Susan Hated Literature

Dir: Martin Scorsese
Writ: William Monahan based on previous screenplay by Siu Fai Mak & Felix Chong

• Leonardo DiCaprio - Billy Costigan
• Matt Damon - Colin Sullivan
• Jack Nicholson - Frank Costello
• Mark Wahlberg - Dignam
• Martin Sheen - Oliver Queenan
• Ray Winstone - Mr. French
• [Alec Baldwin - Ellerby

It took me a while, but I finally managed to go see this film last night, and now I want to go again, because it really is fantastic. Bloody, violent, full of no-good nastiness and general scumbaggery. But wonderful to watch all the same.

The film begins “some years ago” where we see a young Colin Sullivan being approached by local bad-guy-boss Costello and groomed to join the police force and become a mole. Billy Costigan also joins the police force, but he is sent out as an undercover cop to infiltrate Costello’s gang. Sullivan meanwhile has succeeded in rising through the force and is now doing the exact opposite, infiltrating the police for Costello’s benefit.

Thematically the film is mainly concerned with betrayal and family and loyalty. Both DiCaprio and Damon are playing the character of a rat, but in very different ways, and I’d have to say that DiCaprio plays it better. Or maybe just got the better role. Damon is great as the cocky, upwardly mobile cop, but it is DiCaprio’s character who has more emotion and development to explore.

All the acting is top-notch, though on occasion I thought Nicholson went a little over the top. It could be argued that his character is over the top, so we’ll let it go. It is two and half hours of a great film, you won’t notice the time passing at all.

IMDb | Scathing reviews for Bitchy People | Scanners | Random Burblings

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Dir: Martin Campbell
Writ: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis based on the novel by Ian Fleming

• Daniel Craig - James Bond
• Eva Green - Vesper Lynd
• Mads Mikkelsen - Le Chiffre
• Judi Dench - M

Before I saw this film I said that I would enjoy it, I just decided, spur of the moment type of thing that I would like it. And I’m glad to report that I didn’t have to lie to myself, because I did enjoy it. It isn’t perfect, it is too long and a little lacking in plot. It isn’t isn’t really a Bond film, although of course technically it is. But it doesn’t have the same gadgets and big bad in the same way as the other Bond films.

Instead we get a Bond who is brand new to the world of being a 00 agent.

Craig makes a great Bond, he isn’t really good-looking, but then again I’ve never thought that any of the previous Bonds were good looking either, and I really don’t get the Sean Connery kerfuffle. What Craig has though is presence. He is an excellent actor and really carries off the coldness of Bond. I’d love to see him play an evil bad guy.

There is some great dialogue, some great action scenes, a wonderful car crash and plenty of violence.

Although perhaps I’m a little too cynical because Show Spoilers ▼

All in all a good film, but not really one you’d want to watch twice. Let’s hope that Craig doesn’t do too many Bond flicks because it’d be a waste of his talent.

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Well childers, tis December now. So no more talk of christmas is allowed until a lot closer to the big day.

I decided on my ten songs for the auld mix-type cd thingy, and they are as follows:

1. I may just have to murder James Blunt - Mitch Benn
2. Flame - BellX1
3. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
4. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John
5. These Flowers - Martha Wainwright
6. They are night zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! - Sufjan Stevens
7. She Moves in her own way - The Kooks
8. Melt Your Heart - Jenny Lewis
9. Beanbag - yo la tengo
10. Two Nations - The Streets

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