Movie of the Week – The Departed

This week’s movie is The Departed (2006).

The crime drama is an English remake of Infernal Affairs about two police officers – one an undercover cop inserted with the Irish mob in Boston, the other an undercover member of the mob inserted in the Massachusetts State Police assigned to taking down the mob. The film is directed by Martin Scorsese (garnering him his first Best Director and Best Picture Oscars) and written by William Monahan. Scorsese worked with a good group on the film including producer Brad Pitt (through his Plan B Entertainment production company, which has made quite a few great films lately), composer Howard Shore, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (a frequent collaborator of Scorsese’s), and production designer Kristi Zea. The cast is also phenomenal as it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, with Jack Nicholson, Adam Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale, David O’Hara, and Mark Rolston in support. Despite being his first Oscar winner, I am not sure The Departed is quite in the pantheon of Scorsese classics (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas), but it is an excellent crime drama and my favorite of his films made in the last decade. This is a must-see for fans of Scorsese and gangster/crime dramas as it is one of the best in the last few years. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

Source Code (2011) – Review

Source Code is a good sci-fi action thriller that despite having seemingly ridiculous science behind it still works on an engagingly emotional level. Director Duncan Jones has a ton of sub genres to play with as the film develops. The capsule that Colter Stevens (the main character) inhabits is run down and decrepit, reminding viewers a lot of Sam Bell’s space station residence in Moon (Jones’s last film). The capsule environment mixed with the science of the film generates a feeling of a sci-fi atmosphere to the film. While, the score that opens the film has a sort of nostalgic Hitchcockian thriller feel to it, evoking emotions related to a mystery that the audience will participate in solving, along with the main character. And then, there is a romantic angle that develops as well. Jones mixes these three elements together very well, sprinkling in good action set pieces, resulting in an interesting and gripping film. The film does require that the audience pay attention – it is not overly complicated, but some thinking and understanding of what is going on certainly will help with the full appreciation. At its core, there are two mysteries, which at times are counterproductive – straining viewers more interested in the reconciliation of one more so than the other. The primary mystery is who bombed the train and how, but Colter Stevens ending up on the train opens up a lot of conceptual and philosophical questions that can distract from the principal goal (both for the character and the viewer) which makes the film a bit tedious at times. However, it has a fantastic ending that brings together both mysteries in a satisfying way (at least I thought so), resolving a number of the narrative structure issues. However story wise (and maybe even structurally as well), the film can feel a little derivative, as there are elements that feel a lot like other films (like: Groundhog Day, The Matrix, among others). But, many good and bad films reference and even steal ideas from past films, and for me this does not take away from the film at all. It is difficult, especially for well versed directors and writers, not to be influenced by great films (and I would even go as far as to say that filmmakers that have a strong knowledge of past great films and filmmakers cannot help but be influenced by their favorites and make better films as a result of it). What is also wonderful about this film is that it very easily could have been a throwaway entertaining action film (and there would be nothing wrong with that), but Jones took it as an opportunity to look at fate versus free will (much like The Adjustment Bureau earlier this year). The science is preposterous (or so it seems, but what do I really know about it), and in being so anything can happen. This allows Jones’s Colter Stevens to go head-to-head against the past and try to change fate, which garners most of the emotional impact of the film and makes Source Code great, instead of merely good or ok.

Technical and acting achievements: now two films in, Duncan Jones is certainly establishing himself as a director to watch. Moon is probably a more interesting character piece than Source Code, which for many film fans will endear it more to them, but Source Code is a different type of film. It is not so much about the characters (though they are given enough development to captivate the audience) as it is about the struggle to solve the mystery. I, for one, look forward to what Jones does next. Chris Bacon’s score is a bit uneven. The opening piece is fantastic, calling back to classic mysteries and thrillers. But, the rest of the score felt a little too generic to really stand out. D.P. Don Burgess does a good job shooting the film. There are quite a few images that have very interesting and exciting composition (I particularly liked the shot of Colter and Christina sitting/kneeing as the bomb explodes behind them). Paul Hirsch’s editing is also very good (which it needed to be) transitioning between the very kinetic world of the train and the dull decay of the capsule. Barry Chusid’s production design is good too. His sets are pretty standard for the genre and story, but his capsule feels just right (given what we learn about it as the story moves forward). Lead Jake Gyllenhall is good in his role (but I feel the film could have been much better with a stronger and more charismatic performance, one that the audience could really relate to in a deeper way). Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright are both excellent in their supporting roles, bringing a lot of character to not much screen time. And, Michelle Monaghan is superb as well. She is able to really bring the audience in and make them care with her sweet smile. She also gives the film a much needed release with a more light hearted and slightly comedic tone.

Source Code works as an action thriller, but it is even better due to its philosophical elements. 8/10

Up in the Air (2009) – Review

Up in the Air is funny, insightful and a film for the times, yet ultimately depressing (but still good, not everything needs to leave the viewer happy). The most striking aspect of the film is how well it fits today’s American psyche. The film does have a sense of hope to it, yet lives in the tough times, both personal to the characters but also for America and Americans as a whole. While the film can be appreciated by any audience, it feels like an American film. It is almost a deconstruction of the American Dream or promise, shown remarkably through what appears to be real life videos of employees initially dealing with being terminated. The journey taken by George Clooney’s character is transformative, yet appears to be tried and true terrain of a character set in their ways, not believing in love, who falls in love and that changes everything – yet this film approachs the world as if it were real, and in the real world people are complex and things do not always work out – this leaves Clooney with a choice, and the result up for interpretation by the audience. Leaving an ending up to the audience to determine is a tricky device that often leaves the film feeling incomplete, but a credit to director Jason Reitman Up in the Air’s ending works quite well. It does not let the Clooney character off the hook, but there is a sense of optimism for the future (which again plays into the need for Americans to feel like it is getting better) aided by the employee videos explaining how the change (aka being let go) ended up resulting in something good for them. Technically the film is sound, Reitman makes a few odd decisions, but overall he has made a fine looking film. Most notably odd is his choice to film the wedding scene almost like a home video while the rest of the film is not done in that style, it will not bother most, but just seemed strange and unnecessary. The narrative structure of the film also lags at times in the first half of the film, but once the main story picks up, and the Anna Kendrick character comes into the film it really flows. Rolfe Kent’s score felt a bit underwhelming as well. However, Reitman succeeds at garnering great performances throughout. Clooney sort of glides through the movie playing his typical sort of character/role, but it worked perfectly for what the character and film needed. Vera Farmiga is also quite good. The surprise standout though is Kendrick. She is pitch perfect in her role (I look forward to see how she develops the rest of her career, Twilight films aside). The film also has a number of comedians like Zach Galifianakis, Jason Bateman and Danny McBride, yet it is only Galifianakis that is given any comical work to do (his opening bit is fun). Up in the Air is an American film just at the right time. 8/10