Ass Kicking Good Time

Rating: 10/10 (7 February 2007)

Since this movie is coming out Tuesday on DVD, I have to remember the night that I saw it. It was opening night, and we went to a theater in Lawrence, MA which is a pretty tough area. The theater was packed, and from the first ten minutes the crowd was going crazy. Whole groups of people were cheering or laughing out loud at some of the films funnier lines. It was the best experience I have had at the movies since "Gladiator".
Being a huge Martin Scorsese fan, I was thrilled to see him get back to the gritty movies he was so famous for from "Mean Street" to "Goodfellas".
Of course the movie is violent, but not in a gratuitous "SAW" type of way. When Billy Costigan punches the guy in the bar, he breaks his hand. That is what really happens when you punch someone that hard, and little things like that make the film stand out to me. Being from the Boston area, I know all about what a sicko Whitey Bulger was. Frank Costello is loosely based on him, and Jack Nicholson's performance was chilling. Asking the girl if she had gotten her period yet was something that the pederast Bulger would have done.
Nothing against Mark Wahlberg, but I felt that it was Matt Damon who deserved the Oscar nomination. Colin Sullivan was a sociopath, someone with the looks and charm who will cut your throat when you aren't looking. He was based on John Connely, the scumbag FBI agent who was Bulger's lookout for 25 years. I felt that this was Damon's best performance yet because it was so against his nature. He was just so unpredictable in this movie.
Everyone will be talking about the Oscars and if Scorsese will finally win. With a movie like this, it will be great if he does it on his terms, and not trying to pander to the voters with films such as "The Aviator". This is one of his best movies ever, and anyone who likes mob movies will love it, Oscars or no.