The best film of the year?

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2006)

I *really* enjoyed this movie. The first time I've been wowed at the cinema this year.
The acting is excellent, aided by a fantastic storyline. Each character is given substance and life, and you become aware of unspoken relationships between them. Special mention should go to Jack Nicholson, who really brings depth and life to the bad guy.
The backdrops are gritty and real, the language coarse and vulgar. The police offices are just as dark and sinister as the gang hangouts. If you stop paying attention for a moment, you'll miss the pithy dialogues. And the plot is deep and twisted, definitely not an after-work relaxation flick.
My only complaint (and I might be alone here) is that Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon look too much like one another. I initially got very confused because I couldn't tell the two characters apart. Fortunately DiCaprio's tortured character quickly develops facial hair, and it was easy to follow after that.
The way the story ended was also a little disappointing, but it was faithful to the original film.
Thoroughly recommended.