Best Movie Of 2006, Hands Down.

Rating: Null/10 (25 November 2006)

The Joe Cool Experience: The Departed(2006)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello Mark Wahlberg as Dignam Martin Sheen as Oliver Queenan
Plot: A cop goes undercover within the Irish Mafia to gain incriminating information on Frank Costello. At the same time, Frank has someone from his group within the police department in order to keep from getting caught and for information. Sooner or later both cops discover each other's presence in each other's groups and a game of cat and mouse occurs as they try to discover each other's identities.
Openers: I knew little to nothing about this movie going in. The only things I knew were that it had a cast I knew I'd enjoy, and a very talented director in Martin Scorsese at the helm. The trailer also looked fantastic. I knew nothing of the movie this was based off of and I didn't know too much concerning the plot. So going into this with a blank slate, I really didn't have any expectations. And the two hours that followed completely blew me away.
The Good: This movie has everything going for it. The previously mentioned superb cast, for starters. Leonardo DiCaprio, who I feel is an underrated actor and gets better with every movie, turns in another stellar performance. Matt Damon gives a good show as well. Jack Nicholson plays himself, once again, but he's entertaining and actually a bit more subdued here so I let it pass. The supporting cast, featuring Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin also do a good job. I really liked Mark Wahlberg's show here too. It's been a long time since he's been "Marky Mark" and he's showing a lot of acting skill in there. The directing was nice, the pacing was excellent and the story was wonderful. This movie doesn't shy away from the red stuff, which is another good thing. Lots of bloody headshots, a fall that ends terribly are some of the highlights. The blood actually adds to the story, rather than detract for the sake of it. Also this movie has a lot of quotable lines, and a lot of tension that will have you on the edge of your seat. I know I was.
The Bad: Not a bad thing. Nitpicking, you could say the movie runs long, but you never notice. I couldn't find any faults with this movie.
The Ugly: The previously mentioned redness would go here, otherwise this one remains blank as well.
Final Verdict: I had to wait awhile to review this just so I could do it objectively. And looking back I still cannot see any faults and think this is just an awesome movie. The Departed is hands down, my choice for the movie of the year. Highest Recommendation.
Rating: ***** of *****