Entries from October 2006 ↓

Perhaps director Martin Scorsese is still smarting from not winning an Academy Award in 2004 for The Aviator. Maybe he’s responding to criticism that his films are “too New York” for audiences around the rest of the country to appreciate. Perhaps it was just time for him to go back to what he seems to do best, giving us edgy, sociopathic characters in a multi-layered, pot-boiler of a story.

In his latest film, The Departed, Scorsese mixes an all-star cast of well-known mainstream actors, with a riveting tale of crime and corruption, this time set not among familiar New York Italian Mafia types but South Boston Irish gangs, and by doing so gives us one that will definitely cause Oscar voters to take notice.

This movie starts off at 100 miles per hour and only gets faster. Or maybe that was my heart beating. Not since “Goodfellas” has the combination of pacing, action and storyline been so in synch as to command your attention every step of the way. There was not a wasted scene in this movie.

Appropriately enough, the story begins in the early ‘70’s, around the time when Irish residents of Boston’s South End were in violent opposition to forced school bussing of Black students into neighborhood schools. Feeling themselves under siege by outsiders, they turned inward and became even more clannish. That made the community fertile ground for thugs and hoodlums like Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) who regularly shook down local merchants in exchange for protection. Costello in turn would take a liking to a local disadvantaged youngster, Colin Sullivan and provide the means for him to grow up and get an education.

Fast forward, we are introduced to two South Boston young men as they enter and graduate from the Massachusetts State Police Academy, the grown up Sullivan (Matt Damon), and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) the son and nephew of petty thieves associated with Costello. From there our story twists and turns on razor sharp edges, as one young man becomes the inside leak to police information for Costello’s operation, and the other the undercover police informant assigned to bring him down.

Costello wants a free hand to engage in drug trafficking, selling stolen electronic parts to potential foreign terrorists, and lots and lots of murders, and needs to know what the cops know about him. The police, in trying to disrupt his operations, are stymied by the fact that somehow Costello knows their every move.

Trust and betrayal are at the very core of this movie and the inability to know definitively who is on your side keeps the threat of danger percolating just below the surface for everyone involved. On the other hand extreme violence, in its many graphic forms, often boils over and there is no shortage of it here. The squeamish are forewarned.

Scorsese has assembled a stellar cast. Jack Nicholson steals every scene he is in. The character of Frank Costello is loosely based on real-life Boston gangster and current FBI fugitive James J. “Whitey” Bulger, and like his real-life counterpart, Costello is a dangerous snake who’d just as soon kill you as to look at you. Nicholson raises the fear level with each moment on screen.

Damon and DiCaprio disprove this reviewer’s previously held belief that they were marginally talented pretty-boys. Given meaty roles to play, they are both more than up to the task, with Damon displaying a most believable level of deception and DiCaprio conveying a street-toughness that made one forget all the charming boyish roles he’s played in the past. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and real Boston native Mark Wahlberg credibly portray State Police officials with varying degrees of competence. Vera Farmiga, as psychiatrist Madolyn Madden, has the only significant female part, and while she makes the most of it, the character and her relationship with the two central figures almost seems a contrivance to move the story along rather than a necessity.

The story builds to a crescendo that will either leave you dissatisfied by its seemingly hasty resolution or trembling over the fact that it takes the tension up even one more notch. Either way, The Departed will take you on a ride you won’t soon forget.

Down 3 games to 2 to the St. Louis Cardinals, with their backs to the wall and the uncertainty of a rookie pitcher on the mound, the Mets returned home to New York for Game 6 of the NLCS Wednesday night needing a win to stave off elimination and force a seventh and deciding game.

What they got was 5 1/3 scoreless innings from John Maine, a leadoff homerun in the bottom of the first from Jose Reyes and a two-run single by Paul LoDuca in the seventh, on the way to a 4-2 victory.

All season long, the Mets have talked about being 25 guys who play as one, meaning they just step up whenever they have to. Through injuries, player slumps, losing streaks, different players just rise to the occasion to get them over the hump. This has been a nerve-racking time for us fans, because the strong team we’ve been watching all season is not hitting on all cylinders but still managing to chug along. For Game 7 Thursday night, they’re gonna need to keep the engine running. Another rookie pitcher, Oliver Perez, the Game 4 starter, will be on the hill. He’ll need plenty of run support but if he falters, the entire bullpen is on call.

Jeffrey won on Project Runway. Talk about enabling dysfunctional people. His insufferably boorish behavior will only get worse.

Our favorite, Michael, seemed to crack under the pressure. His Fashion Week showing was not an example of his best work. Laura, gave us upscale elegance, but nothing we haven’t seen before. Uli was my pick then by default, and her stuff was worthy of victory, but they saw something in Jeffrey they liked better. Whatever!

Well, at least it was several weeks of entertaining television.

On a day when charges were upgraded against men suspected of luring Michael Sandy to the Sheepshead Bay parking lot where he was robbed and assaulted, then left unconscious after being hit by a car fleeing his assailants, a coalition of gay community groups, elected officials, concerned citizens and friends gathered for a press conference at New York’s City Hall to call for a greater commitment to end hate crimes.

In what they described as a “Call to Action,” representatives from six organizations spoke about the need for a city-wide commitment to environmental change, deeming it insufficient to simply speak out whenever another hate crime occurs. Instead they called for a public affirmation that eliminating hate violence is a priority in New York City.

“We cannot just keep coming here and rallying our collective anger,” said Tokes Osubu, Executive Director of Gay Men of African Descent. “It just isn’t working any more. We need a dedicated and committed coalition.”

Clarence Patton, Executive Director of The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project whose organization spearheaded the call to action, stressed the need for more targeted resources to develop programming and services at the community level for victims of hate violence, while Brooklyn City Councilmember Latitia “Tish” James asked, “How many more have to be killed before we can accept love.”

Echoing that sentiment was singer and drag performer Kevin Aviance, himself a victim of a gay bashing earlier this year, who became quite emotional as he attempted to speak.

Others present who addressed the well-attended press conference included: Michael Roberson, People of Color in Crisis (POCC); Mark McLaurin, NYS Black Gay Network; author/activist Keith Boykin who also represented the National Black Justice Coalition; Bishop Zachary Jones, from Unity Fellowship Church, and Brooklyn City Councilmember and Democratic Party nominee for U.S. Congress Yvette D. Clarke. Gay Men’s Health Crisis also lent organizational support.

Earlier in the day, alleged perpetrators John Fox and Ilya Shurov had their charges upgraded to include second degree murder and second degree manslaughter. In addition to third suspect Gary Timmins, they also face robbery and assault as hate crimes charges.

Finally, news of funeral plans for Michael Sandy are now known. A wake is planned for Wednesday at Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home in Lake Ronkonkoma, with a Thursday morning funeral at Mary Immaculate Church in Bellport, both on Long Island. The extent to which either service is open to non-family members, is not yet known. UPDATE: Services for Michael Sandy are only for family and friends. Despite the public outpouring of support, please respect the family’s wishes.

Organizations represented at Monday’s press conference:

People of Color in Crisis (POCC) LINK

Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) LINK

NYS Black Gay Network LINK

Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) LINK

National Black Justice Coalition LINK

City Councilmember Yvette D. Clarke
LINK to Council page
LINK to Congressional campaign page

City Councilmember Letitia James LINK

The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project LINK

Unity Fellowship Church LINK

More photos from the press conference are posted HERE.
NOTE: Photos may not be reproduced or reprinted without my permission and must include my photo credit information.

Ok, I would be less than honest with you if I didn’t say I was scared about the Mets chances after losing Game 3 to the Cardinals Saturday night, 5-0. In that game our usually potent offense was anemic and the already questionable starting pitching, that night in the guise of Steve Trachsel, went flat. The only bright spot was the work of long reliever Darren Oliver, who came on in the second and pitched six shutout innings from that point on.

But down 2 games to 1 before Sunday’s Game 4 matchup between two rookie pitchers, the Mets Oliver Perez and the Cardinals Anthony Reyes, I was worried that momentum may have shifted to the other side. Not to worry. The power hitters in the middle of the Mets lineup—Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright—got hot in a big way (Delgado has already been hot throughout the post season), and even second baseman Jose Valentin regained his batting eye, as New York rolled to a 12-5 victory to even the series at 2 games apiece.

Monday night is a rematch of the Game 1 starters, Tom Glavine for New York and Jeff Weaver for St. Louis, both working on just three days rest. Let’s hope for a replay of that outcome as well, before both teams go back to New York for Game 6 Wednesday and if necessary Game 7 on Thursday. I think it is now safe to say that strong pitching will not be the deciding factor in the NLCS and that whichever team can stay hot at the plate will come away with the title.

Either way, the ALCS champion Detroit Tigers await the winner, for a World Series set to get underway on Saturday. Detroit swept their series with the Oakland A’s and are riding a wave of enthusiasm and youthful exuberance. Let’s hope they cool down waiting for their opponent to emerge.