Luckily I didn't have to pay to watch this tripe.

Rating: 1/10 (14 March 2007)

This movie was one of my local Blockbuster Video's "it's in stock or it's free" titles. I came to the store the day after this movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture and it was out of stock, so I thought "what the hell" and got a voucher for a free rental, which I redeemed a week later.
I can't ask for my money back since I rented this movie for free, but I wish I could have my 2.5 hours back. This was the most pretentious truckload of tripe I've sat through in a long time. I am a big fan of HBO's The Wire and other well made crime dramas. But I'm also a fan of movies that have a point. This movie had no point except to portray some laughably fake version of the "gritty reality" of Boston's crime scene and to pop off the main characters through one contrived "plot twist" after the next.
A lot has been made about the acting in this movie. I think all the big name actors in this movie delivered highly-energetic, but completely boring performances. That is to say their idea of character development in this movie basically consisted of constant shouting. Nicholsen was cartoonish, acting less like his character and more like, well, Jack Nicholsen. I never believed him as a crime boss, and I never believed Damon, DiCaprio or Walberg in their roles either.
A lot happens in this movie. A lot of people die graphic deaths and a lot of people swear a lot. A lot of people say "Boston" things like "Boston" people say them. A lot happens in this movie, but nothing interesting happens. I find it interesting that many of the most negative reviews of this movie come from real life cops and others who actually have some firsthand experience with the "gritty" urban life this movie purports to portray.