"Are these high waist baggy jeans that you're wearing? you fashion moron." Leo asked the rhetorical question before throwing the first punch to the sartorially challenged Matt.WARNING: VERY BAD MOVIE REVIEW from yours truly
The Departed won the Best Picture, Scorsese won the Best Director and William Monahan won the Best Screenplay Based on material previously produced or published . And you are dying to read my opinion on this.
I didn't see any of the nominated films so I am totally not qualified to say anything. But then again, it's my blog I can say anything I want.
It's hard not to compare The Departed with the original
As to "The Departed," I think both the leads do a good job. Matt Damon's performance is understated and I for one has no problem with it. On the other hand, I think the Hong Kong leads very often overdo scenes, too cute to watch and too self conscious of their movie star quality; in a way, their on screen persona very much mirrors their off screen star status. If there is such a thing as "too cool" that must be it.
I don't know how William Monahan can win the Best Screenplay, but he does. To his credit, I think he did an excellent job in ditching Sammi Cheng's role, the novelist or something who plays the love interest of Andy Lau. In The Departed, there is only one supporting actress, the female clinical psychologist or shrink, played by relatively unknown (to me only) Vera Farmiga, who ends up sleeping with both male characters. The fact that this character is screwing both male leads who are adversary should have created some tension in plot development but surprise, it didn't.
I think the Hong Kong version really have some nice touches and some defining scenes which The Departed sorely lacks. It's probably not Scorsese's best but hey it's about time to give the guy an Oscar.
More Departed from me.
good analysis, I like to read your comment
ReplyDeleteI have watched Mu Jian dao three or four times and I enjoyed it every time. I like the episode of Ceng having his lunch boxes in the police station and above all the finale when Liu came out of the elevator victorious. You guys must know that in the mainland Chinese version, Liu was arrested and faced the music. The Americans are just like the Chinese communists, they all believe that they have something to preach in cinema.
ReplyDeleteWe HongKongese know too well that the bad guys always win and the bad guys always come out on top in this world.
Vincent
Yes, I like the precinct show down aa well. It was a scene purposely to show all the characters in one place, in a closed environment.
ReplyDeleteThe opening sequence was good when Tseng and his new triad new recruits were burning incense sticks. The monologue was good better than the one given by Nicholson.
And when Cheng as an undercover gave his last salute away in an alley to the hearse that carries his prior instructor, that I thought was touching. And it somehow signifies his departed status as a cop and as a decent human being.
The scene where both leads sit down to listen to Tsai Ching was good, and they wouldn't know until much later they were going to kill each other ...
Like I said the original has many memorable scenes, very well pace.
Then I made the mistake to buy the 3rd installment starring Leon Lai, I thought that was total crap.
I bot the Shang Cheng (Confession of Pain) vcd and made the mistake of watching it. I read in the papers that the same Hollywood studio that produced "The Departed" had purchased the script for hkd 16 millions. For the same group of talents that created Wu Jian Dao, the movie came as a BIG disappointment. It is just a little better than Wu Jian Dao III.
ReplyDeleteVincent
I read the review.
ReplyDeleteI think essentially it got to the point that it's really form over substance. You got some beautiful specimen of human beings, some good art direction, lighting, and mixed them together sans a good story ...
And you end up with a POS, beautiful to look at, but still piece of shit.