Great Acting, Bad Writing,

Rating: 7/10 (6 April 2007)

Great acting. Jack N. is good just reading a phone book and Caprio did his best work. Writing seemed sloppy and contrived. Editing had some bad cuts. At times it seemed they were racing against a schedule to complete the film. I think Scorcese has seen too many Tarantino movies. All the shooting, blood, dead bodies and gore was a bit over the top. Departed is not one of his best works. But what the heck, I liked it, but it didn't live up to the hype. The movie is based on the career of Whitey Bulger, a Boston mobster, who got away with scores of crime because he was an FBI informant, recruited by a boyhood friend who was in the FBI. Why they gave Nicholson an Italian name is a mystery. Martin Sheen should sue the writers for his role. He did the best he could with some dialog that seemed almost ad lib.
One of the glaring omissions was the very obvious omission of the role of the media. In the real world the media would have been a major player in the movie. As usual, the photography was outstanding. Cinemaphotography has become so good that it can make up for poor writing, mediocre directing and bad casting. Sometimes its great to just sit back and marvel at the incredible camera work.