Well acted and directed but NOT Scorsese's best

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2007)

When this movie started I thought that it was going to be great.The way the lives of the two rookie cops were intertwined was very well done initially and I was definitely hooked.Gradually though,as the film wore on,I realised that I was clock watching a little and had lost a bit of interest.Why?Tough to explain but I'll try.
The acting is pretty much first rate with Matt Damon(Colin Sullivan)particularly impressive.I thought that Vera Famiga(Madolyn)gave a very nice performance also.Every one else was fine,there were no duff performances.I started to have a problem with the movie when Madolyn two timed her boyfriend with Billy.This seemed very contrived and it didn't convince me at all.I also felt the movie was a little too long and the music was a bit overpowering at times.It is a good film,but certainly not a great one.No one can begrudge Martin Scorsese his Oscar,he certainly deserved to win one at some stage.But I would most definitely put 'Goodfellas','The Aviator','Taxi Driver' and the one he should certainly have won for 'Raging Bull'above this.It is a clichÃ©d sort of a film and I thought that it got a bit crazy at the end when almost everybody was getting shot in the head!
When I came to mark this movie I couldn't decide to give it a 7 or an 8.I then wondered if I would want to watch it again and I can't honestly say that I would.So,by no means a bad movie but definitely not Mr. Scorsese at the very peak of his powers.