The Departed A New American Crime Classic

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2009)

Martin Scorsese's The Departed is a new American crime classic brought to life by an all star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farminga, and Alec Baldwin. The movie is about Billy Costigan (played perfectly with intensity and vulnerability by DiCaprio) a rookie cop who goes undercover to help his detective handlers (played by Sheen and Wahlberg in great supporting roles) bring down mob boss Frank Costello (played to a tee with menace by Nicholson). His character provides some of the comic relief which balances well between the drama, suspense, and action. Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (played effectively by Damon in a rare villain role) has everyone trusts who is actually Costello's mole. Vera Farminga also does a good job with the supporting role of Sullivan's girlfriend and Costigan's secret lover Madolyn and Ray Winstone is fantastic as Mr. French who is Costello's right hand man. From the great actors who all brought their A game, to the story, to the Boston setting, and Scorsese's direction of where he wanted to take this film is masterfully done. The film did feel a bit long at the end with a running time of 151 minutes but it's a minor flaw in what is a great crime film brought to the big screen. The film does have some strong brutal violence, strong language, and sexual content so adults may want to think about watching this movie with their children. Other then that The Departed is a terrific film with some twists, turns, and surprises that make for an enjoyable film to watch. So if you're a fan of crime films, Scorsese, or any of the actors in it then chances are you'll really like this film. Go see it. You won't be disappointed.