The more I watch The Departed (in heavy rotation on cable this month), the more I admire the performance of Mark Wahlberg (pictured). His simmering indignation as Dignam, a cop, is the fulcrum of the film that seesaws between Matt Damon's clammy cool as the mob mole in the Boston police and Leonardo DiCaprio's agitated heat as the police mole in the Boston mob. The film wouldn't work without Wahlberg, an unassuming utility player who is great in every position, whether as star (Invincible), member of the ensemble (the improbably enjoyable Four Brothers) or supporting role, as in his Oscar-nominated Departed performance.
Though his feverish turn as porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (1997) is widely considered the breakout role for the Boston-born rapper, Wahlberg's bedrock believability as a dumb-cluck recruit in Renaissance Man (1994) and as the Desert Storm soldier in Three Kings (1999) are equally effective. His low-key acting, more rooted in body language than in dialogue, recalls that of Gene Hackman.
It's rare for a pop star to establish him or herself as a screen presence. For every Frank Sinatra and Doris Day who succeed, there are dozens of Mick Jaggers and Madonnas and Princes who have a signature movie but never quite make it as a screen star. (Elvis was a screen success in that peculiar genre, the Elvis movie.)
Wahlberg's back in Philadelphia (having made Invincible and Shooter here) shooting The Happening for M.Night Shyamalan (whose breakout pic, The Sixth Sense, featured elder brother Donnie Wahlberg in a crucial role). As you pass 30th Street Station or Rittenhouse Square where the production is shooting, which Mark Wahlberg movie gets your shout-out? Why? Me, I'm going with The Departed and Invincible.
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Carrie Rickey has been The Philadelphia Inquirer’s film critic for 21 years. She has reviewed films as diverse as “Water” and “The Waterboy,” profiled celebrities from Lillian Gish to Will Smith, and reported on technological beakthroughs from the video revolution to the rise of movies on demand. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.”
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on September 7, 2007 12:05 PM.
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Comments (19)
Have you seen Marky Mark's performance as every Dad's nightmare, the violent beau stalking Reese Witherspoon in "Fear"? Way creepy. In a good way.
Posted by Anon | September 7, 2007 7:57 PM
Posted on September 7, 2007 19:57
Mark did very well in the underrated "The Yards" and he was an excellent addition to the ensemble in "The Perfect Storm."
Posted by Bob Ross | September 8, 2007 11:07 AM
Posted on September 8, 2007 11:07
"The Elvis movie." LOL. Here's a gem with Elvis and Mary tyler Moore as a nun:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065537/
Posted by JDM | September 8, 2007 11:35 AM
Posted on September 8, 2007 11:35
He was good in The Italian Job too, although I think I have to agree with Carrie that The Departed is his best work. His Boston accent was convincing in The Departed (and, yeah, I know that he is from there).
Posted by Bob E. | September 8, 2007 3:49 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 15:49
Yes, I've seen -- and been unnerved by -- "Fear," where Wahlberg's primal lust and violence were very effective even when the movie (which I believe was written by Cameron Crowe) was not.
Should I confess that one of the few TV series I watch with any pleasure is the Wahlberg-produced "Entourage," the male, Left Coast "Sex and the City," said to be based on Wahlberg's experiences in Hollywood as a male starlet.
Posted by Carrie | September 8, 2007 4:26 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 16:26
There is nothing uncommon about rappers turned actors. Will Smith, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, L.L. Cool Jay and the list goes on and on. It seems like its almost a natural progression.
My Wahlberg picks are Shooter and Invincible.
Entourage is a good show. I'm curious what are the other shows you watch with pleasure?
Posted by Craig | September 8, 2007 5:24 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 17:24
Craig,
While I think Mos Def is incredible, esp in "16 Blocks" and "Monster's Ball," he has yet to establish himself as a screen presence. You're right about Will Smith and the Queen, so wonderful in "Living Out Loud," "Chicago and "Hairspray. One of my guilty pleasures is "Bringing Down the House." Because moviegoers are more interested in male stars, Queen Latifah hasn't had the opportunities that Wahlberg and Smith have enjoyed.
I was a sporadic viewer of "The Sopranos." Most of my small-screen watching is movies I missed on the big screen. You?
Posted by Carrie | September 8, 2007 6:21 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 18:21
Mos Def was also great in Something the Lord Made.
My favorite show of all time is The Wire. Its uncompromising realism is simply unmatched by any television series ever.
Posted by Craig | September 8, 2007 7:21 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 19:21
definately basketball diaries
Posted by Tricia | September 8, 2007 8:21 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 20:21
I think The Departed marked a real turning point for Wahlberg. He started being one of the weaker elements in good films then started being one of the better elements in weaker films. The Departed marks the first time both his performance and the film it was in were roughly equal in quality. Hopefully, he'll build on this and make it a pattern.
Posted by Edward Copeland | September 8, 2007 8:37 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 20:37
You cannot stop watching Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed." His performance is magnetic, a perfect amalgamation of profanity, anger, and dark streetwise intelligence. It is telling that he received the supporting nomination from that film instead of Jack Nicholson's wonderful, showy, albeit over-the-top mobster.
Another point where I realized how strong Wahlberg was as an actor is the scene in "Three Kings" when he is trapped in the Iraqi prison, talking to his wife at home on the cell phone while trying to keep the Iraqi soldiers from capturing him. He's pleading with his wife, who is unhappy about his deployment, and his sincerity, humanity come through his voice as he grapples with a comically absurd scene.
Is anyone else sad he went from "The Departed" to "The Shooter"?
Posted by jamesinphilly | September 8, 2007 11:30 PM
Posted on September 8, 2007 23:30
Funny ... my friend and I were just talking about people who seem to maximize whatever natural talents they have and Mark was my pick.
This man is a true professional and obviously puts his all into whatever endeavor he's a part of ... I enjoy most of his movies and Entourage is a current fave. (but I will agree with Craig that the Wire was the best cable series ever)
Posted by Bert | September 9, 2007 11:01 AM
Posted on September 9, 2007 11:01
A big part of the reason for Wahlberg's success has been his pickiness when it comes to scripts. He rarely puts himself in a bad film or in a bad role. Many actors are impatient and will take the most money or the most glamorous role, but Wahlberg is willing to wait for the right opportunity to come along. Williness to wait for the right role is something great actors do, and Wahlberg, who may not be the most talented actor, waits for roles he really understands and which enables him to knock the role out of the park.
Posted by Jared | September 9, 2007 5:15 PM
Posted on September 9, 2007 17:15
Definitely not Perfect Storm. Blech.
Posted by Nochem | September 9, 2007 6:33 PM
Posted on September 9, 2007 18:33
Based on the recommendations here, I will endeavor to ctach "The Wire." I'm surprised that no one has mentioned how good Wahlberg is in "I (Heart) Huckabees," where, if memory serves, he threw screwball and knuckleball, as needed, and was unpredictable as the earnest fireman who rose his bike to emergencies because firetrucks weren't fuel-efficient. He was the best thing about the movie.
Posted by Carrie | September 9, 2007 8:14 PM
Posted on September 9, 2007 20:14
The Departed, Three Kings and Basketball Diaries. I remember putting on Basketball Diaries, having heard Wahlberg was in it, and thinking, "Marky Mark is acting? Puh-leeze" and being pleasantly surprised, enough that I had to eat my words and admit the kid could act. The Departed he provides a measure of comic relief and also becomes the crux of the film. I remember watching and towards the end, as we see the funeral for Leo DiCaprio's character and Matt Damon seemingly gotten away with his actions, I was wondering, what happened to Mark Wahlberg's character? I can't see him just lying down... In Three Kings, the scene between him and the Iraqi interrogator, is wonderful, as he portrays the role he does best, the average Joe, whose eyes are awoken to the true nature of the war he has just fought in but also been shielded from.
I have to throw in worst Mark Wahlberg performance (just to be contrary): Planet of the Apes. A movie so bad, it's bad.
Posted by Geoff | September 10, 2007 8:55 AM
Posted on September 10, 2007 08:55
Carrie, Carrie. Praise of Mark Wahlberg and no mention of his film-saving turn in "I Heart Huckabees"? That's an awesome comic performance. For shame!
Posted by Joe | September 10, 2007 3:22 PM
Posted on September 10, 2007 15:22
Ooops! Just saw your subsequent post in which you honor his work in "Huckabees." Sorry!
Posted by Joe | September 10, 2007 3:23 PM
Posted on September 10, 2007 15:23
Alright already, yeah, yeah, yeah, there is no questioning the earnest, serious, humble qualities that he brings to the show, but c'mon, he is hysterical! I wanna party with this guy! Despite the obvious, in Huckabees, there were serious comedic glimpses in as improbable films as The Departed as well as Four Brothers.
Posted by E | September 17, 2007 11:18 PM
Posted on September 17, 2007 23:18