Scorsese Does It Again!!!

Rating: 9/10 (29 October 2006)

Certainly Martin Scorsese is in the Top 5 film Director's of all time! His ability to put out movie after movie with astonishing screenplays and unforgettable characters is unlike any other. The Departed is an amazing film, from its acting, to its script, to its portrayal of the Boston police and the Irish mafia, and to its shocking finale.
ACTING: The acting in the film is superb. At first it's awkward with everyone having Irish accents and such but you learn to love it. Like all of Scorsese's pictures, The Departed is extremely well cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is a fine actor indeed and may very well merit another Oscar nomination for his roll as an undercover in the Irish Mob, but nothing is certain with the Oscars. Mel Gibson wasn't even nominated for playing William Wallace in Braveheart, even though Nicolas Cage was more than deserving of his well earned Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas. Anyways back to The Departed. Matt Damon also delivers a strong role and possibly the best performance of his career. Is it just me or does Scorsese bring out the best in people? Everyone is already quite aware of Jack Nicholson's quality as an actor so I'll only say one thing. The personality he gives in his role as a criminal is surreal. There are still 3 actors who must be noted for making The Departed all that it is. Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. Each of them giving unforgettable performances. They really stand out in the film and provide some humorous comments as well.
STORY: From writer William Monahan (Kingdom of Heaven and soon to be Jurassic Park IV) comes an engaging, thrilling, and powerful story about corruption within the Boston Police and its ties with the Irish Mafia. Two moles, one within the police force tipping off the mafia, and one with the mafia tipping off the police force play a frustrating game of cat and mouse to discover each other's identities. That's the basic story line. Throw in a little drama, some very entertaining dialogue, a couple gun fights, and a few well placed twists and turns and you've just seen The Departed. Do all of Scorsese's movies have great screenplays or is it just me?
OVERALL: The Departed is a must see and will hopefully win at least a few Oscars this upcoming year. With a runtime of about 2 and 1/2 hours it keeps you engaged the entire time. It's basically rated R for language, a little sexuality, and some traditional Scorsese violence. Great acting, cinematography, screenplay, musical score pieced together nicely, and direction make The Departed an astonishing film.