A slight surprise. Thought it would crack the Top 5.
A slight surprise. Thought it would crack the Top 5.
The Departed was my 4th, only behind the 3 LOTR movies. Here's my take on this flick:
When it came out, it was great but it felt a little overrated since it won Best Director and Best Picture but it wasn't as good as Goodfellas or maybe even Casino so it felt like a makuep for Scorsese. And there's some truth to that but what I love is this movie didn't try to be a Boston version of Goodfellas/Casino/Irishman. It had a unique feel to it, being a modern mafia tale, not Italian mobsters in suits eating pasta. The characters are different and Marty styled and shot it much differently, and it feels unlike anything else in his filmography. And I think it's aged wonderfully - I watched it within the last 6 months and it's a gem and it 100% deserved Best Picture and would have been a big miss to give to any of the other nominees.
What I love about it most beyond the obvious crisp directing, tremendous cast and the fun dual-rat story taken from Infernal Affairs, is the script. I think I give William Monahan the MVP on this flick because there's something about the script and maybe the editing that hits so well. I can see how it might not be for everyone but this movie has very short scenes that move along from one to the next at breakneck speed, and the dialogue in them is tremendous. There's so many short little quips and exchanges that are so witty and profound and perfect, and often very funny. I adore the script/dialogue and that's what separates this from just a really good organized crime thriller IMO.
Very good movie. I didn't have it listed but it must've been pretty high on people's list. It definitely doesn't feel as old as it is. Love the last 15 minutes or so.
had the departed just outside my top ten, at number eleven. great, great movie. i probably find it more watchable than a lot of scorsese's other flicks, and i think that has to do with nicholson's performance, and to a lesser extent mark wahlberg's. wahlberg brought some comedic relief, and nicholson was so fucking magnetic. a lot of what fro mentioned is on point, about it being a fresh, modern take on a mob film, and especially for a scorsese mob movie. watching the story click into place is fun, with a great twist that caught me very off-guard in the theater.
how nicholson wasnt at least nominated for a best supporting actor oscar baffles me, especially seeing wahlberg got one. frank costello is one of my favorite nicholson roles.
#7
The Prestige (2006)
After a tragic accident, two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Christopher Nolan
Total Points: 80 (5 Votes)
Highest Vote: 4th (Chris)
I missed this movie when it first came out. Heard about the ending and just watched that on YouTube. Kept seeing in HBO and finally watched the whole thing and was blown away even knowing(?) the ending. Only then did I find out it was Christopher Nolan film. It is weird how I watched it completely backwards basically.
I had it 5th. Probably my favorite Nolan movie. It’s so good.
I'm shocked at how many of these movies I've never seen. This is one of them.
For the Top 25 movies
On the high end, the ballot with the most movies had 15 out of the 25 movies (it was actually two). Another had 14.
On the low end, the ballot with the fewest movies had 5 out of the 25 movies. Another two had 6.
You can probably guess with side you are on
If nothing else the math nerd in me is thrilled with the Bell curve. Shows unreal natural distribution
5; 6; 6; 8; 8; 9; 10; 11; 11; 14; 15; 15. Average 9.8