A taut film with excellent dialogue and great acting

Rating: 9/10 (13 October 2006)

I don't have a great deal of time to write a review of this film, but suffice to say that I thought this was an excellent, compelling movie. It has realistic dialogue for the most part (the law enforcement characters are a little over the top at times, but this provides comic relief) and I thought Leo's performance was simply amazing. Overall, the film is intelligent and well directed. I honestly would have liked a half an hour more of scenes from the criminal side of the film since Nicholson's character is wondrously evil and fascinating. I am a bit critical when it comes to films, and this is only one a very few movies that I thoroughly enjoyed and will likely see again. The plot is not overly twisty, but it is strung together in a smart way that requires some work from the audience. Strong language and violence may turn off many, so make sure you have the stomach. Lastly, Matt Damon's performance is on part with the rest of the film, but Damon, for me at least, is just one of the actors who is always himself...like Tom Cruise. What I mean is that he simply can't make me suspend my disbelief like Leo or Jack does in this film. This is not to say his performance is poor, but just a little underwhelming. Fortunately for him he chooses good roles and puts his heart into his acting.
Overall, this film did the job for me and now I must watch Internal Affairs ASAP.