Great

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2009)

This movie has just about all that you need for a great crime drama. It has a great cast, and an intriguing story. In my opinion this is Scorsese's best.
This movie doesn't have a lot of action, but it proves that that is not necessary for a good story, it keeps you thinking throughout and has great character development. It is also great how it spans the genres as it starts out as a drama, then takes a lot more focus on the crime and in the last 30-45 minutes it becomes a thriller.
What is also great about this movie is that it stays real, while other movies stick to predictable Hollywood clichés. Jack Nicholson is fantastic as Frank Costello a mob boss, the character is very necessary to the movement of the story as most of the drama takes place in trying to get to him. He does not have the screen time of Di Caprio or Damon but he is a very great presence and you will enjoy every moment he is on screen. He also has a fantastic monologue at the start. Di Caprio is great as the main protagonist Billy Costagin who is told to infiltrate the mob. He is not your average hero as he suffers from anxiety problems caused by the pressure of the job. Damon is good as Colin Sullivan a smooth, high achieving cop with connections to the mob. I was not blown away by his performance, but it is the best role i have seen him in.
This movie portrays the environment of Boston very well and makes you feel that everyone knows each other in the neighborhood as a few characters might mention someone minor in one scene and then in the next a different character mentions the same minor character.
This movie is definitely deserving of it's awards and as far as I'm concerned is my favourite of the best picture winners as. i do not usually care for other ones as the critics often make a mistake, but there was certainly no mistake here.