As I posted on a duplicate thread, I thought it was very good.
It’s probably the most cinematically complete and entertaining cop versus crook movie I’ve seen since “The Godfather Trilogy.”
If you liked flicks such as “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Heat,” “Collateral,” “Donnie Brasco,” “L. A. Confidential,” “The French Connection,” “Scarface,” “The Untouchables” or TV’s “The Sopranos,” this is another one you'll enjoy.
It’s long, it’s complex, it’s intense, it’s violent and, IMHO, it’s definitely worth going to see on the big screen if you enjoy the genre.
Martin Scorsese may finally receive an Oscar as Best Director for this film.
I believe he’s winless so far, after being nominated five times.
Scorsese’s favorite and familiar film themes: evil against good, plus sin, corruption, violence, sacrifice, redemption and comeuppance are all thoroughly explored in this well-edited, fully realized screenplay about deception, loyalty and betrayal that’s a remake, adapted from the 2002 Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs.”
And the mostly male cast members, featuring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Walhberg and Alec Baldwin, all give fine performances and are well utilized.
I fear the many good leading and/or supporting roles in this ensemble production may actually work against one another come awards nomination time.
Vera Farmigo’s strong feminine thespian turn as Madolyn does attempt to provide some small hormonal balance to the otherwise testosterone tuned thrusting of this excellent crime/drama/thriller.
No actual sex, no nudity and relatively little else that could be described as pleasant is provided to divert the viewer or soften the mood from the macho posturing, brutality and amoral behavior that characterizes both the bad guys and the good guys in this tale of modern crime and police work.
I thought the whole thing was deliciously done.
I wasn't sure about the ending.
I'll see it again eventually; there were a lot of plot twists happening at the end.
And that part of the ending may even have been left ambiguous on purpose.
There was a lot of depravity depicted in this movie, like in most of Scorsese's stuff.
It surely won't be for everyone, because of the amount of time involved, various individual preferences and the life styles and choices that are portrayed.
Just as a career as an embedded criminal or an undercover lawman isn't for everyone either, because of the amount of time involved, various individual preferences and life styles and choices that are required.
Different folks' tastes are just different.
But I really enjoyed dabbling in crime last night, as a movie mole and video voyeur, during that fast moving 149 minute visit to those dangerous and undoubtedly accurately assessed cinematic surroundings, before I quite happily returned to my real world.
Anyway, for whatever it's worth, I thought this was a very good movie and very, very good movie making.
[This message has been edited by FAST FRED (edited 10/7/2006 1:15p).]
