Better than Goodfellas?

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2006)

Dare I? Dare I say it? This movie is better than Goodfellas. There, I said it.
I saw this latest Scorsese film at an advance screening. Needless to say I was expecting a lot  more than I thought this director (of classics like Taxi Driver but lately of Gangs of New York) would deliver. I was very wrong.
Though the exact plot is unimportant, The Departed is about the blurred lines that distinguish good guy from bad guy, and cop from robber, in present-day Boston. With a packed cast (which I need not mention) that includes great supporting roles by Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin, the acting in the departed is stellar. Living-legend Jack Nicholson flawlessly delivers one of his best performances in years as the execrable mob boss Frank Costello. Nicholson's nuanced acting was so on-point that at times I felt like I was actually about to be shot by the slimy capo.
The Departed is nothing short of spectacular. Funnier that most comedies, Scorsese is still able to amplify the bloodshed and meticulously deliver a stunning cinematic achievement.
Bravo, Mr. Scorsese; you have outdone yourself.