Bringing Out the Dead

I was able to see the new Martin Scorsese film, "Bringing out the Dead", at a screening on 19th street on August 3rd. (I've supplied this info so that you'll know this review is for real). Scorsese's new flick is a meandering, plotless film, completely unsure of itself from start to finish. The story is centered around a troubled paramedic (Nic Cage) who's haunted by the ghosts of those he's lost on the job and is, it seems, on the verge of a complete nervous brokedown. That's the story. At times, "Dead" is quite funny, using a dark-comedy-like strength to carry the picture. But Scorsese's film implodes in its attempts to be compelling. Partly due to Nicolas Cage's dull and lifeless performance, and partly because of Pat Arquette's underwritten and underacted one. The breathe of fresh air in this fog-filled flick is Ving Rhames, who exudes energy. When he's on screen, the hunger for greatness is gone, but when he's off screen, you're drooling for more. Scorsese gets over-stylish, making his film seem more like a music video and less like the Martin Scorsese that has made some of the finest films of this century. Grade : D+

Bringing out the Dead is the most underrated film ever done by Martin Scorsese. It is one of the most well made films I've ever seen and is one of my favorite dramas of all time. The film focuses on a paramedic called Frank played by Nicolas Cage. The film focuses on 48 hours of Frank's life as a paramedic and all the horrific things he has seen. As well as that Frank is also haunted by spirits of people who he couldn't save, befriends a young women called Mary played by Patricia Arquette and a whole range of strange partners. The actors that Scorsese has chosen are a weird bunch as they're not really in Scorsese's other films and they're not really big name actors. As well as Nicolas Cage there's also supporting roles from people like John Goodman, Ving Rhames and Tom Siezmore. Everyone does a fantastic jobs even the actors who have much smaller roles than others. This is much more surreal film than most other Scorsese films as we go into Frank's mind. The reasons why this films succeeds is just that you really care about this characters and while the film dosen't really have much of a story it grips you the whole way through. It also has a great soundtrack which includes artists like Van Morrison, R.E.M and the Who. Overall the film is quite different to what you're usually expecting but it grips who the whole way though and it gets a full 5 star rating form me.

From Scorsese, I was hoping a great movie like Taxi Driver, or even better (but it would be difficult to do), but Bringing Out the Dead is just awful!! Absolutely pitiful performance from Nicolas Cage who is totally expressionless in this movie. The dialogs are pathetic, and in fact only the great camera works could have saved this miserable movie. But it didn't. Deserve 1/10