The Departed

Rating: 7/10 (12 March 2007)

I always wondered when Martin Scorsese was going to win an Oscar for Best Director, after 6 nominations, and he deserved to win for this inventive crime drama thriller. Basically years ago, Irish mobster Frank Costello (BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Jack Nicholson) got Colin Sullivan to go through the many courses to become a professional cop, and now grown up, Colin (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust, but what they do not know is that is in fact keeping an eye out for any police activity that could come to an arrest. The police decide to get young undercover cop Billy Costigan (BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Leonardo DiCaprio, Oscar nominated the same year for Blood Diamond) to get into Frank's gang, earn his trust, and hope to get evidence of his guilt, and crimes. It is when word gets out about two rats, in Frank's gang and the police that trouble brews for both groups. Also starring Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Mark Wahlberg as Dignam, Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan, Ray Winstone as Mr. French, Vera Farmiga as Madolyn, Scary Movie 3 & 4's Anthony Anderson as Brown and Alec Baldwin as Ellerby. I really like the idea of two rats in both groups, and the concluding scenes are the personal highlights. It won the Oscars for Best Editing, Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, the David Lean Award for Direction and Best Film, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Director, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Leonardo DiCaprio was number 94, and Jack Nicholson on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 63 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, and he was number 7 on The World's Greatest Actor, and Ray Winstone was number 32 on The 50 Greatest British Actors. Very good!