The Best Scorsese Film I Have Ever Seen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2006)

Minor, if any, spoilers.
I first saw The Departed the first weekend that it opened because well...I'm a huge Martin Scorsese, Leo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon fan. So this was definitely the movie for me to see this year. I have to tell you all, I loved it! I loved it so much that I have seen it three times already. I mean, it is just such an incredible film. I would even have to say that it not only is my favorite film of the year so far (which there really haven't been many great ones, so that is not hard for me to say), but it would have to be my favorite Martin Scorsese film also. If you have seen and appreciate a lot of Scorsese's films, then you know that what I have just said is a huge thing.
The Departed is such a great piece of work. It makes you think and is very well shot. The story itself is unbelievable. Just as a quick review to those of you who might not remember what it's about, The Departed follows two men, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio). Sullivan is a cop with a clean background who has made his way through his career with the help of his "boss" Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), a terrifyingly huge mob boss who does what ever he wants, like killing whoever and putting Sullivan through police school so he has one of his men in the police force. Costigan on the other hand has a history with being on the wrong side of the law, both personally and with family, yet he tries to become a full on cop and is only able to become an undercover cop for Oliver Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Costigan is assigned to go undercover and become one of Costello's men, which he is successful in doing. So the movie goes on with Sullivan becoming a Detective who still works for Costello and Costigan an undercover cop who is able to become one of Costello's right hand men.
The Departed is incredibly smart and very well put together. With some of Scorsese's recent films, such as Gangs of New York and The Aviator, which I both really liked, yet with both of those films I felt there was something missing, like it could have been tightened a bit more or something. The Departed was perfect. There were no points where there were lulls or where things should have been tightened. It was literally perfect. The way it was shot, the way it was put together, the story, the actingeverything was perfect.
Now the acting, oh my god, was incredible! Everyone and I mean EVERYONE was fantastic. It seemed like everyone wanted to be on their top game for this one. One performance that I thought was really entertaining and good was Mark Wahlberg. I'm not that big of a Wahlberg fan, yet I was delightfully surprised with him in this film. He was cocky and a real smart ass. I loved him, and if you see the end of the film, you'll know why.
I thought Matt Damon did a wonderful job. It was so nice to see him playing the bad guy for a change. I mean, it's not like he never has (School Ties, The Talented Mr. Ripley, etc.), but I'm so used to seeing him play the good looking good guy that it was nice to see him be the hateful bad guy.
Jack Nicholson was good. He was completely crazy in the part of the mob boss Costello. Yet personally, I didn't see anything magical about his performance. It seemed to me like Jack was playing Jack, if you get my meaning. I have no doubt that Jack will be nominated for his part in this movie, but his performance in this movie wasn't the one that blew me away.
Now, here is the point that I have come to that was/is my favorite part of the movie The Departed, and that was Leonardo DiCaprio's performance. I can not possibly explain how wonderful he was in this movie. It's the kind of thing you need to see with your own two eyes. There were so many layers to his character and he pulled them off beautifully. There were moments of total sorrow and anxiety that his character goes through that Leo did incredibly. Leo is so wonderful to watch and so sexy (a fact that I didn't mind at all). There are many sad moments that Leo has in this film, but there is one moment at the end where I lost it. When you all see this film, you will know the point that I am talking about. The part is very surprising and shocking, and it made me heart broken. It touched me in such a level that after the film ended, I went out to my car and cried like I have never cried before. Leo moved me in such a way that I just needed to let all me feelings out. He NEEDS an Oscar for this part! Leo was that good. This is his year for an Oscar.
I could literally go on and on about this movie for hours. It was so good. I'm telling you, it will take a VERY good film to beat The Departed come Oscar time. It is finally the time for Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio to get an Oscar for their great work! If any one wants to talk to me about this movie, don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to discuss this movie with others.