Scorcese On Form

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 2006)

The new offering from martin Scorcese sees him leave behind the historical sets of Gangs of New York and return to his roots with gangster flick The Departed. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) has always wanted to be a cop and he's sent undercover by Massechutesses State Police to infiltrate Irish - American gangster Frank Costello's (Nicholson) mob. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has been groomed by Costello to be a mole from a young age and is now Costello's informant in the Special Investigations Department. The two contrasting moles while keeping their real agenda a secret go in search of each other.
The picture is unapologetically violent and depicts murder merely as a way of life, but in the midst of the guts an gore the film explores particularly in the case of Billy Cosigan living a life with an identity that isn't yours. Scorsese's latest muse Leonardo DiCaprio excels as the troubled cop horrified by the release he feels from indulging in the violent lifestyle he's being forced to lead. Despite a stellar cast of DiCaprio and Damon supported by Martin Sheen, Alec Bladwin and Mark Whalberg they are all overshadowed by Jack Nicholson as the seasoned actor goes from charming to one step short of the nut house in the toss of a coin. The one draw back to this film is it doesn't break any new ground in the gangster movie genre. Put that aside and this movie is intelligent, fast paced and unpredictable with Scorcese unquestionably at his best and with great turns from DiCaprio who off the back of The Aviator has left behind his pretty boy Titanic days and Matt Damon who's acting career is going from strength to strength. But this is without a doubt Jack Nicholson's movie.