'The Departed,' starring DiCaprio, Damon and cell phones
Perhaps it's an occupational hazard, but we're unable to just kick back and enjoy a great film without at least looking into technology trends that present themselves on the big screen.
Such was the case with Martin Scorsese's crime thriller,The Departed, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, in which cell phones play at least a supporting role.
We wont' spoil the plot details, particularly for those who still plan on seeing the movie. But it's worth noting that in addition to cell phones' role in the movie as a communication weapon (they literally sounded like switchblades snapping open), they're used to create plot tension: in one scene, DiCaprio glares in shock at a cell phone belonging to a dead man as it skitters across a table in vibrate mode.
Bloggers, of course, loved seeing their favorite gadget on the big screen, but also had some bones to pick.
Blog community response:
"One nit about the movie: the movie has two characters talking on the phone (to each other) on the T, but there's no cell phone reception on the red line between Park Street and South Station."
--Brain Lint
"Before The Departed, I had never seen a movie where text messaging played such a key role. Scorsese has his characters wield their phones as weapons, and I was surprised at just how well it worked."
--Reel Fanatic
"So, only a couple of minor bones to pick with the plot. First of all, too much reliance on cell phones. Wouldn't the mob boss occasionally go through his people's recent calls? Wouldn't the cops look into phone records to see if they could determine who making the tip-off calls?"
--Divine Comedy of Errors
"It sure had a great plot for a cell phone commercial. However, we don't learn at the end which text messaging service plan to buy."
--dl004d, in blog form
"If I were an undercover mole in a dangerous situation, I would probably set my cell phone on vibrate. (Hell, I set my cell phone on vibrate just to watch a movie about undercover moles.)"
--Doug Benson on MySpace