The Departed

The Departed: Martin Scorsese returns to the gangster movie genre with style. He brings with him a cast that only includes the names DiCaprio, Damen, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Baldwin and Sheen…….he’s not messing around. The movie is actually a remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. We have two cops working undercover -infiltrating both aspects of the Irish mob scene in Boston. One cop was raised by the mob since he was a young kid and worked his way into the police force, basically working undercover for mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson). The other undercover cop is working for the police force and is part of Frank Costello’s mob. Suspicion arises on both sides that there is a rat in the house….but finding out who it is, is not that easy. As for the cast mentioned above = OUTSTANDING! All the actors stepped up to the plate for this movie. I can’t say enough about the acting – I wish all movies could have this high of caliber. The writing has to be mentioned next – I have not seen a movie with this crisp of screenplay since………....... Goodfellas – “A real F*cking shame” it’s been that long. The story gets you involved early and keeps you there the whole time. Tense moments throughout the entire film will keep you glued to the screen. The violence that takes place seems so naturally placed….never forced just for shock value – that is the sign of a good gangster movie. The only aspect keeping this movie from a perfect rating is the core of the story…..it seems way more is going on than should be for what is at stake. On the whole, The Departed is a stellar film (top 10 of the year) that will only get better after a few spins in the DVD player!
* * * and ½ stars or Grade: A-

If this movie had parents they would be: Infernal Affairs & Goodfellas - a lay up

With a run time of 149 minutes
This film is rated R