Time to end another gap in posts, though this will be brief as it is late at night. I finally saw the Academy Award winning best picture of 2006 The Departed. Martin Scorsese goes gangsta again but instead of testosterone driven mafia lugs in New York he depicts testosterone driven mafia lugs in Boston. All of the Scorsese touches are there (the power of ruthless men, the guy on the inside trying to get out of the mob, the tasteful classic rock soundtrack) and strong performances by all actors make this an engaging film. Matt Damon in particular shines while demonstrating his ability to play villians against his all American looks (Damon's almost as good here as he was in The Talented Mr Ripley). Meanwhile, Jack Nicholson chews up the usual amount of scenery as a mob boss. But the best actor in the movie: Cell phones. This movie had me seriously wondering if FBI / Police training now includes cells, because it was used by just about everyone on screen. Not just talking, but texting with one hand while not even looking at the phone. I can't even figure out if there is a mute button on mine.
There's nothing here that Scorsese hasn't done better elsewhere (the rampant racism is remiscent of Gangs of New York, Leo Decaprio's character is slightly Ray Liottaish) but the film maintains a high level of quality in it's storytelling and ability to raise tension. Is The Departed the best Scorsese film ever? No, but it is a strong film worth your time.
Last weekend I saw the best Wrestlemania I've seen in Wrestlemania 23. Highlights including an exciting Money in the Bank match where many wrestlers crashed and burned off ladders. The title matches were expertly done, the Undertaker and Batista started theirs as a regular match and built up to powerslams on the announce table. John Cena wisely let the veteran Shawn Michaels carry the match in their contest. Best of all, they hit all the right spots during the Donald Trump / Vince McMahon match. The sight of the Donald tackling and pummeling Vince McMahon was priceless. The shaving of McMahon was quite a sight too.
Another American Idol update, I finally got one right! I predicted Gina Clocksen would be voted off for lack of identity this week and that pretty much happened. Clocksen gave strong performances two weeks in a row and was shown the door for her trouble. ...And the Malakar Express rolls on, even a wretched version of "Cheek to Cheek" couldnt' stop him. Not even dent him, Sanjaya avoided the bottom three all together.
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