THE DEPARTED Post-release discussion - Page 2

I was just at IMDB and it said that Departed is tracking at about $25-30million, with Chainsaw tracking at 15-20.
Lets hope this stays true.

I haven't had a chance to see THE DEPARTED yet (I'm going tomorrow afternoon), but I did read a review in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram by their movie critic, Christopher Kelly.

He spent the first three-quarters of the review explaining why the plot was completely implausible and full of gaping holes and that it becomes mired in triple- and quadruple-crossings. Oh yeah--he also said it becomes a borderline parody of Scorsese's previous crime films. The last quarter of the review he says that there are some good performances from Dicaprio and Damon that make the movie bearable. The overall rating was a B+, which seemed funny considering how few virtues were mentioned. I think THE LAST KISS got a B-, and that review seemed much more agreeable.

Was planning to see this today but sadly I feel like crap. I respect other film-goers too much to sit my sneezing, coughing self in a theatre for 2 hours or so.

Now Monday will be my next chance. Dammit.

He's an idiot.

As I was walking out of the theatre, I was thinking, "If Nick doesn't love this movie, then nothing will make sense anymore."

I loved this film as well and it is easily one of Scorsese's best. And other folks can call blasphemy, but I like it more than Infernal Affairs. There's so much great about this film, from the performances, to the soundtrack, to the pacing. I had a few qualms (the relationship between Costigan and Madeline felt a little rushed, but I understand the need for that relationship as well as the accelerated pace since the film comes in at two and a half hours). And while Nicholson was mostly brilliant, there were still a few moments where the character disappeared and Crazy Jack reared his ugly head.

Still, these are minor flaws. Easily one of the ten best of the year.

Also, sidenote: I saw the trailer for The Good Shepherd before this, and the thought occured to me: what if Scorsese lost Best Director to Deniro. He has lost twice to actor-directors before and it would be amusing to see him lose to an actor so closely identified with his own body of work. Not amusing enough to be completely outrageous (I sincerely doubt that Good Shepherd is better directed than this), but still somewhat amusing.

I read that review in the Star-Telegram earlier today & I wasn't really surprised by it. I don't think I've ever agreed with his reviews.

Damn good movie. Even though a lot of people have said it was surprisingly funny, I didn't expect that many clever, dark, and funny lines. I wish all the trailers and TV spots didn't have that...

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

...shot of Wahlberg raising his gun and aiming at the screen. Still, you can see that ending coming if you've seen Infernal Affairs, because I was wondering for awhile, why is Wahlberg's character in the movie? Is it necessary to give Martin Sheen a "sidekick?" Then they have him leave the film for a slightly contrived (not really complaining) reason...

A lot of people screamed when a certain character got popped in an elevator near the end. I heard person after person say, as I was walking out, "I can't believe they killed _____." Word of mouth should be really great for anyone that has a stomach for that kind of violence. It's easily Scorcese's best since Casino. I loved the use of Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphies or whatever the fuck that band is.

Did anyone else enjoy the way he'd cut the music adruptly in the middle of several scenes? It was amusing. Even though I knew most of what was going to happen because they kept all the great beats from Infernal Affairs, I really enjoyed the film. But if you haven't seen that movie, this film should kick your ass. My friends were shocked by a lot of what happened.

Edited to add: I wish Winstone and Anderson had more to do in the movie, if only because I've been very impressed by both of them lately and I'm eager to see them knock a big role of of the park in the future.

Spoilers ahead.

I very much enjoyed it, but It didn't quite blow me away because I just had a bit of a "been there, done that" feeling during parts. Leo's death, for example, didn't have quite the bang that that character's death in Infernal Affairs did for me, but that's only because I had seen it. My buddies who tagged along had not seen Infernal Affairs and a couple actually made startled noises when it happened.

A little gripe that i have with this one is that Damon tells the cops that Leo was a cop, which sort of negated the impact of Leo giving Farmiga the envelope of info. Again, though, it would have been only an insignificant detail to me had i not seen the significance of that envelope in infernal Affairs.

All that said, I do think this is Marty at just about his full potential.

SPOILERS

My friends, that hadn't seen IF, thought she gave the envelope to Wahlberg's character. That seemed like quite a leap, but I think they may be on to something since they all assumed that.

Hmm, that does make sense.

SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER

Having not seen Infernal, it felt pretty clear that the envelope was given to Wahlberg's character. This movie is the fucking goods, by the way. Such awesome rhythmic editing by Scorcese, the instinctual cutting between the storylines felt so organic.

*****SPOILERS*******

One of the things Martin Scorcese is good at is the "I'm Fucked" scene. He did it in this movie with the hospital shoes, "Casino" with the cornfield, and my favorite in "Good Fellas" when Joe Pesci looks at the floor. Watching this movie is like watching a master at the top of his game. It was so effortless.

It hurts to type these words, but I was underwelmed. Don't get me wrong -great performances, some sharp dialogue, and good surprises.

But this isn't even in the same airspace as Goodfellas. Not even close. The pacing and editing I found a bit off at times. Something tells me there's probably about an hour of footage on the cutting room floor. Nicholson grunts and growls his way through it without really finding a character. And the last act was a bit clumsy and drawn out. It's as if they didn't know how to end it, so they just started piling on corpses.

Again, I wanted to love it. If anything, either Damon or Dicaprio could get an Oscar not. Scorcese is back...sort of.

That was amazing. I have to give it up to Wahlberg and Baldwin especially since I always thought they sucked. Wahlberg totally knocked it out. My only wish is that I hadn't already seen Infernal Affairs. There were so many moments where people in the theatre gasped and I wish I was a part of that collective gasping. I really hope this kicks Leatherface in the balls and rules the box office.

I was especially impressed by the tension, which I'm sure wasn't as effective on the lot of you that have seen Infernal Affairs (I have not). Everytime something went wrong for Leo I was like "oh fuck, oh fuck, this is it, he's caught." Really engaging stuff. Reminded me of the first time I saw Cape Fear.

It's good to see Anthony Anderson taking the right path with his career after Hustle and Flow. The dude's got serious talent, and hopefully a completely straight (albeit small) role in a BIG HIT Scorsese picture (and honestly, how can this not end up being a box office smash?) will alert this to others.

I saw the first showing today. This is Scorsese back at the top of his game. Jack Nicholson should definitely get a best supporting actor nod for this film. I love how he just progresses to get creepier each time Dicaprio sees him. There was a lot of awesome dialogue in the film, particularly coming from Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg. Damon and Dicaprio were really good as well. The chase scene outside of the porn theater was suspenseful, and the ending where they confront each other was great, as you're expecting a big fight, and it's downplayed, as Damon didn't even fight Dicaprio.

The elevator scene was shocking, and really surprising. This movie has balls to do what it did. Spoilers: It's actually kind of funny, how in the advertising Mark Wahlberg got the And in front of his name, and he's the only one of the actors who got top billing who actually survived at the end.
My hat's off to Scorsese, his best since Casino.

1. Somewhat Ironically enough I have the same reaction to this as I did to million dollar baby. This shouldn't be one of the best films of the year, it should just be a "really good movie", but it is simply because we've become so used to sub-par thrillers instead.

2. This really needs to be seen in a theatre. If I had seen it on video I couldn't have enjoyed the whole theatre jumping out of their seats during that last scene in the elevator.

3. Maybe it's for the best of the story, but this didn't seem as much Scorsese as what I was expecting. Aside from the great first 5 minutes, some playing with musical cues and the easygoing attitude of the kills, it's fairly straightforward direction. His contribution is mainly in pacing for this one and I'm not sure if I'm completely cool with that.

4. I can't believe Mark Whalberg was the only one to survive the whole mess. It makes sense, but there's something that just feels wrong about the fact that with all these great performers, he's the one that lives. Whalberg lives, Anthony Anderson dies, I feel dirty.

5. On the other hand, am I the only one in feeling that Matt Damon has the best final line in a movie this year so far? Maybe it's just the way he delivers it...

That seems like a rather silly thing to get bent out of shape over, especially since he gave one of the best performances in the film.

I absolutely adored this movie. I almost rented Infernal Affairs a couple of days ago to get myself primed for this. Boy, am I glad I didn't. The twists and suspense pile up so high that I was clutching the armrests by the end.

The thing that I love the most about Scorsese (aside from his perfect ear for music in the moment, like the song that built up volume until it cut to the cell phone ringing) is how he gets the very best out of his actors, regardless of how many A-listers he's working with. I always liked DiCaprio, but he is pure fucking dynamite in this flick, and I hope he gets due respect come awards season. Nicholson struck a great balance between playing his character and improvising in the ways that you only see Jack do. Damon (I've become a big fan lately) played a smarmy douche to perfection. Sorry, I'm gushing, but everyone was great.

The only thing I can think of that I wasn't wild about was that Vera Farmiga's character (Madalene?) didn't feel totally fleshed out. I totally bought the chemistry between her and Collie, but I never quite got the romantic connection between her and and Billy. She was great, but the character felt underwritten.

Anyway, I'm gonna see this again on Monday night so that I can pick up the details I missed the first time around. Great movie. I haven't enjoyed a Scorsese movie this much in a long time. I really hope he takes that long-overdue Oscar this year.

Wrong. Sorry, but wrong. There are Scorsese fingerprints all over this movie. The framing of DiCaprio and Damon during that first phone call, the gun fight at the end with the freeze frames, the pans with DiCaprio as he scopes out the bar, or the reveal of Nicholson in their first encounter, or the way the film cuts to photos of different events to underscore a point. This is Scorsese at his best.

What a fantastic movie. Had no inkling of what was going to happen, having never seen so much as a trailer for Infernal Affairs before. The elevator scene at the end shocked the piss out of me. I'm having a hard time singling out any one performance here--everyone was firing on all cylinders, especially DiCaprio. If you had told me six years ago, when The Beach was plaguing my eyes, that I'd one day be praising and hoping to whatever imaginary diety you want to believe in that he gets and Oscar come next March, I'd say you were crazy. But it's true, he is just phenomenal here. Damon is equally amazing, reinforcing why he might be one of the top three actors of this generation. Nicholson is unhinged, but he's hardly a charicature--there's some real layered stuff there, especially his "rat" conversation with DiCaprio. Whalberg brought the house down, and Baldwin got so many good lines that it almost felt like a sequel to Glengarry Glenn Ross. Sheen did an excellent job as the honorable cop, making a lot out of a little so well that his end actually got gasps and even a few people going "No!..." in the theatre.

Speaking of crowd reaction, word of mouth on this is going to be a wildfire. The house was packed, and the audience ate up everything. They laughed when the movie wanted them to, they gasped, they jumped (the elevator), and the whole room was so into it that when Damon calls DiCaprio for the first time, and there's that long pause between the two, I didn't hear a peep. Easily close to 350 people, and not one person was talking. This film grabbed everyone by the balls and didn't let go for two and a half hours. I haven't seen an audience this buzzed after a movie in a long time, including Dead Man's Chest. And there was a huge demographic at my showing--I spotted people easily in their late 50s and a group of kids who barely looked 17. This might be Warner's saving grace this year (not box office so much as credibility). This is the film to beat this month. I'll surprised if any other October-based releases outgross this, unless The Prestige and Flags of Our Fathers manage to make a similar impression.

THE DEPARTED was also released in Hong Kong on 10/6/2006. I went to several Hong Kong message board, most of the reviews I saw were very negative......


Anyway, I will see this movie in this week.


By the way, here is Grady Hendrix's positive review. It is interesting to see.
http://www.kaijushakedown.com/2006/1...parted_re.html

What was the exact line that Nicholson said at the beginning? I think it was, "she fell funny."

Mark my words, this movie is going to make a fortune.

I'm betting on moderate business, but one that lingers with a slooooow drop off.

Maybe I shouldn't just use "Scorsese" as a general adjective. It's still him, but compared to certain parts of films like Casino, this one is a lot more subdued. He's not trying to be a presence as much here and is relying a bit more on his actors (and to great effect considering). It's not a bad thing, I should have expected it given the story, I just hold out a preference for his abstract/religious mode.

Up until the ending I wondered about Farmiga's character too. She seemed to be the same weak link that Cameron Diaz had in GoNY. It's not that I don't want women in scorsese's movies, but aside from her final action (which is off screen at that) she's basically there for everyone else to play off of. (And does DiCaprio have these scenes written into his contract or what? At least in "Gangs" he tried to bite off Diaz' face, that was something.)

The more I think about it, the more this reminds me of a better miami vice - is that a fair comparison? It's very plot oriented and spends a lot of time on the actual procedure, but doesn't spend a lot of time giving characters scenes for their own sake, the difference is that these bostonians somehow come off as more fleshed out than the MDPD did. I remember skimming the Vice thread that weekend - kind of scary.

I hope I'm not coming off as being negative. Like most Scorsese pics I think i'm just uncomfortable with it at first because it jerks me around so much (in a good way), and I have to settle into it with more viewings. He's one of the few guys that can try to make a movie everything, drama, comedy, tragedy, and actually get away with it.

I guess that's the best compliment I can give it. I'm still thinking about it hours later, and probably will be through the weekend.

Aside from the regular "hollywood remake" cries, I'm very curious to know how the scene with the Chinese went down over there.

The beauty of Jack, we could recite the same damn line but it doesn't work unless I hear it.

That's just me being silly. I'm sorry, it's a funny idea.

One thing I'm surprised no one has taken into consideration is that THE DEPARTED appears to take all of the flaws in INFERNAL AFFAIRS and actually correct them, something I've almost never seen an American remake of a foreign picture even attempt (the exception would be Christopher Nolan's INSOMNIA).

It starts with casting. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Andy Lau, while two of the very best actors of their generation, were arguably miscast. How old were those characters supposed to be, anyway? Looking every bit his age of 40 (unlike DiCaprio, who is 32 this year but could easily pass for 22), if Leung was supposed to be as young as DiCaprio I didn't buy it, and if he was supposed to be approaching middle age I couldn't believe Eric Tsang's gang had lasted so long, or hadn't already discovered him to be the mole. Ditto for Andy Lau, who was even older than Leung (41).

The other problem with at least Leung's casting is that he was hired to rehash the same character he played a decade earlier in HARD-BOILED: the guilt-ridden undercover cop rapidly losing his sense of identity and seeking a father figure in the form of his superintendent -- in both cases, the only man who knows he's a police officer. Even one scene involving Leung and Anthony Wong in INFERNAL, when Leung admits that he's forgotten his own birthday, was ripped off practically verbatim from the John Woo film (why I haven't seen anyone point this out, not even serious HK film nuts, is a mystery). So for me Leung went into INFERNAL AFFAIRS with a lot of baggage I just couldn't shake. And not only was the deja vu overwhelming, but I saw an uncharacteristically aloof, even bored, performance from the actor. Perhaps he noticed those similarities and decided to phone it in.

THE DEPARTED doesn't have those flaws. DiCaprio and Damon are perfectly cast and, more importantly, they're treading relatively new ground as actors. Perhaps as a result, they're both excellent. Scorsese also found something interesting in the way they look together. In short, I think he cast them opposite each other partly because of their physical resemblance, which plays up the idea that these men are in a sense two sides of one personality, and if fate had run its course a little differently they would just as easily stand in the other's shoes.

Another irritating thing about INFERNAL -- a minor quibble to some, I'm sure, but glaring for me -- is that it stuck its two big stars, whose characters are supposed to be acting in their own spaces for much of the film, opposite each other in the opening scene (when Leung goes out to buy a new stereo and encounters Lau). That exchange, distracting and pointless from the get-go, undercuts much of the tension of seeing them face each other so late in the film. THE DEPARTED makes a wise decision to ignore that scene, so when we finally see DiCaprio and Damon interact over the phone, and later in the office, it has punch.

There's much, much more but I've run out of time. I pass the baton.

So very true. Having that shot in the ads is a huge mistake. Anybody can see that Wahlberg will come back at the end but since he's not involved in the elevator mayhem I knew exactly what he'd be doing when he returned. It took a bit of the wind out of the end's sails.

This is a good film. It is not in the same league with GOODFELLAS and CASINO. I'll agree that it's Scorsese's best since CASINO but I'm not a big fan of GANGS or BOTD and I've yet to see THE AVIATOR so the answer to that question pre-DEPARTED probably would have been KUNDUN.

I really wish I hadn't sought out INFERNAL AFFAIRS a few months ago. I would have loved to have been shocked by more of what went on in THE DEPARTED. Instead I'm waiting for characters to die as opposed to being surprised by them.

I laughed a lot at many things Nicholson said and did. I'm not sure if that's a plus. Watching him here makes me appreciate what Pesci was able to do in GOODFELLAS and CASINO that much more. Pesci always walked a perfect balance of being humerous and scary. Nicholson had the humerous aspect down but there just wasn't the menace to his character that I'd have liked to see.

Both Dicaprio and Damon do nice work. Wahlberg is as good as I've seen him in a while but his character is a liability towards the end of the picture. He knows exactly who Dicaprio is and his assignment. This has a huge impact on both Sheen's death and Damon erasing Dicaprio from the computer, two scenes that are devastating in INFERNAL AFFAIRS. Instead of Dicaprio going to the trouble of mailing the CD and arranging for Anthony Anderson to show up, a character who Dicaprio may know from his past but can't be sure would take his word, why wouldn't he make an effort to seek out Wahlberg and cut out the middle men and women?

I hope Scorsese does get the Oscar he deserves but I can't help but feel a hundred years from now people will view his films and wonder why this is the one that got him over the top with regards to that award.

Baldwin steals every scene he's in.

It's coming down the pipeline that Departed made $8.4 million on Friday, with TCM behind it with $7.2 million. Given the nature of the two movies, I think it's safe to say that The Departed will manage around a low-to-mid 20's, with TCM coming in in the mid teens. The masses chose wisely.

The screening I went to last nite at 11:30 pm was PACKED. I loved this film. This just might be my fave Scorsese flick. The cast was absolutely mesmerizing, and Marty managed to take a fresh and innovative approach on a genre that's been milked for decades. I don't know what else to say. I haven't come away from a film with this much of a high for awhile now. Best film of the year by far. One of the best of the decade, and when I make my top 10 of the '00s, THE DEPARTED should find a spot without conundrum.

Hey, wasn't there supposed to have been a steamy sex scene with Jack? I remember a lot of early reviews talking about it. Anyone know the deal with that?

Maybe it was in the scene where he's tossing coke around the two whores. Didn't this movie go through a long editing process?

By the way, this movie is a definite contender for the editing Oscar. It's a real credit to the film that a movie with so many twists and turns and storylines is never for a second confusing to the audience. That's real talent.

Speaking of music, I know Scorsese is THE master of the use of music in film, but I didn't know he listened to such a wide variety music. It made me happy to hear Nas during the scene with Leo and his cousin.

I read an interview with Scorsese about that scene. Essentially he felt what was implicit is better than being explicit so the threesome was trimmed down considerably.

I can see your argument, but in contrast to the script for INFERNAL -- which presented the psychiatrist and cop mole's girlfriend as two different, equally dull characters -- I think William Monahan made a wise decision in creating only one love interest who falls for both men. Though something of a convenience on a basic story level, it creates a stronger, more vital connection between the protagonists, toying with them as doppelgangers with opposing values. It also helps to establish the Famiglia character's own duality/deceitfulness in her relationship with both men. Again, it's not very neat in terms of nuts-and-bolts action, but I think the love story is there for a reason, and a good one.

I'm in agreement with you here. I thought MIAMI VICE was an enormous disappointment, a film in which the director threw a lot of money at the screen with no clear, consistent idea of where the story was going or what it was about.

Scorsese is probably the only director who can effectively match an image to the powerful music of The Rolling Stones. Witness "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Tell Me" in MEAN STREETS, or "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" in CASINO.

"Gimme Shelter," which I think was already used in both GOODFELLAS and CASINO, fares well in THE DEPARTED. The real treat for me, however, was the use of "Let It Loose" (from Exile on Main St., the CD cover of which makes a brief appearance) in one of the barroom scenes.

This was also, I believe, the first time The Beach Boys' "Sail On, Sailor" has appeared in a film.

while i dont think this movie is as good as advertised (i dont think its scorsese's best since goodfellas), it is clearly very good. but its getting to be scorsese admiration and hyperbole time around here....

first of all, what did it 'correct' from infernal affairs? i think its a better movie, sure, but its not because it 'corrected' any of the plotlines in infernal affairs. it made the same story more hollywood and more american.

second, the guy about the implausible plot is correct. im not saying there are several plot holes like he said, however there is a biggy. leung was undercover for over 10 years. costigan was under for what, a year? two? not even that? theres no way a career criminal would sit around and not be sure which of his crew was betraying him when vital information is leaking and the new guy is barely out of his probationary period.

leo is awesome. i go see movies because of directors, not actors, but anything hes in i want to go see. he totally sold the terror and vulnerability of a guy in his situation, i loved every second he was on screen.

Saw the 5pm show on Friday. Good, but not great. There were moments where the "big-time" actors (Baldwin and Nicholson mostly 'although they both had great moments') were, at one time or another, trying to "chew up the scenery" too much and they made me cringe. DeCaprio was pretty much outstanding and Sheen, Walhberg, (edited to add) Winston, and Damon were good throughout.

I can't wait to see it on dvd and give it a second opinion, because there were many old couples talking throughout the entire film. They kept guessing outloud what was going to happen next (of course none of them had seen Infernal Affairs I guess). At one quite moment in the film I asked them all to "Please stop talking!" and it didn't work. After a few quite minutes they started talking again. It was very annoying, and it pulled me out of the film several times.

I thought the use of 'Gimme Shelter' was cliche. He needs to be banned from using that song in future films.

Other than that I absolutely LOVED this film! Everybody had great performances, although my favorite was Nicholson. He had fun with that role and so did I.

"MAKE IT HOT! MAKE IT HOT!"

Here's my take on her character and the inclusion of the dual romance, although, I will admit, that it may be a bit of a stretch.

Essentially, her character was in the film to add to the lying/deception/rat motif as S. P. Collier pointed out. She's a reputable doctor, a public servant, in the position to be trusted--like the police--but she admits to dishonesty, and later, she cheats on her boyfriend. More significantly, however, her romance with DiCaprio allows for the possibility that Damon is not the father of her child, which gives her the motivation to take the necessary steps to avenge DiCaprio's murder. Moreover, if indeed DiCaprio is the father, then his many sacrifices weren't entirely useless, and his death, a little less tragic. While I know that sounds far fetched, in the mind of a Catholic filmmaker like Scorsese, I can see how it would be important.

I assumed the possibility of Leo as the father was purposefully implied.

I'm going to go ahead and violently fall on the sword and say I prefer VICE. Not by leaps and bounds but I think there was a confidence in that film that the audience knew what was happening in terms of the UC operation. THE DEPARTED has a bit too much in the way of "Who's the rat" and "We gotta find the mole." Everyone knows the plot and what's going on so some of those scenes felt repetitive.

Holy shit this was so fucking good I'm still popping from it outstanding work by everyone.

This fuckin' movie.

More than a possibility, based on what the film showed us. For a film so overtly obsessed with paternity (both real and surrogate) and sexual potency (notably Sullivan's lack of it), I think we can pretty much bank on that kid being Costigan's.

That's right, I forgot about that bit of dialouge about "it happens to a lot of guys".

Matt Damon definitely had the more difficult role here. DiCaprio's part is out there for all to see, but Damon internalized a lot of his.

Sullivan's wracked with guilt. He sould have been a priest, in fact was being groomed that way until Frank Costello came along. And he was constantly reminded of his place with God by his glancing at the church all the time, even picking an apartment with the church dome in view. His sexual inadequacy played a factor in that - Sullivan supplanted God with Frank Costello. And he could front with the best of them but in the end, in the elevator, that "Just kill me" bit was guilt talking, not fear.

That's how I saw it, anyway.

Well, I was wrong about there not being a better film than United 93 this year...

Great film! Without a doubt, my top film of the year!

Yeah, sorry. I only meant that it was perhaps far-fetched of me to defend the often cliche Madolyn character because it adds a slight Catholic dimension to film, making her portrayal and inclusion more Scorsese's rather than just another cog in the wheel of a glossy Hollywood remake. Personally, it makes fine sense to me, but I can easily see how others would call bullshit on me.

Something else I noticed - the film's subtle theme of what fatherhood means.

Frank Costello had no children. Therefore, he could give a shit about how he left the world. "I want my environment to be a product of me" indeed. Instead of making the world a better place for any progeny he had, he used the world for his own pleasures and needs, because who gives a shit? He had nothing to leave anyone and he hated everybody.

The child symbolizes a possibility of making the world a better place, of a future, if not for the main characters, then for other people down the line. And who is the father? Well, symbolically, it's Costigan's, because he's trying to improve the world, even though it costs him his life. (Fuck it. Spoilers, bitches.) Is it Sullivan's? Doubtful. Notice when he tells his girlfriend about no pictures of her past on the wall. A past indicates something to save, something to treasure, and Sullivan lives in the now. He nurtures nothing. Now, he may have wanted to be a priest, but Costello is his life, and he can't be reminded of anything else. Any other factors will make him think about his own future, a future without Frank Costello, and he can't do that. Once he learns of the possibility of a child, that's when it seems to me that he starts to work against Frank's interests.

Again, though, that could just be me. I LOVED this fucking movie.

I love Infernal Affairs, but just got back from this and wow. As everyone already said the time flew by and the acting was out of this world. Whalberg just continues to impress me and was funny as hell in this, I can't help but like the guy, Baldwin, Nicholson, Winstone (great to see him here), were all wonderful. Damon and Di Caprio carried their parts well and were each believeable.. but its no shock that any of this cast performed the way they did. Everything about it was pretty much perfect. Leave it up to Scorcese to not only make a worthy remake but top the damn original.

Excellent interpretations. All things I sort of felt but you make things much clearer.

I don't know if you noticed or not, but late in the film, Costello's girlfriend was reading a book on getting pregnant.

Also, on the sexual potency topic, Baldwin's speech to Damon at the driving range seems relevant:


Funny scene, but yet another indication that Sullivan's impotent.

Wow, I did not catch that. It does prove that Scorsese was trying to put that theme in the film. I love stuff like that.