A Brawl of a Movie

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2006)

I will be brief and to the point. The Departed is a near perfect film. The story is engrossing. The acting is superb. And, the direction delivers a film that will stand up against the best of gangland cinema.
Jack Nicholson is a master of his craft. And no one plays the devil incarnate better that ol' Jack. His portrayal of the mob boss Frank Costello is a classic. It's a role where he can stretch his acting talents and play the bad guy we all love to hate.
Leonardo DiCaprio is his best role to date shines and shows us he is maturing into a great actor. Matt Damon does an efficient job in his role of inside man and keeps the film moving. Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg are excellent in supporting roles. And, I have to give Alec Baldwin an A+ for his supporting role as Ellerby. He hasn't shined like this since Glengarry Glen Ross.
Perfect at 2 1/2 hours - this is truly one of the best of 2006 and worth a trip to theater. Don't miss it.