Bringing Out the Dead

Bringing Out the Dead-720P

Bringing Out the Dead-480P

Bringing Out the Dead-360P

Bringing Out the Dead-720P

Bringing Out the Dead-480P

Bringing Out the Dead-360P

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

Sometimes you can watch a film and see that all the pieces are there and yet there's still something not quite right about it. 'Bringing Out the Dead' stars Nicholas Cage (while he was still highly-bankable at the Box Office) as a New York ambulance driver who's on the brink of burning out completely. He's seemingly lost the ability to sleep (properly) and turned to various substances to get himself through his - increasingly dangerous - nightshifts. Now, back in 1999 when this film was released, Cage was pretty much at the top of his game and you could guarantee that he'd put in a good performance, especially under an equally great director. Here we have none other than Martin Scorsese at the helm who is more than capable at keeping hold of Cage's reigns and making sure he doesn't do that 'over the topness' he sometimes slips into. The premise is great and there's plenty of scope for the story and characters to evolve. The films sports an equally impressive supporting cast including Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames and John Goodman. So, baring all that in mind, it's hard to see that anything could go wrong with it. I certainly don't hate 'Bringing Out the Dead.' I just feel that with that much talent at its disposal it should be a lot better than it is. The actors and direction are amazing, but where it falls down is a general lack of focus as to where the story is going and what genre the film wants to be. It flips from everything from romantic comedy to gritty drama almost every other scene and even flirts with the possibility of a supernatural element (loosely). There's not an awful lot of motivation for the supporting cast and they just seem to do things to provide Cage with something bad/dramatic to react to. The films plays out like a string of sketches/mini episodes that are loosely strung together by the flimsy of narratives. If you're a fan of Cage and/or Scorsese, this is a 'must watch.' However, some may get a little tired with waiting for something to happen.