High Expectations

Rating: 8/10 (7 October 2006)

Going into Martin Scorsese's new film The Departed, I had the highest expectations I've ever had for a film. I heard from some people that it was better than Goodfellas, a feat only a few rare films achieve. Well, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. It was not the greatest movie ever made, but it's definitely up there, and for many reasons: 1.The acting, as guessed, is absolutely superb. DiCaprio showed that he can finally act well and be a good lead. He played his character believably and I could sense his emotion well throughout. His Boston accent was a little off at times and seemed exaggerated, but he can't be perfect. To me, this was the perfect role for Matt Damon. I never really liked him, he's not in very good movies, and his character was very unlikeable in this, which I think fit him very well. His Boston accent, of course, was phenomenal, because it was natural. Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin also gave top-notch memorable performances in for this stellar cast. Now, to the two best performances of the film. First, Mark Wahlberg was truly perfect for his role. His character was the funniest of the movie, with a curse word coming out of his mouth every other word. His tough attitude proved to be pivotal towards the end of the movie, and he stole every single scene he was in. Jack Nicholson, as well, was perfect for his role. Every word that came out of his mouth made me believe more and more that he was not Jack, but Frank Costello, his character. He, too, has some very witty lines due to his character being crazy, as usual for him. I wouldn't say it was an original character, but it was definitely perfectly played by Jack, and I feel that this will get him his Oscar.
2. The Plot in this movie is one of the more original ideas I've heard of recently. I had not heard about Internal Affairs before this film, so I thought the idea of following a rat in the Mafia and a mole in the police force was very unique and I was attached to it immediately. There were some twists, some turns, and everything in between, but the movie ran smoothly and I wasn't confused at any single point.
3. Going into the movie, I expected a very serious film with maybe slight bits of humor. I was pleasantly surprised. This movie had some legitimate laugh-out-loud moments, mostly coming from Jack's wackiness or Whalberg's temper and flare. Also, the humor wasn't at random, it helped develop the plot line and reveal things about the characters.
All in all, The Departed, while not the greatest movie ever, is definitely the best movie of the year so far and I feel that it will get many Oscars, and I hope Scorsese finally gets one for this masterpiece that should not be missed.