Three films a day

#70, 10/23 – Infernal Affairs (2002) (nqpdd)

#71, 10/23 – The Departed (2006) (tofw)

I like doing silly things. Watching two versions of the same story in the same day is decidely silly, but I’m glad I did it. Really, really glad, actually.

If you know me at all you won’t be surprised when I say that, yes, I definitely prefered Infernal Affairs. By a decent margin. Infernal Affairs is a much tighter film, I prefer what that film thinks of its main characters (though, admittedly, the characters are more fleshed out in The Departed), and I prefer its ending (in fact, I hate the ending of The Departed).

Which isn’t to say I didn’t like The Departed, by the way. I did. I really liked a lot of the cast and I had a good time. And, lest you think me working on prejudices here, I didn’t go in expecting to like it less. Actually, after Infernal Affairs finished I said to someone “I’m looking forward to seeing what changes were made in the Hollywood version. As much as I like [Infernal Affairs], some different approaches might be very cool indeed. If it’s as good as people are telling me it is, The Departed will be quite something”. Alas, I ended up disagreeing with most of the changes. In fact, some of the changes just don’t make sense, or they water down the story. And did I mention that I hate the ending? Seriously, I hate the ending. I think it’s an absolute shame of an ending. A half-star dropped just on principle kind of thing. (And let’s be honest, I’d drop another half star just for Jack Nicholson, who has started to annoy me quite a bit.)

Here’s one change I consider a positive, though: The Departed combines Infernal Affairs’ two female characters into one. Admittedly, at first, I was dismayed, then baffled. Now, though, I understand what they were doing. (It’s actually forehead-slapping obvious.) It adds an interesting layer to the whole thing and I applaud that.

Still, I don’t get the fuss over The Departed. At all. It’s a likeable movie. It’s worth the time. I’m very happy that they made the effort, because I think they tried some interesting things. But, gosh, I don’t see anything in it which is worthy of being called special.

Mind, I don’t think Infernal Affairs is perfect. Or special. But it’s taut. It was a thriller with thrills. Its set pieces are just wonderfully done. Brilliant timing. Brilliant camera work. In my opinion, not a single scene in The Departed can compare with its counterpart in Infernal Affairs. Not one. Of course you’ll tell me, and you’ll be right, that the two films have different paces (and thus their scenes are emphasized differently) because they have slightly different objectives.

Still, ain’t no question in my mind which film was better at being what it set out to be.

#69, 10/21 – Gun Crazy (1949) (dvd)

I am, as always, glad I don’t read up on movies before I see them. I knew Gun Crazy was considered noirish, but I knew nothing beyond that. Armed with such ignorance, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie featured a Bonnie & Clyde-style story. Moreover, since I wasn’t looking for the famous documentary-style scene (because I had no idea it was coming), I went through several enjoyable, small reactions as it played out. Afterwards I had to find out what I could about the scene, because it was so interesting. Someone else had largely the same impressions as me:

The scene that best illustrates the total conviction in Dall and Cummins’ performances is also one of the most ballyhooed scenes in the movie: a single take episode where Bart and Laurie rob a bank. All the while, the camera never leaves the back seat of the getaway car. Many writers have commented on the audaciousness of filming the entire sequence in just one take—and it indeed does give the sequence a documentary-like realism—but it’s Dall and Cummins that really make the scene work. We watch them from the back seat as they nervously drive around the city block, looking for a parking space near the bank. It’s a busy day and cars are everywhere. Dall and Cummins talk to one another like an old couple—in dialogue that must have been ad-libbed it’s so spontaneous. Dall sits on the edge of his seat, his eyes groping for a parking place, while Cummins twists and turns behind the wheel. And later as they speed away from the crime scene, we see Cummins as she looks back and sees no cars are following. She grins broadly, a beautiful, deadly grin that is full of delight and danger.

Gosh, I loved that scene. And the movie wasn’t bad, either, but in a year where I’ve seen some downright amazing noir, Gun Crazy would probably end up overshadowed in my memory were it not for that scene.