Great film but some "what the hell?" moments

Rating: 7/10 (12 October 2006)

I saw this with my best friend and have just read over 3 pages of comments. All praising or dissing the film based upon comparing it to Infernal Affairs.
For me none of that mattered, what I did find jarring was how uncomfortable most of the actors seem to be with expletives. Being half Irish and growing up in working class England, I just couldn't believe the dialogue. Whenever a character swore it sounded forced and unnatural - if you want to see what natural swearing sounds like rent Billy Elliot.
Also what the hell was Scorcese (an Italian) thinking, putting the song Scotland the Brave in a film about Irish mobsters? Does he know who the Irish and the Scots are? An Irishman is more likely to have Oh Danny Boy as his cellphone ringer than a protestant Scottish bagpipe song.
BTW Irish bagpipes just have a bladder you don't blow into them and Irish kilts are one colour beige not Tartan. Maybe these inconsistencies in Irish-American culture are to blame for Scorcese's blindness when picking out the music.