what was the last movie you watched?
- Thread starter Folsom Al
- Start date
just saw martin scorsese's new film, 'the departed' tonight. FLIPPIN' AMAZING!!! that's all i can say. outstanding movie. its close to edging out goodfellas as scorsese's greatest work...very close. i highly recommend this film. the acting is outstanding. jack was in rare form, and leo was better than he's ever been (and he's been pretty damn good of late: gangs of new york, catch me if you can, the aviator, the upcoming blood diamond). matt damon was outstanding, reprising his south boston accent from good will hunting. mark wahlberg was both absurd and intense, but in a way that worked well for him. martin sheen was fantastic in a supporting role, as was alec baldwin. the quick cuts and juxtapositions of scenes weren't gimicky or mtv in style. they were necessary and added to the frenetic, panicked state of the movie's main characters. the confusion over who's bad and who's good and who's on who's side added to the depth and pacing of the movie. the dialogue was rich and realistic. scorsese is a master of all that street lingo. the soundtrack was also incredibly rad, featuring 'gimme shelter' by the stones, a cover of pink floyd's 'comfortably numb' and a kick *** pub-punk song by the dropkick murphy's called 'i'm shipping up to boston.'
to sum it up, if scorsese doesn't win an oscar for this outing, the man is just plain cursed. this is some of the best work he's ever done. screw the academy...
to sum it up, if scorsese doesn't win an oscar for this outing, the man is just plain cursed. this is some of the best work he's ever done. screw the academy...
goodfellas is one of the greatest films of all time, so its gonna be hard to top that. however, as an avid scorsese fan and consummate gangster film nut, i can honestly and faithfully say that 'the departed' is very very close to being better than goodfellas. after several more viewings [on dvd], i'll be able to make my judgement call. regardless, i highly recommend this film. suffice it to say that it's the best movie i've seen so far this decade...
you're crazy. all three of those films are excellent in their own right, but they don't hold a candle to goodfellas. raging bull is fantastic, but its really the kinda movie you watch once or twice to see what all the critical acclaim was about. taxi driver and mean streets are excellent depictions of life on the street, and are amazing films, but they don't quite touch goodfellas. it's great for all the reasons that 'the departed' is great. it completely immerses you in mafia life and atmosphere. it takes us to a place we've never really been: right smack in the middle of the criminal underworld. of those three movies you mentioned, taxi driver comes close...but behind only the godfather, goodfellas is the greatest crime movie ever made, and an incredible character study as well.
After all the Scorsese talk of late, I brought out my copy of Bringing Out The Dead last night. Hadn't watched that one in at least of couple of years.
Nowhere close to the list of Scorsese greats, but a solid movie. Good performances, especially from Nicolas Cage. One of those films where he acts his *** off and you're forced to realize how much he's wasted in the many sub-par action flicks he takes on.
Nowhere close to the list of Scorsese greats, but a solid movie. Good performances, especially from Nicolas Cage. One of those films where he acts his *** off and you're forced to realize how much he's wasted in the many sub-par action flicks he takes on.
Gargy may be right I tend to expect MORE out of artest over time, but honestly while I enjoyed Goodfellows I jsut have a very hard time placing it with other Scorsese work. That might be beceause the book "Wise Guys" felt pointless when I originally read it but the story just seems to function only on one level. It may be a matter of taste or just my contrary nature. I do tend to be very suspect of almost anything that is too popular. 
I do tend to be very suspect of almost anything that is too popular.
Would Goodfellas with the same cast and screenplay be equally loved if a hack like DePalma directed it?
