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Test Screening review of Scorsese's THE DEPARTED!!!

Hey folks, Harry here... I want to fucking see this NOW!!! The trailer had me foaming at the mouth - now I'm foaming at the ass... rabid through and through to see this one! The problems that LethalH20 had with the film sound like the exact sort of things that Scorsese will have no problems fixing with either music or timing tweaks. And they seem very slight to this reviewer - cuz he seems to have just gone gaga for the flick. Hopefully the film will get through the MPAA with minimal casualties. Here ya go - watch out for spoilers...

Hello all,

I'm a huge fan of the site and thought it would be an appropriate time to submit my first film review. On August 9th in Edgewater, NJ, I was witness to probably the best film I have seen all year. The film is question is The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, with smaller parts by Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Andersen.

First off the good:

The film is really something else. The acting and directing are all top notch (what else would you expect, honestly?) The film is decidely very un-Scorsese like. While it is an intense film for the most part, there are tons of laugh out loud moments usually courtesy of Nicholson, Baldwin, or Wahlberg. These 3 get to ham it up completely, especially Wahlberg who comes really close to being completely over the top with his Boston accent and tough cop routine.

The action is also quite remarkable. The cut I saw was unrated but I say its safe to assume that they are going to have to do alot of editing to get an R rating. The violence protrayed is brutal and in your face. People are shot in the head from point blank range with blood splatting in every direction. Fortunately, it's presented in a very realistic sense, not at all cartoonish like in Kill Bill.

The best performances in the film belong to Jackie boy and DiCaprio. Jack protrays "Frank" who is part of the mob in Boston. He is completely charismatic, likeable, and COMPLETELY insane. This is a man with no regards to human life, yet he's completely likeable, like a crazy uncle or something. Jack really gets to cut lose and be a nut case.

As for DiCaprio, he plays William, a wannabe cop, who due to his family having a very shady past, is picked to infiltrate Frank's mafia, in hopes of ultimately bringing Frank down. This was the toughest part in the film and DiCaprio really pulls it off well. Throughout the film you get to see and feel is slow descent into madness as he is really a good guy but is stuck in a world full of crime and violence.

Next the bad:

The film was a rough cut (as we were all warned before the film started), so there were some small issues. There were some cutback and flashback sequences that didin't really work all that well. It kind of threw the chronological pacing of the film off. I guess with some editing this can be fixed, or at least I hope so.

Also there were some, what I'd like to call, "Wes Anderson" moments, where a character would speak in reference to an object and the film would cut to a quick picture of that object. It felt like a cop-out of sorts or trying to dumb down the film.

Other then that the film was spectacular. Hopefully they can tighten up some of the loose sequences and get rid of some of the flashbacks that don't really work.

If you use this, call me Lethalh20.

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Reader Talkback

Sounds fuckin awesome
by iamnicksaicnsn
Aug 11th, 2006
03:58:02 PM
I mean, what a freakin cast of ass-kickers
by iamnicksaicnsn
Aug 11th, 2006
03:59:06 PM
Hopefully there's no Oscar-whoring this time...
by dr_buggerlugs
Aug 11th, 2006
04:04:30 PM
how do you find out about these screenings?
by hauptman
Aug 11th, 2006
04:06:22 PM
scorsese is amazing.
by zarandimoviefan
Aug 11th, 2006
04:06:50 PM
Anyone see the Original "Infernal Affairs"?
by BNITT
Aug 11th, 2006
04:07:02 PM
Sounds like bollocks
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 11th, 2006
04:07:50 PM
This + Fountain = Fall Making Up for Crappy Summer
by The Only Woj
Aug 11th, 2006
04:09:56 PM
What thousands must die so that Caesar may become great
by JudgeNXcutioner
Aug 11th, 2006
04:13:17 PM
all eyes on clint...
by emeraldboy
Aug 11th, 2006
04:23:21 PM
From the trailer...
by necco
Aug 11th, 2006
04:25:53 PM
C Legion
by Turd Furgeson
Aug 11th, 2006
04:27:15 PM
Am I the only one that was underwhelmed by the original
by modlight
Aug 11th, 2006
04:30:21 PM
foaming at the ass??
by indiephantom
Aug 11th, 2006
04:33:46 PM
modlight
by necco
Aug 11th, 2006
04:36:24 PM
The Original.
by Junior Frenger
Aug 11th, 2006
04:39:08 PM
You lost me Harry...
by theBigE
Aug 11th, 2006
04:41:10 PM
I'm not sure if Jackie, can pull off a crazy character.
by modlight
Aug 11th, 2006
04:50:17 PM
Eddie Hitler
by Vim Fuego
Aug 11th, 2006
04:56:25 PM
Vim!
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 11th, 2006
04:59:34 PM
Maaaaat Daaaamon!
by Uncapie
Aug 11th, 2006
05:00:57 PM
Yes, Necco...
by Lau Kar Leung
Aug 11th, 2006
05:06:30 PM
Infernal Affairs looks much more stylish then this film
by Sakurai
Aug 11th, 2006
05:15:17 PM
Kundun
by law04230
Aug 11th, 2006
05:17:11 PM
I would rather see a "bad" film by Scorsese...
by EriamJH
Aug 11th, 2006
05:21:15 PM
Lau Kar Leung.. Not just Woo!!! Lets take a look
by modlight
Aug 11th, 2006
05:26:11 PM
the original was great
by reckni
Aug 11th, 2006
05:26:14 PM
The Aviator
by necco
Aug 11th, 2006
05:27:42 PM
Kundun will stand the tests as a beautiful classic...
by EriamJH
Aug 11th, 2006
05:28:16 PM
King of Comedy anyone? The funny version of Taxi Driver
by modlight
Aug 11th, 2006
05:35:05 PM
can you believe marty hasn't gotten an oscar?
by Exeter
Aug 11th, 2006
05:39:32 PM
Exeter... I can totally believe he hasn't gotten one
by modlight
Aug 11th, 2006
05:44:33 PM
btw jack nicholson took the comic book version of Joker
by Exeter
Aug 11th, 2006
05:44:45 PM
guys like kubrick, hitchcock, scorsese are above the
by Exeter
Aug 11th, 2006
05:47:37 PM
Eddie!
by Vim Fuego
Aug 11th, 2006
06:06:33 PM
I thought Aviator was complete shit
by BigTuna
Aug 11th, 2006
06:08:59 PM
Act accordingly
by Jack Burton
Aug 11th, 2006
06:14:12 PM
The Original
by The Funketeer
Aug 11th, 2006
06:15:52 PM
"wes anderson moments"??
by yassoo
Aug 11th, 2006
06:53:48 PM
"Foaming at the ass"
by PurityOfEssence
Aug 11th, 2006
06:55:15 PM
Interesting. Sounds like a hyper violent DONNIE BRASCO
by Orbots Commander
Aug 11th, 2006
06:55:42 PM
Oh yeah. And "foaming at the ass"?
by Orbots Commander
Aug 11th, 2006
06:56:42 PM
ending of copy is bad *****SPOILER>>>>>>>>>
by holoholojoe
Aug 11th, 2006
06:57:54 PM
Harry's ass foam now for sale on ebay
by Monkeybutt2000
Aug 11th, 2006
07:01:18 PM
I'm a nice enough fellow. Why do I love violence?
by CreasyBear
Aug 11th, 2006
07:03:29 PM
New York Steamer
by Driver8
Aug 11th, 2006
07:55:30 PM
See? This is how you do a review
by El Cimarron
Aug 11th, 2006
08:28:28 PM
who's the director of this?
by thebearovingian
Aug 11th, 2006
09:06:03 PM
holoholojoe
by Arnzilla
Aug 11th, 2006
10:24:15 PM
do anybody else be noticing...
by Malebolgia
Aug 11th, 2006
10:41:57 PM
Let's get something straight
by Kung Fu Hustler
Aug 11th, 2006
10:48:16 PM
Flags of Our Fathers
by Barry Egan
Aug 11th, 2006
11:40:00 PM
ass foam = santorum
by all
Aug 11th, 2006
11:51:26 PM
Eddie Hitler I will kick your ass...
by Arche Logos
Aug 11th, 2006
11:57:03 PM
Jack sucks assfoam for breakfast, lunch and dinner
by pandora7
Aug 12th, 2006
12:15:03 AM
Must see this now!
by GravyAkira
Aug 12th, 2006
12:44:32 AM
Yeah, this IS how you do a review...
by ScarranHalfBreed
Aug 12th, 2006
12:59:01 AM
So glad someone mentioned the ending to Hard Boiled
by readingwriter
Aug 12th, 2006
01:56:39 AM
That would be egregious BIG wanker to you Pandora7
by Arche Logos
Aug 12th, 2006
02:23:00 AM
Phoning it in!?
by tompbeast
Aug 12th, 2006
05:59:49 AM
Yes, Uncapie, Maaaaatttt Damonnnn!
by Wolfpack
Aug 12th, 2006
07:31:47 AM
Arche Logos
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 12th, 2006
08:00:52 AM
And another thing...
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 12th, 2006
09:59:47 AM
I can't wait to see this...
by viola123
Aug 12th, 2006
01:01:13 PM
King of Comedy, After Hours, AND, Who's That Knocking..
by DanielKurland
Aug 12th, 2006
01:49:23 PM
not to mention...
by tompbeast
Aug 12th, 2006
02:21:39 PM
arch logos, listsen here ya mongoloic chink
by Exeter
Aug 12th, 2006
08:38:03 PM
I'm a warped minded, mongoloic, egregious...
by Arche Logos
Aug 13th, 2006
04:48:15 AM
Don't worry Arche....
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 13th, 2006
08:25:49 AM
Scorsese is done, over, finished.
by Thunderballs
Aug 13th, 2006
11:55:17 AM
Casino, Gangs and The Aviator
by pandora7
Aug 13th, 2006
12:17:07 PM
"Complete twat: The Beginning" I LIKE that!
by Arche Logos
Aug 13th, 2006
04:26:06 PM
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is arguably Scorse's best movie
by abcdefz7
Aug 13th, 2006
04:36:13 PM
Scorcesse thinks Mann's "Heat" is one of the best..
by BigTuna
Aug 13th, 2006
07:55:09 PM
This is a remake of Infernal Affairs
by Harker-Writes
Aug 14th, 2006
09:50:35 AM
Arche - don't get your hopes up
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 14th, 2006
05:11:42 PM
So Eddie, you will be auditioning then?
by Arche Logos
Aug 14th, 2006
05:52:08 PM
Marty and me
by bswise
Aug 14th, 2006
07:52:07 PM
Only in your sick, sick dreams Arche...
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 14th, 2006
08:31:58 PM
Pandora 7 - Thief is better than all those
by Thunderballs
Aug 14th, 2006
11:53:01 PM
Eddie, it was Gene Simmons...
by Arche Logos
Aug 15th, 2006
01:14:14 AM
And again..
by Eddie Hitler
Aug 15th, 2006
10:18:10 AM
Exactly Eddie, that's what I was trying to tell you
by Arche Logos
Aug 15th, 2006
01:42:33 PM
After he stoped his Oscar Hunting (hopefully)....
by ArkadyRenko
Aug 15th, 2006
03:07:33 PM
Since when....
by ArkadyRenko
Aug 15th, 2006
03:10:09 PM
The Departed
by Departed06
Aug 17th, 2006
09:28:42 PM

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