Another Scorsese Masterpiece.

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2008)

This is another addition in Scorsese's long line of brilliant movies. I don't think Scorsese has ever made a bad film, but this one stands out as one of his best, in the league of Taxi Driver, The Last Waltz, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. Although it is not an original storyline, it is very well written and scripted. It is a very personal experience, and I found myself relating to the characters in a much more personal level than in Goodfellas or the other Scorsese movies. Identity themes can make for beautiful movies if it is done right, because it is so universal. Leonardo DiCaprio's character mentions that he does not want money, or a job, or a medal; all he wants is his identity. This was the part that really won me over for this movie.
Speaking of DiCaprio, he has grown so much as an actor since the days of Titanic. In his films with Scorsese, starting with Gangs of New York, he progressed from an actor that "had his moments" to a true star. Gangs of New York and The Aviator were good, but The Departed is so fantastic that it cannot really be compared on the same level as these two films, both in terms of acting and writing/production.
Matt Damon plays a great "bad guy". His role is so much the polar opposite of DiCaprio, and their performances match their intended roles. What a novel idea to have the good guy in a gangster's skin and the bad guy in cop's skin. The pair of them are like a pair of gears, they move in the exact opposite direction, but it is perfectly smooth. The other actors were also great in their performances. After seeing him flirt with comedies for the past few years, it is nice to see Jack Nicholson back in a "darker" role, and is probably the best acting performance of his career. Mark Wahlberg was also in his prime, and got into the personality of his character. At times, I was left feeling that he was almost an antagonist, but he later became the only hope for justice.
All of these actors are in the best performances of their careers, in what is arguably the best film of the 21st century. It is a little bit long, but it captured my attention very quickly, and hung on to it. It was a deeply personal film-watching experience for me, and there is very little that could have been done to make this a better movie than it already is. The rat on the balcony at the end brings it all home, in a bit of a black comedy moment, a powerful ending that I would compare with Breakfast at Tiffany's or The Graduate. Some people say a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe not, but it's certainly worth at least a few very good words.