Unbelievably gripping and a perfect cast.

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2007)

I wouldn't want to spoil one second of this perfectly crafted film by giving anything away and you should do the same when recommending it. Often the advertising hype and public frenzy about a movie proves to be ill-founded. However in the case of "The Departed" it was well deserved. Martin Scorsese drew stunning performances out of already incredible actors. The seamless dialog and high emotional intensity didn't let up for a moment. Nicholson was the ultimate sleazy sociopath mob boss and Damon portrayed the pretty-faced bad boy to perfection. DiCaprio continues to astound me with his deep complexity as an actor. I was quickly drawn into his precarious situations and often found myself literally holding my breath on his behalf while awaiting the outcomes. Even Wahlberg and Baldwin, though their roles are supporting rather than lead, maintain a powerful presence throughout. Oh, and let's not forget Martin Sheen(Where has he been, anyway?)excellently playing one of the lone good guys in the film. I am not generally a fan of violent gangster-type movies, and I admit to much cringing and eye-closing. But the story, the acting, the dialog and the edginess hooked me right off. Nicholson's voice-over in the first minutes introduce him as a man with a definite idea of who he is, where he belongs and what he wants out of life. The interactions are snappy and believable with a few really memorable volleys between Wahlberg and Baldwin. We actually had to pause the DVD at times in order to fully enjoy them lest we be still laughing instead of paying attention. I appreciated the non-Tarantino-like directing. Rather than making the violence twistedly funny there are humorous moments within an intense and violent story. And the scarceness of "Naked Flesh" kept the story true to its purpose. Well done, Mr. Scorsese.