THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY Arts & Entertainment the Retriever Dials in to Chat with Damon and Dicaprio

16 September 26, 2006 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY Arts & Entertainment The Retriever dials in to chat with Damon and DiCaprio KATE NUNLEY Retriever Weekly Editorial Staff This weekend, Martin Scorcese’s new crime drama The Departed will debut in theatres around the country. The film, set in Boston, focuses on two men from opposite sides of the law going undercover. The Departed’s all- star cast includes Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg. The movie was originally a huge hit in Hong Kong titled Internal Affairs. The Retriever Weekly was given the opportunity to participate in a teleconference with Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. The plot, in a nutshell, is based around secret identities. Young cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) has gone undercover inside the Irish mob run by Frank Costello (Nicholson). Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan (Damon) is a criminal working as a mole inside the police department. Both men become engrossed by their respective double lives as they gather information. However, it soon becomes obvious to both the police department and the mob that they each have a spy working from within their organization. Costigan and Sullivan are thrown into a race to discover the identity of their counterpart in order to avoid self-destruction. The Warner Brothers teleconference began on a Friday around noon and an admittedly [Courtesy of Warner Brothers] nervous Retriever Weekly staff member dialed Face Off: Colin Sullivan (Damon) and Billy Costigan (Dicaprio) race to discover one anothers’ identities. in. I was told that only five representatives from different college newspapers would be over just about anything and generally, that’s Monahan’s script and from Marty.” there, and spent all his time with him and then participating, but it turned out to be far more, the marketing machines behind all the movies Damon and DiCaprio also expanded on took the accent home with him. So that he probably at least a dozen. If a student wanted just all talking to each other. It’s definitely, I the experience of preparing for such demanding didn’t stop, if you went out to dinner with him, to ask a question, they would press a particular can say, speaking for myself and at the risk of and specific roles. Damon did research with the he was still talking in the accent. And that’s one combination of buttons and be put in the queue speaking for Leo, not something that we set state police, riding along with them during of the reasons it works in the movie and he’s to speak directly with Damon and DiCaprio. out to do, ever. If you’re going for this kind their rounds. “You remember that movie The totally believable is because he didn’t try to do Scorcese and DiCaprio have worked of result-oriented approach, you’re in deep Hard Way, with Michael J. Fox? I was kind of what usually you end up sometimes having to together previously on Gangs of New York and crap. We just try to make the right choices... like Michael J. Fox, like ‘Hey guys, can I get a do, which is get a dialect coach.” The Aviator. A reporter asked if Scorcese was So trying to make decisions that keep you with gun?’ And they were like, ‘Shut-up, no.’ That Damon and DiCaprio provided a unique still able to challenge DiCaprio as an actor. great directors and in roles that are interesting was kind of what I did. So I got to go on a drug inside look at Scorcese’s newest work. The DiCaprio responded with admiration: “There’s and scripts and stories that are good, that in raid of a crack house and listen on a wire and Departed will be in theatres Friday, October such a respect level for him, the films that he’s itself is enough of a challenge. The rest of it is put on a bulletproof vest and they didn’t give me 6. With Scorcese leading such a talented cast, done in the past, and his knowledge of cinema pretty much b.s.” a gun, luckily for all of us. And it was just more hopefully The Departed will live up to everyone’s and almost everyone that works with him really Both DiCaprio and Damon have watched about understanding that culture and those expectations. looks at him as a mentor, I believe.” Scorcese the Hong Kong hit which The Departed is guys, so that I could kind of render a faithful and DiCaprio are rumored to be developing a based on. Although the story is borrowed, and believable portrait of one of them.” Kate Nunley is the Arts & Entertainment fourth film about Theodore Roosevelt. Damon stressed that, “the background and the Meanwhile, DiCaprio had to fully master Editor for The Retriever Weekly. She can be Another reporter questioned the actors cultural aspects of Boston and the relationships the Boston accent. Damon talked about how reached for comment at [email protected]. about the Oscar buzz surrounding The Departed and the Irish mob and even Nicholson being an DiCaprio achieved this through immersion, edu. to which Damon replied, “There’s Oscar buzz FBI informant, all of that stuff came from Bill “[Leo] found this guy that really was from Hit the books with some great study music KATRINA COHEN in 2006 on Filter US Recordings. Their song than Without Gravity’s Tenderfoot, released by Lights’s self-titled debut, released in 2006 on Bar Retriever Weekly Contributing Writer “Just One Breath” was featured on season One Little Indian in 2005. The Icelandic band None Records, rounds out this trio of musical two of “Grey’s Anatomy,” so you may have is the collaboration of male leader singer Kalli study-buddies. Singer Darren Jessee, former If you’re anything like me, finding great inadvertently heard them in the background (if and bandmates Konni, Grismi and Helgi to Ben Folds Five drummer, leads the quartet. As study music isn’t easy. But when you’re tired, you weren’t too distracted by Dr. McDreamy, create pretty and poignant with skillful acoustic the introductory selection, “You Come and I the whir of the air vents and soft tapping of that is). Devics is a duo; vocalist Sara Lov and guitar and downplayed drum-and-cymbal Go” sets up, the songs wind down a beneath of others’ fingers on keyboards are just enough instrumentalist-singer Duston O’Halloran flourishes. Several songs tell stories, like the beginnings and endings. Whether embracing to lull you off to dreamland. So, you need integrate piano, strings and percussion in their opener “Beautiful Son’ which asks, “where did the serenity of morning in “AM Slow Golden something to subtly jolt your brain back in ambling, whimsical melodies. Lov’s voice is you go / what have you done / my beautiful Hit” or the decision to move on in “Follow to some semblance of consciousness, but this sweet and at turns haunting, and O’Halloran’s son?” giving the album a sometimes-folksy Through,” the album is sure to evoke memories elusive musical selection can’t be too peppy or is a pleasant complement. Each song blends feel. The feel-good summertime sentiments of all the places you’ve been to and left, only to powerful so as to become distracting. (If you’re easily into the next, but stand-outs include the of “Country,” the romantic question of -- maybe -- return again. anything like me, you spend a bit too much accordion and type-writer beats of “A Secret “Blue Bird,” and the ode to getting away So next time you’re bogged down with time focusing on these concerns). Message to You,” the dedication to a peaceful from it all “Moving On Backwards” -- which reading, grab a mug of your favorite coffee or The albums I’ve found to help keep me dreamer in “A Song for a Sleeping Girl,” the implores, “sail away / while you still can” -- tea, crank up the iPod (but not too loud), and alert without leading me astray are mellow emotional plea for happiness of “If We Cannot are sure to please. Kalli’s smooth voice, often let Devics, Without Gravity, and Hotel Lights and soothing on their own; they also happen See,” and the unrequited love of “Moments,” stretched with emotion, is easy on the ears and guide you to studying bliss...or about as close to come courtesy of little-known artists who whose piano conveys the staccato beats of many enchanting; on “Teardrops” he reaches a Bono- as you can get. would be thrilled to know their names were lost chances. Not only will you study well, esque plane but with all the subtlety Without even being typed in to an iTunes Music Store you’ll find yourself humming the chorus lines Gravity embodies. “Tenderfoot” easily becomes Katrina Cohen is a Contributing Writer for search, let alone that their albums were being the next day. not only an inspiration to hit the books, but a The Retriever Weekly. She can be reached for thoughtfully purchased (hint, hint). If your brain is searching for something favorite chill-out album. comment at [email protected]. First up is Devics’s Push the Heart, released with a few more classic roots, search no further Atmospheric and thoughtful, Hotel .

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