His departure lasted way too long....but he's back!

Rating: 10/10 (15 November 2006)

The man spawned legions of imitators and followers, some good, some bad, and some terrible. His style is unrivaled, his violence over the top, his language, coloured, but his expertise, unparalleled. The man has never been recognized by the Academy, and for a crime like that there are no words. But what the man does best is not win awards; it's the gangster movies. And oh how long it's been since we saw one.
Martin Scorcese is back in the vein that made him great, the vein where he revealed a whole new style of film making, a style imitated by many young talents in the industry today, such as Quentin Tarantino. He's respected like no other, and he shows why in his latest gangster movie, his first in 10 years, 2006's masterpiece "The Departed".
Starring a cast that fires on all cylinders, never slacking in any department, it is a remake of the Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs", transposed to a Bostonian setting in which gang business plagues the city, and investigations on the reigning crime lord, Frank Costello (expertley portrayed by Jack Nicholson in a scene-stealing role), always seem to turn up empty. Enter new State Police officer Billy Costigan (an Award deserving Leonardo di Caprio), a man with a troubled past. His assignment: to lose himself in the world of organized crime and become an undercover unit in Costello's gang.
However, not is all as it seems, with Costello having his own spy within the State Police, a rat of a cop, Colin Sullivan (well played by Matt Damon) who is sent to find the undercover within Costello's crew.
It's a deadly game of cat and mouse, where one false move could mean certain death for either party involved.
The story is excellent and engrossing, but the real star here is not only the actors, but the style. That's Scorcese's bread and butter: the style. Expertly cut and crafted, every shot seems as though it's cool, without even being overly remarkable.
Martin Scorcese has been dabbling in styles unfamiliar to him. While well respected by the Academy (though still never winning, I believe John Stweart summed it up best) it was a departure from his career making mold. This isn't always a bad thing, as Steven Spielberg has slowly undergone a metamorphosis into a very different director than he began as, however, for Scorcese, his newer movies just didn't feel right.
All that changes with "The Departed". A crowning achievement for the dismal year of 2006, and definitely a contender at Oscar time.
Perhaps maybe, justice will be served, and Scorcese will finally get his due. Either way, the man remains the best at what he does; and that is, whatever he wants.