'Someone had to die. With me it tends to be the other guy'

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2011)

'The Departed' is an excellent film. Director Martin Scorsese, who won the Best Director Academy Award for this movie, has assembled an incredible ensemble cast headed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. I can not praise DiCaprio's work enough; as an actor he just gets better and better. It seems that he has become Scorsese's latest muse, a role filled in past years by Robert De Niro. Everyone acts up a storm, actually, and Vera Farmiga is especially good as Madolyn, who forms a bizarre love triangle with Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon).
Billy Costigan is an ambitious young Boston cop who goes undercover in order to infiltrate a criminal fraternity headed by the charismatic and philosophical Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). At the same time, Frank has a mole working for him inside the Boston Police Department in the person of Colin Sullivan. Colin tips off Costello whenever the latter is about to be busted, allowing Frank to stay one step ahead of the cops. So Billy must uncover Colin's identity while Colin is trying to uncover Billy's. Cue a breathless and mesmerizing flick, filled with intrigue and numerous close calls.
First rate support is offered by Ray Winstone as Mr. French, Costello's right hand man. Winstone does not even have to open his mouth - his physical presence is intimidating enough as it is. And Mark Wahlberg (as the profane Staff Sgt. Dignam), Martin Sheen (Cpt. Queenan), and Alec Baldwin (Capt. Ellerby) round out the cast, while it is great to see Anthony Anderson in a serious role as Brown. Anderson proves here that he can do more than just comedy.
Nicholson is great as always, and he is pretty frightening and totally believable as the crime overlord. This is another triumph for Scorsese and, while it is perhaps not quite up to the standard of 'Goodfellas', it is still highly recommended viewing.