MovieChat Forums > The Departed (2006) Discussion > Comic undertones and acting overtones

Comic undertones and acting overtones

posted 8 years ago by yugfaed
1 reply | jump to latest

There's just something about this film I never liked, and still don't, having seen it on TV recently. Everyone is trying way too hard to be "gritty" or serious. Jack Nicholson? Way too miscast for his part.

And the end is one of the most unintended hilariously and silly endings I've ever seen in a serious film. I mean come on - "bang, you're dead...bang, YOU'RE dead...bang... Y-O-U-'-R-E DEAD!" Then Mark's in there killing Matt with yet another head on the floor oozing blood. What a silly, ridiculous, comically unfunny film. Even the director over did his usual shtick of hyper fast pans and such. Jeez.

Does seeing humor in a film where it's not supposed to be make me a genius? Or merely observant?

[–] DracTarashV 8 years ago

I hear you. I would say that this is a fine film for the most part, but if there's one thing I have always found problematic about it, it's the acting. Most of the actors look like they're making their best attempts at being serious, and ultimately they appear too self-conscious that it's off-putting and, yes, funny. And I know I'm in the minority here but this is most obvious with DiCaprio. Nicholson? He seems to be in on the joke by intentionally hamming it up (in other words, it's Jack being Jack), so even if he wasn't the best choice for Frank, his performance is rather entertaining. DiCaprio, however, looks as though he's demanding the viewer to look at his greatness or else. I mean, throughout the entire film he yells his ass off and worst of all he has this ineffective intense look on him that makes it look like he's about to burst a blood vessel or something. Consequently, his acting comes off as gimmicky.

Anyway, I suppose some moments were intended to be funny (almost dark humor funny), although I think there's some serious unintentional humor that makes it's hard to take the film completely serious.

You want something corny? You got it!