Another TOUCHDOWN from Scorsese!

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2006)

Synopsis: The Departed is set in the heart of South Boston, where the Massachusetts State Police is waging war on the Irish Mob. As the family of newly-minted trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) has a long criminal history, he is challenged by Captain Queenan (Sheen) and his second-in-command Sergeant Dignam (Wahlberg) to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Nicholson). While Costigan quickly gains Costello's confidence, another trooper, Colin Sullivan (Damon), whose family, unlike Billy's, has no criminal history, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit, headed by Captain Ellerby (Baldwin). However, he is a protégé of mob boss Costello from childhood, who has infiltrated the police department as an informant for the crime syndicate. Each man becomes consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to the mob and the police that they each have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being exposed  and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man first in time to save himself.

Scorsese has and always been the Master of making mob movies. Some of his memorable mob movies are Goodfellas, Casino and Gangs of New York. I personally believe that 'The Departed" is ranked upthere among them. His directing expert has really made this movie looks really BLOODY VIOLENT, which of course the major characteristic of mob movies. Jack Nicholson is back to his NASTY ass since his bad guy role as Joker in Batman (1989). Matt Damon is returning back to the future trying to be somebody that he actually is not in this movie like the character he played so marvelously in 'Talented Mr Ripley'. But the one that surprised me the most is Leonardo Dicaprio. This boyish looking guy oftenly played as a soft-charactered person in his past movies. However, you will see a different Leonardo in this movie. He kicks, he punches, he swears a lot, and he fires a gun, anything about him in this movie is that he looks really MAN. I think this was the first time Leonardo ever got to play in such role, and he excelled first time! I did watch the original HK movie 'Infernal Affairs', and I can assure you that the 'The Departed' is much better than the original and more attuned to American Culture. Who's gonna beat Hollywood anyway? A true MASTERPIECE from the master himself, Scorsese. I rate this movie 9/10 - A must watch!