wow.

Rating: 9/10 (6 October 2009)

I just saw this on FilmFour (uk)and wanted to say how great it has aged. I saw the departed when it came out and thought it was good but something about the hype detracted from it. The fact that it was a remake also impinged. Looking at the deprated now though one of the first things to stand out is the quality of the cast. Great actors turning in top shelf performances bar none. It might be the last great Nicholson performance as well. Leonardo is excellent and Ray Winstone shines. The narratiive itself drives forward and is pleasingly complex - it fills up the long runing time well. There is no shortage of brilliant individual scenes either. It surely has the best bravura opening of any Scorsese film - 18 mins before a title. I realize I am frothing, I just love this film and it seems to be aging like a fine wine. I prefer it to Goodfellas for example now although that would of been unthinkable when the departed came out. One of Scorseses tighest and best films I think.