Serious men

Rating: 9/10 (1 September 2011)

IMDb Top 250: 58
The Departed is like Goodfellas for the next decade. It has crime, music, and Scorcese at the reigns. While it cannot replicate the magic of Goodfellas, which will never happen, The Departed tells a different kind of crime story with great success.
If you didn't know, The Departed is about the Irish mafia in Boston shown from both sides of the law. The tale is quickly paced, with lots of angry looking men. There's several twists and unexpected moments that will affect you in various ways. Gritty and violent, The Departed gets in your face.
The film centers on men who are on both sides of the law, or so it appears. DiCaprio is excellent as Bill, a rookie cop in a family with a history of crime, who is sent undercover. His anger is very well conveyed. Leo does a great job. He is backed by Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Sheen may be the only reasonable person in the entire film, and he's a good foil for the vulgar Digham, played well by Wahlberg, who acted from experience. They're all going after Costello, in another superb performance, this one by Jack Nicholson. He's a little crazy, and a great villain. His informant in the police is Sullivan, played by a mostly straight Matt Damon. He does the role justice, but doesn't stand out.
This is very evidently a Scorcese picture. Great shots, including a cool intro with Costello where his face is just out of the light until the reveal. The pace is fast, and the film is well edited. Music accompanies, but ends abruptly, or is nearly silenced. It doesn't work as well as Goodfellas or Casino. For some reason, Gimme Shelter is played- twice, as is the most- fitting Shipping Up to Boston.
Crime fans and fans of Scorcese need to see this, and those who can stomach the brutal violence and copious amounts of swearing should see why this won Best Picture. Serious men indeed. 8.6/10