8/31/2023 0 Comments Purple pillow vs harmonyOverall though, this is a strong and professional film and it is a shame that it isn't as good as I wanted. The woman playing the girlfriend is as weak as her material and although she did have an important part in the story, she adds very little beyond the writing on the page. Baldwin is the same although he is more restrained and fits better, while Sheen is a nice touch of class. Walhberg has all the best lines but it seems like he has wandered in from another movie at times and, funny as he was, he is never the developed and involved character that he needed to be for the way the narrative required. The support cast is impressive in depth but they are not all that well used. The use of sudden stops in the music and quick cuts is perhaps a bit much to get used to but it is strangely effective. This energy is harnessed well by director Scorsese who directs with this usual eye for a setup and also an enjoyable soundtrack. At times he threatens to completely tip over into ham but for the most part he is just larger than life and provides a lot of energy to the film. He works well alongside a scene-stealing Nicholson. Conversely then DiCaprio is pretty strong and is convincing as he loses himself into Costello's gang of murderers. He never seems like the flipped version of Costigan and I never really got the feeling of him being trapped, panicked and hunted in the same way as his opposite number was. Ironically for such a starry affair, some of the performances are a bit weak, and I'm thinking specifically of Damon. The ending is also a little less effective than it should be because, added to the original's strong ending is an extra scene that doesn't have a strong foundation and is not as good as it should have been. Yes it is thrilling at times but I wanted it to be consistent like a real cat'n'mouse game with the noose tightening palatably around each character's neck as they raced to hang the other first. A secondary downside of this (although not totally to blame) is that it is not as gripping and claustrophobic as I would have liked. Specifically I am talking about the thread involving the girlfriend, her scenes add little and the dialogue in the session scenes is obvious and, as a Sopranos viewer, I was surprised by this. Unfortunately this produces many scenes that are a bit dull and unconvincing as they attempt to deepen the material. The script here tries to give more room for growth to the characters, to explore their feelings outside of the tension and fear of their situation. The fact that it is cool, engaging and quite exciting will be enough for most audiences and indeed the sheer volume of positive votes on this site shows it has struck something of a chord, but this is not to say it is a classic and those putting it alongside Goodfellas are simply out of their trees. In regards the latter, the film should be commended for moving slickly through the 150 minutes and not feeling as long as it is. The original was a tight cop thriller which I remember thinking owed much to American cinema in style and tone, so surely America can only do it better? Well, if not better then this is certainly bigger, with stars oozing out of every pore, a big director and a long running time. In a way it does deliver but it is hard to ignore the problems and failings in the film and if I didn't realise how IMDb put together their top 250 list, I would be amazed that the film is running so high up it. Having enjoyed the original film, I was quite looking forward to this film and not really worried that Hollywood would mess it up. With only Frank knowing Sullivan's identity and Queenan and Dignam knowing Costigan's, a race begins with the first one to expose the other winning. As Costigan makes progress it becomes clear to his police superiors that they too have a rat feeding information outwards. Billy Costigan is selected to infiltrate Costello's ranks thanks to a family background of criminals and working men, meanwhile Colin Sullivan has been groomed since youth to come up inside the ranks of the BPD. Both Oliver Queenan and target #1 Frank Costello have placed a mole into each other's organisations. The war between the police and the organised crime in Boston has reached new heights.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |