Movie Review
The Departed
Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 6, 2006
Release Date: October 6, 2006
Martin Scorsese’s newest masterpiece, The Departed, is the most exhilarating, edge of your seat, cat and mouse thriller I have seen in years. All The King’s Men can go back to wherever they came from, because The Departed sits as the best film of the year, period.
Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) owns Boston and has for decades. His success as a businessman is only superceded by his success as a crime boss. Frank never gets caught and always knows every step that the Boston Police Department takes, even before they move. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has an innocent face and a trustworthy attitude. Colin has worked his way up from being a state trooper, all the way to being a member of a large task force designated to follow all activities of Frank Costello. Bill Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) has a troubled past and comes from a family with the same reputation. Bill has turned himself around and has just graduated from State Trooper training.
All three characters connect in a web of deception and lies that leave you wondering what will happen next. Frank has an mole in the department who feeds him all information about stings and heat headed his way. The department knows that a mole is informing Frank of all his activities, so they put an inside man deep undercover to monitor Frank. While the inside man is trying to smoke out the mole, Frank instructs the mole to smoke out the inside man. The Departed is pure cat and mouse entertainment at its best.
First, let me just tell you that every single actor in this film was magnificent. While some of these big names might not have the biggest role in the film, Scorsese pushed for the biggest performances out of them. Right down to Alec Baldwin, I mean the man can portray a schmuck better than anyone in the business. The beauty of the film lies in how well Scorsese allows a transition of loyalty from character to character. You start the film liking a person or a group of people, and disliking another until out of nowhere your eyes open and you find yourself rooting for the good guy. Blurred moral distinctions allow you to actually like the bad guys more so than the good guys in the film. Even though a character may be a rat, he is the type of charming and suave rat that you would introduce your sister to.
Scorsese has crafted his most purely entertaining films in years. By years, I might mean 11 or I might mean 16…I’m not sure yet. Nonetheless, Scorsese is back where he belongs, with the wise guys. Trading in his red white and green for some orange white and green worked wonderfully. The over-the-top Boston Irish machismo aura provided for both an unmistakable attitude and also some great comic relief. Scorsese truly must have had fun with this cast and it hits the screen like a freight train and showed us how American Cinema is not dead, its just hidden in the minds of genius directors.
The camera angles and performances create so much tension and conflict throughout the film. Fast transition through this complex plot may have been poorly executed by any other director and while Scorsese’s editing is the one element that could have made or broken the film, we can just say that the man took care of business. The film walks onto the screen with a swagger that just screams for multiple viewings. Every character, relationship, and interaction on the screen is absolutely magnificent. I have never been more involved in a thrilling cat and mouse type film before. The only downside might be the ending. Some may walk away from it disappointed, but I was happy that Hollywood didn’t try being too smart for their own good on this one. The film was amazing.
The Upside: Oscar might have found a new home. Alec Baldwin all schmucked up.The Downside: Some details left open, and left me wondering
On the Side: The Departed is actually an adaptation of the Cantonese film Mou Gaan Dou (a.k.a. Infernal Affairs)
Final Grade: A
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