I Hope Boston isn't Really Like This

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2013)

If there was ever a cast created by the hands of God himself it would have Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg. What's that you say, The Departed has a cast like that and to add to it it's directed by Martin Scorsese. Well, this is the definition of perfect. Scorsese tends to stick with mobster movies like Goodfellas but he makes them so well. The writing and acting drive this story and the Boston setting is the icing on the cake. Nicholson plays Frank Costello, a Boston mobster who uses Colin Sullivan, played by Matt Damon, as a cop on the inside. Billy, played by DiCaprio, is an undercover cop sent by Sheen and Wahlberg to work for Costello and help bring him down. Rats on rats on rats.
First off, the story is one of the best I have ever seen. The sneaking around and the lying and the deception on all ways possible in amazing to see on screen. Bill lies to Costello about his life to get on the inside and Sullivan is working to bring Costello down while secretly working for him. It's a little hard to wrap the brain around but that makes me fall in love with the movie more. Word gets around that there is a rat in the police unit and Costello thinks there is a rat in his crew. Bottom line, Sullivan has to find himself and Billy has to be careful. The writing behind this is incredible and a few twists and turns are around every corner.
Living in Boston I know a few things or two about the language. The Departed may be a bit exaggerated but for the most part people do talk like that. The famous Boston accent can be that extreme but it's really extreme in this movie. Some of the actors are not from the Boston area and it shows as they try to force the accent. The cursing is also very extreme. One time I sat down and counted how many times they fay the F word and it was close to 400. Parents be aware, this is not a movie for the kids. Take notice of the R rating.
Damon, DiCaprio, and Nicholson were the stars of this movie but Mark Wahlberg snuck in the backdoor and was amazing. The first scene with him is my favorite in the entire movie. He and Sheen are offering Billy the job and Wahlberg goes off. You can tell Wahlberg had a lot of fun with this role because he plays a scumbag, but he is great. His lines are clever and snarky and when he acts it is entertaining. He stole the show every time he was on screen. He was a jerk but his intentions were positive. A character like this was needed for this movie and again, perfect casting choice and the character was written beautifully. His one flaw is his lack of screen time. There is a big gap in the movie where he isn't there and not involved and I was left wanting more.
No movie is flawless and I think the one weakness is Madolyn. She's the shrink for cops and criminals. She gets in a relationship with Damon but it's not really touched upon. They get together in the beginning but it's forgotten and overshadowed by everything else going on. She also works with Billy and they develop a relationship. A love triangle develops but it works for a little while but it becomes very two sided if you know what I mean. I don't really like her character as she is just as much of a snake as everybody else and at the end there is a huge plot hole with her. There is a big question that isn't fully answered and every time I watch the movie it drives me mad. Her character could have been so important but she turns out to be a loose end. I wish she could have been written better and given more screen time with Sullivan to make their relationship more believable.
From top to bottom each and every single character worked. Besides the start the supporting cast was amazing. Alec Baldwin and Anthony Anderson are in this movie and they are big name guys taking a smaller role like this. They make the best of their material and they are both fantastic. As for the guys on Costello's crew, they are awesome two. Mr. French is a beast and Fitzy is a riot as well. They are characters you don't necessarily know by name but you know their faces and love what they do in the movie.
The last thirty minutes or so were awesome. Everything unravels and there is one final twist at the end I didn't see coming. Characters get justice, some get screwed, and some get revenge. There are very few plot holes and the end is satisfying. Some characters have confrontations that are very intense. The ending made the movie and every time the credits role I smile and embrace the brilliance.
Overall, The Departed is an amazing film and Scorsese delivers again. There is a lot of violence, swearing, and the movie is long but it is worth every second. DiCaprio deserved an Oscar for his performance but we all know the academy hates him. It did win Best Picture and Best Director. Wahlberg also got nominated for best actor in a supporting role and he probably deserved it but it's not a shock he didn't win. What was good about this movie? Everything, there is no such thing as a perfect movie but in my opinion, this and Titanic are the two closest movies I can think of. WillyT Seal of Approval? Well, yes, obviously.