The only one that can do what I do is me. Lot of people had to die for me to be me. You wanna be me?

Rating: 8/10 (25 April 2020)

The Departed is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan, Alan Mak and Felix Chong. It stars Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Mark Rolston and Alec Baldwin. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Michael Ballhaus.
An Irish gang in South Boston becomes aware there is a rat in their midst, whilst the police force has a mole to contend with - with each one trying to out each other before the other does...
Martin Scorsese remakes Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002) for the English speaking world, and promptly bagged his first Best Director Oscar in the process. It's a thrilling picture packed with suspense and edginess, a psychological gangster picture driven by two men leading double lives that is leading them to the abyss. When the violence comes it erupts in thunderous strokes, all while the narrative pulses with paranoia. There are some irksome contrivances, but with a uniformly strong set of turns from the cast, great musical accompaniments, and a director returning to gangster form, The Departed is a sure fire winner. 8.5/10