is a remake of the film Internal Affairs (2002). The film won several awards and was ranked very highly grossing $289,835,021 across the globe, making it the highest earning film of the director, Martin Scorsese. The film explores the ideas and concepts of betrayal and may owe its success to its dark tone and nihilist outlook proven throughout the film, particularly in the final scene where most of the main characters meet their demise to each other in an almost comic manner. The film overtly displays the moral ambiguity felt by the two moles and protagonists, Colin Sullivan & Billy Costigan, played by Matt Damon and Leonardo DeCaprio respectfully. This results in the blurring of the boundaries between good and evil, where the difference is hard to decipher and is very minimal. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) highlights this in his opening monologue upon saying, “When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?” This also emphasizes the director’s nihilistic approach towards the film and the soundtrack supports this.
The film is a gritty, violent and entertaining thriller that manages to develop its characters and gives them emotional depth thus causing you to feel emotion for them upon their massacre. Frank Costello is perhaps the most nihilistic of the characters, constantly mocking the Church in his opening monologue and its false precedent. He is first shown as a silhouette amidst oblique up shots empowering him and showing how he can control Young Colin and manipulate him into working for him. Colin Sullivan is a product of Costello and therefore slightly more undeveloped than Billy Costigan who as opposed to Colin didn’t graduate from the police academy and ironically, despite being presented as a failure, stands for justice. Colin is the opposite; he’s presented as “the golden boy” but yet is working undercover for the mafia, further blurring the boundaries of good and evil. The femme fatale in the film, Madolyn, plays a pivotal role in the development of the plot. Although she may appear weak because of her role in society and her relationship with Colin she obtains control over the two protagonists and remains in power. The compilation of these characters and their juxtaposed values avoid the characters becoming clichés and rather evolve into highly developed characters in the film.
The film’s acting and plotline may also be a tribute to its success. The plotline of an undercover cop infiltrating a mafia gang while a mafia gang mole infiltrates the police is one that hasn’t been toyed with many times in the past and it may owe its critical claim to this aspect of the film. The acting was also superb with well known names operating the main characters, in particular Leonardo DeCaprio’s portrayal of Billy whilst he struggles to cope with the self-doubt gained from becoming a mole and how he constantly has to live in fear. His character is constantly changing between moods and often resorts to pills at times asking Madolyn to supply them for him. The setting of Boston is also a wise choice and becomes important in the film as shown in the opening scene whilst Costello comments on the racial tensions of the 1970s and the riots, this sets up the movie to be heavily impacted by the culture of Boston in general. The film is a highly enjoyable, violent, nihilistic thriller that has certainly captured the attention of modern audiences, and with good reason.
Percent Rating: 94%
Review Of The Departed
The Departed (2006) is filmed in a Boston setting and is a remake of the film Internal Affairs (2002). The film won several awards and was ranked very highly grossing $289,835,021 across the globe, making it the highest earning film of the director, Martin Scorsese. The film explores the ideas and concepts of betrayal and may owe its success to its dark tone and nihilist outlook proven throughout the film, particularly in the final scene where most of the main characters meet their demise to each other in an almost comic manner. The film overtly displays the moral ambiguity felt by the two moles and protagonists, Colin Sullivan & Billy Costigan, played by Matt Damon and Leonardo DeCaprio respectfully. This results in the blurring of the boundaries between good and evil, where the difference is hard to decipher and is very minimal. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) highlights this in his opening monologue upon saying, “When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?” This also emphasizes the director’s nihilistic approach towards the film and the soundtrack supports this.
The film is a gritty, violent and entertaining thriller that manages to develop its characters and gives them emotional depth thus causing you to feel emotion for them upon their massacre. Frank Costello is perhaps the most nihilistic of the characters, constantly mocking the Church in his opening monologue and its false precedent. He is first shown as a silhouette amidst oblique up shots empowering him and showing how he can control Young Colin and manipulate him into working for him. Colin Sullivan is a product of Costello and therefore slightly more undeveloped than Billy Costigan who as opposed to Colin didn’t graduate from the police academy and ironically, despite being presented as a failure, stands for justice. Colin is the opposite; he’s presented as “the golden boy” but yet is working undercover for the mafia, further blurring the boundaries of good and evil. The femme fatale in the film, Madolyn, plays a pivotal role in the development of the plot. Although she may appear weak because of her role in society and her relationship with Colin she obtains control over the two protagonists and remains in power. The compilation of these characters and their juxtaposed values avoid the characters becoming clichés and rather evolve into highly developed characters in the film.
The film’s acting and plotline may also be a tribute to its success. The plotline of an undercover cop infiltrating a mafia gang while a mafia gang mole infiltrates the police is one that hasn’t been toyed with many times in the past and it may owe its critical claim to this aspect of the film. The acting was also superb with well known names operating the main characters, in particular Leonardo DeCaprio’s portrayal of Billy whilst he struggles to cope with the self-doubt gained from becoming a mole and how he constantly has to live in fear. His character is constantly changing between moods and often resorts to pills at times asking Madolyn to supply them for him. The setting of Boston is also a wise choice and becomes important in the film as shown in the opening scene whilst Costello comments on the racial tensions of the 1970s and the riots, this sets up the movie to be heavily impacted by the culture of Boston in general. The film is a highly enjoyable, violent, nihilistic thriller that has certainly captured the attention of modern audiences, and with good reason.
Percent Rating: 94%