Finally saw THE DEPARTED and really, really liked it. It's the most convential thing Scorsese's ever done (except perhaps for CAPE FEAR), but it was a solid conventional action movie. And I absolutely LOVED seeing all the Boston locations used mostly appropriately (there was a scene with DeCaprio and the shrink outside where they are in a place I walk through every single day I go to work, and it was an appropriate building for her to be coming out of).

Also liked the performances, and the Boston accents for the most part (Baldwin wasn't really trying, and Sheen ended up sounding like a Kennedy as so many do, but Nicholson actually did a pretty good job with his considering he's at the point in his career where, as a a comedian I'm memfaulting on said about Sean Connery, he really doesn't need to give a toss anymore). Having liked DiCaprio in THE AVIATOR (especially at the end when he started channelling Charles Foster Kane), I liked him even better here. Welcome back, Leo; I missed you from your early days.

One minor quibble - in the age of the Zakim bridge and mini-cell phones there are no longer any sit-down porno theaters in the city (as the Combat Zone went the way of the dodo), and even if the movie had been set back when there were some, no way in hell would it be that nice inside, since that theater looked nicer than some of the conventional theaters that were around back when there still was a Combat Zone. At least they put it in the right part of Boston (near Chinatown).

Also, count me in that Delahunt was also one of Queenan's moles, and that the letter from Costigan to the shrink told her to contact Dingham and let him know about Sullivan - hence the ending). By the way, who the frell was the rat ex machina who took out Costigan and promptly got blown away by Sullivan (as someone said behind me when the latter happened - "saw that coming")? I know I'd seen him earlier with the cops, but which team was he with? Was he one of the guys that Sullivan had in his unit?

Damn, I was debating over sitting on my ass today or going to a movie. I think the movie is going to win. Just 'cause.

ita, I agree with some points...especially about Green's character. I, too, thought that the baddies leverage should have been disipated and all she had to do was TELL Bond what was going on (the blackmail, just how the old boyfriend was involved, etc. But that is a 'soap opera' convention that I see in so many stories, I just shrug.

About the woman you commented on, Le Chiffre's girl was none other than someone we know, Sam Finn of Riley fame. I was plagued by knowing I had seen her somewhere before.

I don't disagree about the dragging end and the thinking that Bond ought to do something other than save Green's character but, in some ways, I think that might have been asking too much from the franchise. Baby steps here, baby steps.

Since the closing titles gave us the big DUH of "Bond will be back" I'm just hoping for something even better next time.

The closing titles always do that, Beej. It's a convention.

The parkours scene was electric! One thing I thought great about it was that it showed that although Bond was pretty athletic, he couldn't do what the other guy did--but he was *intelligent* and that's what kept him in the chase.

Robin, for the most part I don't mind how Vesper was written (but what in HELL was that line about the smile and the little finger?) I just thought Greem did an appalling job at it. I mightn't have been so bored at the schmoop if she'd had a gram of charisma.

I'm looking at the internets, reading about Pan's Labyrinth, and I'm working myself to new, unheard-of levels of excitement. Wow, I want it bad.

But it's going to fail miserably, isn't it? An R-rated fantasy fairy tale film, it doesn't have a chance in the US. Sad.

But it's going to fail miserably, isn't it? An R-rated fantasy fairy tale film, it doesn't have a chance in the US. Sad.

Bite your tongue! It's the bestest movie EVER and everyone will love it and it will make BILLIONS OF DOLLARS and stay in theatres forever.

And then Guillermo del Toro will buy me a pony. (Probably an evil pony from some kind of hell dimension, but I could live with that.)

You know, I didn't consider that the schmoop dragged because of Eva Green. I didn't mind her very much-- she seemed to be little different from the others, and far, far better than Dr. Christmas.

I was going to complain last night that the whole short-selling airline stock scheme was stupid in several ways, but realizes that this is the series that contained Moonraker.

One thing I liked about the film was that they subtly reinforced his novice status by having him make errors throughout.

Is it then? I didn't know that. Which speaks to how many Bond credits I haven't waited through. Still, gotta love the enthusiasm of the franchise. Way to be positive thinkers.

I have to agree with Green's lack of charisma. The chemistry, or lack there of, didn't work for me, but the pretty sure did.

Oh, oh! And ITA about Bond being a smarter fighter on all counts...even when he couldn't match the bad guy point for point. That was true in the opening scene and in the torture scene as well.

The torture scene is in very similar to one in the book, and you could tell those who had read it. As soon as BloodEye Dude started cutting the wicker chair, there was murmuring throughout the theater. Daniel Craig naked, tied to a chair and suffering

was disturbingly attractive.

Bite your tongue!

To be fair, I'm an absolutely terrible predicter of box office success, so don't worry about me cursing it or anything.

I want a pony too, though, if ponies are being gotted.