So, i finally got around to watching this sucker.
ACBC, this movie ROCKED my BOAT! I was a little skeptical at first~ to be fair, I haven't seen that many scorcese films and am not too big of a fan of gritty street action films. This one, however, had me on the edge of my seat, my heart racing, hating or loving the characters, intrigued, and not wanting to and wanting to live out each moment. Best Picture Oscar deserved? OH I THINK SO.
First and foremost, Leonardo Dicaprio is amazing. It takes me usually about 20 minutes or so to TRULY start believing his character (I don't understand why this phenomenon happens, but I am always aware that Leo is ACTING, especially during his FIRST moments on screen in every single movie that he's in. that CAN'T be good.) ~ but in this one, it took me about, 5 minutes. plus. But once he gets the ball rollin, he's amazing. SO committed. and he's tremendous at playing characters with some tortuned inner-angst. Matt Damon's character, a stuffy, cocky, manipulative asshole, was hateful~ Matt Damon, wow, what a character actor. He's also good at playing these kind of mind-numbingly stubborn and dogged characters... Jack Nicholson, o course, played himself (could have done without the strapon dildo however)~ Mark Wahlberg, who I'm starting to like, was very convincing as the potty-mouthed scene-stealing cop~ and i loved martin sheen's understated performance. Imagining Alec Baldwin screaming over the phone to his daughter was not too hard either judging from his performance in this movie.
Pacing was incredible. The rhythm of this movie was always jumpin from place to place, but not so much where you felt like you were involved in a jumbled mess~ but more lke a schizophrenic waltz. it was structured, but off balance~ you never REALLY knew who was who what was what~ and that made this so much fun to watch. you were never bored, not once~ sometimes confused, sometimes lost, but the plot and characters swept you off so that you didnt' really care.
The only problem i had were some superfluous angles, shots, and movements. tracking shots that really didn't need to be there~ i mean, one close up, plus another tracking close-up, yet another close-up different angle... really, utterly useless. Also, minor problems here and there with the ending. some fast paced action doesn't allow a movie to end the storyline too hastily~ which i think in this case, is a bit true. there are some questions left unanswered, which may have been on purpose~ but with these questions being posed too late in the movie, the fact that they remain unanswered, leaves us with the question of why bring it up at alL?
but again, tremendous effort by Scorcese and cast. and yes Austin, I haven't watched the Hong Kong version yet so if M.S. really did copy off of it~ then kudos to the Hong Kong version.