The Departed (2006)

From 2006 starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Walberg and Martin Sheen from director Martin Scorsese this is remake of Infernal Affairs bring the action of spies, cops and robbers to Boston. This is the film that finally won Scorsese his Oscar and while it is awesome and I really enjoy it I am unsure if it deserved the Oscar for that year. There are questions whether the award was more of a life time achievement award for Scorsese. You follow Leo and Matt as they grow up and come through the ranks of the Police and Criminal organisations and you follow Leo as an undercover cop he infiltrates Jack Nicholson's gang. And you follow Matt Damon as a member of Jack Nicholson's gang as he infiltrates the police and rises to power.


his film is full of twists and turns and you follow the main leads as they struggle with maintaining their identity and also trying to find out who the other is. There are plenty of shocks and the ending is awesome, confusing and just about right for this film and even though I have seen it a couple of times still love the ending. There is some love interest that focuses on Vera Farmiga; this gives more insight in to both the characters as they both interact with her.


The first time I saw this film I was on holiday in the US and always wondered if my love for it stemmed from the experience but taking the time to re-watch it I still love this film and give it a solid 9 out of 10 and a high recommend to everybody. Also if I get the opportunity I will be looking out the original as I have heard that this is very good as well.

Orphan (2009)

The ending of this film was spoiled for me and all I will say is there is a twist in the ending that makes the whole film make sense, it is all in the advertising. You join a family of Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard who lost a child and even though they have two children decide to adopt a Russian Orphan, Esther played expertly by Isabelle Fuhrman. There is something going on with Esther and as the story progresses you get a picture of her and what she is like and you know from the promotional material that there is something not right with her.


This is a thriller with an interloper coming into a family, a family that you soon discover have their own set of problems and you even wonder if they should be adopting at all, even if they are taking the older child out of the system. This story is well done, even if you do have some sort of idea about what is happening. What would have been really good would be seeing this film totally from the Mother's point of view and you as the viewer could consider that perhaps she is just going mad and you can watch the breakdown as the husband would see it.


However apart from some flaws and delivery and really needing to see it unspoiled by not knowing the ending, this film is passable and an enjoyable enough thriller and even knowing the ending there is some joy from watching how the film is put together. Overall this is a 3 star recommend especially if you enjoy thrillers and some horror and a very dark element.

Safe House (2012)

Film of 2012 #71


Starring Denzel Washington as an Ex CIA agent that is out to for himself and Ryan Reynolds who is trying to get make in the CIA and make a name for himself. This is a spy thriller that has the usual mental twists and anguish and there are points that are quite exciting when you try, with Ryan Reynolds to figure out who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. With Denzel Washington playing the hardened rogue agent you also become confused about what he thinks is important and why he does what he does.

You have a strong supporting cast with Vera Farminger and Brendan Gleeson as higher up agents who are battling with each other on whether Ryan Reynolds has turned or is trustworthy. I have to say that there is a twist that I think is supposed to be a shock but I saw it coming a mile off and was not that surprised at the way the film pans out.

For the performances of all of the actors involved I will give this a weak 3 star recommend, there is nothing that special but if you like spy thrillers and trying to figure out what is happening then you could do worse than spend a couple of hours watching this film.

Source Code (2011)

Cinema in Falkirk, 2nd April 2011.

Just saw the new film from Duncan Jones the man that made Moon (@manmademoon on twitter) and it was fricking awesome. I am a Sci-Fi and horror film fan so the trailers for this definitely pushed my Sci-Fi buttons and I was not disappointed.

Jake Gyllenhaall never disappoints me I have to say that he plays a character that you like and you are with him from the beginning as he learns things as you do. Now the story is not that original, however there were a few times that I was pleasantly surprised as you have two realities going on. You can guess what is going to happen at times but they deliver it in such a way that I looked forward to it, I think I saw some things coming as I have seen a lot of films.

I think will give this film the first 5 star rating I have given any under my new reviewing system, I really enjoyed the whole thing, there are a few things that could have been done differently on the whole I was thoroughly entertained and intrigued to see what would happen which is the point of films.