Jack Nicholson, already 20 years into his career, stars as a patient in a mental institution. Nurse Ratched, a sick and twisted caregiver, rules the ward. A young Danny DeVito will impress you. The movie itself will gaslight you. And the treatment of the mentally ill will horrify you, but it’s not the 21st century, so it’s expected.
It’s a dark look at a 1930s conspiracy concerning water rights in the desert city of Los Angeles. Sounds dry, right? Wrong! Watch Jack Nicholson in his prime play Detective Jake Gittes follow a trail of clues that leads him to the deep pockets of the rich. Faye Dunaway stars opposite as a dynamic and tragic figure. It’s not a cheerful end, but it’s one that will keep you thinking.
The Departed is one of the Scorsese movies that A.Ron and I most overlooked on first viewing. I had some inkling that it was good, but I couldn’t say why. After watching it 15 years later, we both got it. There’s a complex game of cat and mouse hidden under all those Boston accents and, despite clocking in at over 2.5 hours, it maintains the tension throughout. Join us on the podcast for a discussion of The Departed.
Special thanks to our commissioner for today’s podcast, Sean Ray. You may recognize him as the man behind such classics as It Follows, and Black Rain, which if nothing else is unique. Today he selects the great A Few Good Men, where a gruff Colonel in the US Marine Corps takes issue with the USMC’s kinder, more gentler ways of discipline and organization, leading to the death of one of the men under his command. Tom Cruise and Demi Moore are effective as the counsel for the defense, and are given a lot of juicy material to work with. Written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Rob Reiner, the script is packed with Sorkinisms and shot with a steady, confident eye. The performances are phenomenal, especially Jack Nicholson’s elemental performance of Col. Jessup.