Unrelenting!

Rating: 9/10 (30 October 2006)

I'm aware of the fact that the concept and basic storyline for Martin Scorcese's Departed actually came from a Hong Kong/Chinese crime drama epic from a few years back. I cannot attest to what the original was,but after seeing this film,I'd be curious to see it.
This movie is arguably one of--if not THE strongest film out this fall. I'm always a little reluctant to go crazy lauding directors like Scorcese,Coppola,Spielberg and so forth because they are iconic and seem to have praise larded on them by the truckloads,but suffice it to say that there's a reason Mr.Scorcese gets the kind of laudation he gets,and this movie is one example of why.
Set in working class Boston,this film tracks the lives of two principal characters:Colin"Sully"Sullivan(Matt Damon,who's chiseled,straight,expressionless face and easy demeanor is perfect here),a model citizen from the neighborhoods who excels his way from academy into heading his own vice unit in record time,and William "Billy"Costigan(Leonardo DiCaprio,who seems to work well off Scorcese's calls,as per The Aviator from a few years before), another working class Irish Bostonian whose road to the Boston PD is much rougher and is recruited to do undercover work. Early on,you know who's who here:Sullivan is in the deep pockets of simmering,sleazy mob boss Frank Costello(Jack Nicholson,whose only flaw in this film was his wavering Boston accent)and is a link to the law enforcers who are trying to tag him,while Costigan steadily builds his links and confidence into Mr.Costello's outfit. All the while,both Sully and Billy build relationships with the police psychologist(Vera Farmiga,whom I also enjoyed in 2002's Dummy),and meanwhile work around each other. As both sides start to sense that there is a rat in their ranks,the two find themselves pushing harder to simultaneously do their jobs,cover their tracks and root the other out. The race is on,so to speak.
With quality support from Mark Wahlberg(as an incorruptible and temperamental bureau sub-chief),Martin Sheen(as Wahlberg's boss,a patient precinct veteran),Anthony Anderson(as the honest cop who works for Damon's corrupt chief),Ray Winstone(as Nicholson's brutal top henchman)and Alec Baldwin(as the charismatic paper-pusher whose investigative unit backs Damon's squad),this movie is a strong shock to the system,with violence often and yet used as a sort of gut-check to the viewer. In a war between cops and gangland criminals,the results are unrelenting and brutal,and seldom romantic.
The pacing of this film takes on more of a thriller mode towards the end,and there are a few twists thrown in to make the ending not as "neat" as some might suspect it's heading towards. The screenplay by William Monahan and Siu Fui Mak(adapting from the original)is a seamless fit to Scocese's vision. I don't like throwing phrases like "must see" or "instant classic",so instead I'll say this about it:if you're serious about your movies,catch this film any way you can.