Not His Best Film But Still Very Good

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2006)

Although The Departed is very entertaining and his best film since 1995 CASINO, this is one of Scorsese's more detached films. His films for the most part tend to be very personal and character driven. He does character studies on his characters exploring their flaws and weakness. The Departed is one of his few films that are actually plot driven and for the most part he does a fantastic job at it. When you think of all great Scorsese films it is the character that reveals the plot. In terms of guilt and redemption all his film posses this element. Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Casino, Goodfellas all this films are character films, and we view life for the most part through the eyes of the protagonist. That besides the way that Scorsese stylize his films is more intriguing.
The Departed is very entertaining and that is what film should be. This is commercial Scorsese at his best. Film was definitely geared toward the masses yet Scorsese has definitely left his usual stamp with his visuals. Film is visually stunning and that is partly due to his editor Thelma. Sound track is mediocre, I thought they used the song Gimme Shelter by the Stones too many times, where as when you think of Goodfellas and Casino, the same song was never used twice.
Any way I saw it twice in the theatre and I am going to see it again.