And the Oscar goes to...

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2007)

Well, Martin Scorsese finally got his Oscar. Long overdue. Some may quibble and say the film for which he was rewarded was not his best. Those who say that may have a point. But that's really not important. The questions which must be asked are whether this film is worthy of being an Oscar winner and worthy of being forever remembered as the film which broke the infamous Scorsese Oscar curse. The answers to those questions? Resoundingly yes. The Departed stands in its own right as a remarkable film, one of the best to come along in quite some time and clearly worthy of any and all awards it has received. Maybe not Scorsese's best but if not it's pretty darned close.
Where to begin? So many different things come together to make The Departed the standout film that it is. There's a great story, a terrific cast full of big-name performers clearly on top of their games, wonderful visuals, a perfect soundtrack...all capped by that unique Scorsese touch. In this film Scorsese goes back to the familiar world of organized crime. This time the mobsters are Irish rather than Italian and the story unfolds in Boston rather than New York but it will all seem rather familiar to the Scorsese devotee. But this is not just another Scorsese mob movie. It's as intense and gritty and violent as you would expect but The Departed is quite unique, thanks mostly to the wonderfully involved and intricate story which unfolds in the film. For everything else the film has going for it in the end, as it usually does, it comes down to the story.
The plot really revolves around two figures, Leonardo DiCaprio's Billy Costigan and Matt Damon's Colin Sullivan. The two both come from Boston's rather proud but rather rough Irish community. After very different experiences in their youth, both end up in the same place, becoming Massachusetts state troopers. But soon their paths will diverge again and the story really begins to pick up steam. Sullivan has become a cop for one reason, to provide inside information to Frank Costello, the gangster whose presence is always looming over Boston's Irish neighborhood. Sullivan's a mole. Soon Costigan will be too, assigned to go undercover and infiltrate Costello's gang. Quite a tangled web. Soon both the police and Costello are well aware they each have a rat inside their organization and Costigan and Sullivan will be racing to unmask each other before being discovered themselves. A very high-stakes drama this is as the potential consequences of being discovered are painfully obvious for our respective rats.
While the story is thoroughly engrossing, great actors are required to bring that story to life. And one thing The Departed surely has no shortage of is great actors. DiCaprio and Damon are both terrific, each bringing just the right personality to their respective characters who are quite a bit alike but also so different in many important ways. Damon seems more calm and collected, DiCaprio more edgy and intense and those emotions work perfectly for the two characters. Playing Frank Costello is Jack Nicholson who is typically brilliant. Authoritative, menacing, diabolical and always dangerous...that's Frank Costello and who better for such a role than Nicholson? DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson have the three meatiest roles but there are plenty of opportunities for other actors to shine as well. Mark Wahlberg breathes great life into the character of Sgt. Dignam, one of Costigan's handlers within the police force. Dignam is a man of great conviction and passion and whenever Wahlberg is on the screen you get the sense there is always something fierce simmering just beneath the surface. Well played. There are other big names in the cast like Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin who fall perfectly into their smaller roles. And there are countless less-familiar faces who also do fine work. It seems Martin Scorsese has brought the best out of each and every member of his cast. And in doing so he has been able to wring as much drama as possible out of the terrific story with which he had to work. A great story, performed wonderfully by a terrific cast, all touched by the hand of a master director. Add it all up and you have something truly special, a wonderful film worthy of all the accolades it has received.