The Departed (Infernal Affairs remake)

Started by MacGuffin, February 13, 2004, 02:09:12 AM

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MacGuffin

Departed Delays?
"The set is not a happy one."

The Boston Herald claims that "all is not well" on the Beantown set of The Departed, director Martin Scorsese's remake of Infernal Affairs, with one insider telling the paper, "The set is not a happy one."

The report, citing unnamed witnesses and spies on the set, declares that the production, which recently returned to Boston after a stint filming in New York, is "way behind schedule and way over budget."

Scorsese's perfectionism is singled out as the primary cause of the delays. For example, the filmmaker reportedly took issue with a certain lamppost that would only appear in the background during a chase scene and had it replaced.

Witnesses described star Leonardo DiCaprio as seeming "frustrated" while filming a scene outside a courthouse with co-star Vera Farmiga. (Fellow leading man Matt Damon has already segued to The Good Shepherd.) "It took over six hours to shoot it - 10 or 12 rehearsals and over 15 takes," according to the Herald's snitch.

Then there is the matter of Jack Nicholson, who portrays a Boston Irish crime boss. The paper claims Nicholson will "rewrite each day's shoot, forcing the director to shoot the actor's doctored script before shooting his own version just to keep Nicholson happy!"
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

matt35mm

This is the fault of the producers, pure and simple.  Sure, you want to keep Marty and Jack happy, but there are limits.  We'll see how it all comes together, but if the extra time and money spent on certain scenes causes other scenes to suffer (because they had to be rushed through to meet the deadlines), then it was a poor move Marty's part to make that decision, and the producers shouldn't have let him.

But, it's not really that bad.  Not all sets can be happy, and ultimately, it's not a crisis.  The movie's not in any real danger, I don't think.

Kal

True... but after dozens of movies those two should know better and be more proffesional. They know what it means to be disorganized, waste time, money, and also start getting bad press one year before the release of the movie.

matt35mm

Oftentimes, directors and actors are not as aware of this as you'd think.  The producers should be more active in preventing this sort of situation (but it is a tough balance between that and keeping your stars happy and allow your director the artistic space).

Actors and directors focus more on their work than on the budget or time, but I'd like to believe that they'd be reasonable enough if you gently reminded them that the budget and time limits do exist, as well as early press (but this sounds more like an information leak that no one intended).

But you know, there's the general debate on, if a director has a specific vision, should he not comprimise?  My personal stance is that any art, especially filmmaking, should be about what you're able to do creatively given certain limitations.  I think it's dangerous when a director is allowed to go wild and do everything he wants exactly how he wants it.  Does it produce a better film?  I don't think it does.  SOME filmmakers, like Kubrick, do seem to demand this.  Kubrick knew that time was his most valuable asset, though, and as I understand it, pretty much had a deal with Warner Bros that said he could take... quite a while to make Eyes Wide Shut.  That's an example of a film that couldn't really be made any other way, but BUSINESS-WISE, it didn't make much sense.  Eyes Wide Shut didn't make much of a profit for Warner Bros, although I don't think it lost any money, either.

Of course, this is just one publication, with one source who seems to get an unhappy vibe from the set.  Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds.  I hope the movie turns out well.

The Red Vine

Actually is seems like these kinds of articles would come out more often with so many of the movies with extremely patient directors out there. It's probably not Marty's fault. There's nothing wrong with taking the time that is needed. Hell, look at Kubrick.
"No, really. Just do it. You have some kind of weird reasons that are okay.">

cron

context, context, context.

mutinyco

Quote from: matt35mmThe producers should be more active in preventing this sort of situation

Who? Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston?...
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

matt35mm

Quote from: RedVinesActually is seems like these kinds of articles would come out more often with so many of the movies with extremely patient directors out there. It's probably not Marty's fault. There's nothing wrong with taking the time that is needed. Hell, look at Kubrick.
Yes, I mentioned Kubrick, and mentioned that business-wise, it didn't make much sense and that, as I understand it, Kubrick was allowed as much time as he needed, so didn't necessarily go past his deadline, per se.  I'm not sure about that, though.

Quote from: mutinyco
Quote from: matt35mmThe producers should be more active in preventing this sort of situation

Who? Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston?...
I think we've found the root of the problem.

modage

Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

killafilm


©brad

let's make up captions! like they do in the new yorker and maxim.

dicaprio: you slept with her, didn't you?
damon: yeah but i pulled out dude, don't worry.


JG

Brock Landers should totally break up the fight in that second picture.   And the first picture looks like a scene from Spiderman. 


MacGuffin

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Pozer


"No, listen to me.  Listen to me!  I love you, Arthur Rimbaud!"
"I know you're cheating on me!  I curse your name, Tom Ripley!"

©brad

Quote from: MacGuffin on December 31, 2005, 02:00:30 PM
Quote from: ©brad on December 31, 2005, 11:14:16 AM
let's make up captions! like they do in the new yorker and maxim.

Or xixax:
http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=6285.0

hahah. i completely forgot about that.

wow. i have been gone for a while.  :shock: