Scorcese's best since 'Goodfellas'

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2006)

I went to see 'The Departed' last night and was simply blown away by the acting, directorial technique and story. Other things that really sprang to my attention was the noir lighting employed - check out how Nicholson is portrayed in the film's opening scenes or the Chinatown night scenes. The performances were superb. Mark Wahlberg gave one of the best performances I've seen him do as the committed, odious Boston detective. Di Caprio was excellent as the informer caught between his police handlers Wahlberg and Martin Sheen's fatherly cop and Jack Nicolson's flamboyant crime boss. Matt Damon was great too but I thought one of the actors who really shone was Vera Farmiga as his psychiatrist girlfriend. Her acting is so natural and realistic that she should get a Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. Ray Winstone gave a really good performance too as Nicholson's right hand man though unfortunately he struggled many times with the Boston accent as he dipped into a London drawl. He falls into the same league as the likes of Michael Caine and Jude Law, as being an English actor who cannot really pull off an American accent. You wonder where the voice coaches are. This is distracting and to me a little unprofessional - if you are in a movie this big and getting paid that much get the accent right!
The storyline of two informers in the Boston mob and police force really brings out the best in all the actors concerned, though I will say that at times somethings are not properly explained.
(Possible spoiler!) The plot is really complex to say the least and in a scene where DiCaprio follows Damon's character into Chinatown whilst being communicated with by cell phone we are not clearly told who is actually contacting him.
(Possible spoiler!) There is also the distraction of a love triangle between DiCaprio's character, Farmiga's & Matt Damon's which I thought was not really necessary and distracted you from the overall story of cops versus crime lord. Also in true Scorcese style this has one of the bloodiest endings I have ever seen in a film.
Lastly Jack Nicholson I thought was excellent though I thought he was just playing 'Jack' all over again. Where is the fear when this character enters a scene? I felt he was reprising a pseudo version of his 'Joker character from Batman. His turn was mostly blackly comedic and his character did not really prove to be a deranged psychopath - more another turn of Nicholson at his charismatic comedic best. This is why I thought he was miscast, although I can't think of many other actors who could have stepped into his shoes - maybe De Niro at a push.
But overall this is one of the best films Scorcese has ever made and the best film you will probably see all year.