The Shining!

This review will be on the movie The Shining

Background information:

Genres: Thriller, Horror, and Mystery

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Main Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers

Released: 1980

Plot: A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future

Acting 9/10: Jack's incredible performance as the angry father and husband is as over the top as it is outstanding. Shelley, who plays the stressed wife who tries to help her son, she shows a kind of shaking fear in a lot of scenes and is able to show weakness in a very convincing way.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Would I recommend it? If you are a fan of Thrillers, Drama films, then you have to watch it. Its very creepy and exciting. The Shining is a brilliant cinematic masterpiece, the likes of which have never been seen before or since. Highly, highly recommended

The Departed Review

This review will be on the movie The Departed!

Background information:

Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing,

Genre: Thriller, Drama, Crime Film, and Adventure Film

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Main Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson,  Mark Wahlberg,  Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Vera Farmiga

Released: 2006

Plot: An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.

Acting 9/10:  Dicaprio takes on a tough guy persona so well. Sure it was known he was a good actor from his Oscar nominated performance in The Aviator, but he really takes it to another level here. Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg also give solid performances, with their natural accents. Nicholson acts pretty well as usual in his supporting role. Everyone was extremely solid and everything seemed so real.


Overall Rating: 9/10

Would I recommend it?  Yes,  At its core, the film is a well-crafted, well-written, and well-acted film. In an age where style usually triumphs over the narrative quality, "The Departed" is one of the best films I have seen so far in recent memory.