Susan Hated Literature

Jul 04 2007

Rome 2.5 Heroes of the Republic

Published by Fence under Moving Pictures, TV

Dir: Alik Sakharov
Writ: Mere Smith

After the excitement of the last episode it seems that Timon has refound religion^[1] as this episode begins with him and his brother praying at Temple. I do wonder will this last^[2] But there isn’t too much time to think about this as soon we switch attention to Mark Anthony in the woods. With a beard. And a nasty, nasty beard it is too. So nasty we don’t really spend much time watching him gut the deer he’s been hunting. Instead we return to Lamb and Chicken, and the rescued children. Chicken suggests that they maybe shouldn’t return to the life of crime^[3] and brutality, seeing as Anthony isn’t around and his orders really don’t stand. Lamb, of course, is steadfast in his duty and says that of course they will take up their old duties, keeping the peace through mafia-esque activities on the Avantine^[4] While they discuss this, and meet up with some soldiers who fill in all the details about Caesar, we switch attention to the children in the back of the wagon. They are planning to run away, but must wait until they can make some money.

Linknotes:

he must have had SOME religion in the first place so all I think that refound is accurate ↩
and indeed, what it will lead to. Nothing good and happy I’m betting ↩
he really has turned quite sensible ↩
order through chaos! peace through crime! etc ↩

Tags: Alik Sakharov, Chicken and Lamb, duty, Heroes of the Republic, historical fiction, Kevin McKidd, loyalty, Lucius Vorenus, Mere Smith, Ray Stevenson, Roman Empire, Rome, Rome 2.05, telly, Timon, Titus Pullo, violence, War

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Dec 01 2006

The Departed

Published by Fence under Moving Pictures

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.