The Departed Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?
Undercover
Underhanded
Unrestrained
Cops or Criminals. When you're facing a loaded gun what's the difference?
No matter how tall, big, successful, bad, good you are; a gun changes everything
Be careful with the road you choose!! You could lose your identity on the way!!
Shoot first, ask questions later; that way you will survive this world
Who is your friend and your enemy? Dont know, just shoot and it won't be none of them
"No one gives it to you, you have to take it"
Two just-graduated officers from Massachusetts State Police Academy follow opposite sides of the law: William Costigan is assigned to work undercover with the Irish mobster Frank Costello to get evidences to arrest him. His true identity is only known by his superiors Dignam and Oliver Queenan. The protégée of Costello, Colin Sullivan, is promoted in the Massachusetts State Police and is the informer of Costello. Each police officer gives his best effort trying to disclose the identity of the other "rat".
| Leonardo DiCaprio | Billy Costigan |
| Matt Damon | Colin Sullivan |
| Jack Nicholson | Frank Costello |
| Martin Sheen | Queenan |
| Mark Wahlberg | Dignam |
| Vera Farmiga | Madeleine |
| Anthony Anderson | Brown |
| Ray Winstone | Mr. French |
| Alec Baldwin | Ellerby |
| Martin Scorsese |
8.40 out of 10 (95623 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Superb acting on top of brilliant storytelling
posted on 28 Aug 2009Now I know that 'The Departed' is based off of the Hong Kong movie 'WuJianDao', but Scorsese really grabs hold of a great story and brings it to the American Screen. My father grew up in Boston and when we walked out of the theater he couldn't stop talking about how authentic the environment and attitude was. Then there's the acting in which the lead actors (Nicholson, DiCaprio, Damon) not only give stunningly entertaining performances, but you become engulfed in each one's perspective and dilemmas. The smaller roles that of (Baldwin, Walberg, Sheen) are supporting roles that remind me of Jesus Quintana from 'The Big Lebowski', by this I mean that their screen time is limited but they make lasting impressions that you cherish each and every scene they are in, Alec Baldwin especially. The story itself starts off with the basic intro of the players and the setting, but you'll find yourself slowing following each and every plot twist and rooting back and forth for the good guys and for the bad guys. If you're a Scorsese fan, which I am, I think you will appreciate this film. You can clearly see the Scorsese touch ranging from the cinematography and of course the music, it's great to hear "Gimme Shelter" again, but "Comfortably Numb" played in so well. It's another gangster flick from Scorsese, yet this one stands alone because feels so fresh and most would agree Scorsese does gangster films the best; so why not let him. Oscar worthy, the acting I certainly hope; this is DiCaprio's best role since 'The Aviator' which was his best role since 'Gangs of New York', am I seeing a pattern here. But my lasting impression wasn't concerned with the politics of the golden statue; my lasting impression was that I had sat through 2 and half hours of brilliant and especially entertaining storytelling. Thank you Mr. Scorsese.
Scorsese has lost it
posted on 28 Aug 2009This movie, and Gangs of New York have shown me that the master is on the wane.Both movies are watchable and hold your interest, yet both lack that essential spark to make a great movie.Partially this could be attributed to the actors, who are good, but will never be as good as Robert De Niro, but I would tend to blame the director, because the actors put on some good stuff sometimes. There are many scenes which should have been reshot, with more understatement from the actors.Leonardo Di Caprio is surprisingly engaging, he was almost excellent, if he hadnt overplayed his "Do they know?" intense nervous glare. With a mug like that, Nicholson would surely have got rid of him long ago.Secondly Matt Damons character is not explored, we have no idea about his motivations. He didn't have enough screen time, and his character suffered from that. we didn't see him develop any conflicts. And his character was stupid to the extreme, jumping on the phone to his "Dad" after every meeting. Not to mention leaving that envelope around (a crude directorial ploy. Couldn't he have thought up a more subtle way for him to find out?) I think Scorsese has just given the film to Di Caprio and Nicholson, because they put on the best performances. Thats bad directing, or actually lazy directing. Thats whats missing in both these movies. They're not perfect. You look at goodfellas- not one scene, nor any aspect of that movie could have been improved. It was a perfect movie. Same goes for Raging Bull, Taxi Driver.This one is good but not great.The final straw for me was the rat on the balcony. What a terribly crude way to end the movie. It was a cheap, dumb, and insulting end. And whats with all the stupid plot twists? Personally, I prefer an ending where the characters have to live with something, or simply leave things unresolved.Everyone getting shot in the head just makes one feel deflated.
A true great, I loved every minute of this great film!
posted on 28 Aug 2009In my list of favourite films ever (I don't believe that you can have just one true favourite film, but a select few!) This movie was simply brilliant, great acting, great directing, great production, and most important (for me) a truly great storyline which left you clinging to your seat right to the very end. A "I didn't see that coming" sort of movie, very well directed, quite difficult to follow the first time round till the very end, but gets better every time you watch it. Have seen it many times now and it just doesn't get boring, with Jack Nickleson in, how can it be a bad film? For me, he made the movie, and I thought he has done a great job of acting out a true gangster character.For me this is what Cinema is all about!
This was... AWESOME
posted on 24 Aug 2009Whoa. What an experience.Crisp direction heads this wonderfully written film, with tid bits of humor scattered throughout (and, fortunately, it helps make the movie, rather than subtract from it). Other moments are tense, exhausting, absorbing... Very well-written.Acting is also top-notch. I could see any one of many actors from The Departed being nominated for an Academy Award. DiCaprio and Nicholson are especially great here, giving some of the best performances of their careers. Gotta mention Wahlburg, too--he's a lot of fun to watch.Note that the film has quite a bit of profanity and a decent amount of violence. Still, I'd strongly encourage you to not let this deter you. The experience is completely and utterly worth it.SEE THIS FILM!
Great film but some "what the hell?" moments
posted on 24 Aug 2009I saw this with my best friend and have just read over 3 pages of comments. All praising or dissing the film based upon comparing it to Infernal Affairs.For me none of that mattered, what I did find jarring was how uncomfortable most of the actors seem to be with expletives. Being half Irish and growing up in working class England, I just couldn't believe the dialogue. Whenever a character swore it sounded forced and unnatural - if you want to see what natural swearing sounds like rent Billy Elliot.Also what the hell was Scorcese (an Italian) thinking, putting the song Scotland the Brave in a film about Irish mobsters? Does he know who the Irish and the Scots are? An Irishman is more likely to have Oh Danny Boy as his cellphone ringer than a protestant Scottish bagpipe song.BTW Irish bagpipes just have a bladder you don't blow into them and Irish kilts are one colour beige not Tartan. Maybe these inconsistencies in Irish-American culture are to blame for Scorcese's blindness when picking out the music.
Divided Loyalties, Compromised Choices.
posted on 24 Aug 2009Plot Outline: A police plant tries to infiltrate a Boston gang-lord's crime empire, while the gang-lord's police mole tries to expose him.Talk about the proverbial 'film of two halves'!!Martin Scorsese's latest film "The Departed" is his loose re-working/ trans-location of the acclaimed Hong Kong thriller, "Infernal Affairs", which spawned two sequels, one of which was, effectively, a 'prequel'.When I saw the earlier film on the festival circuit some three years ago, I was bowled over, even more than I had been by John Woo's kinetic thriller, "Hard-Boiled" from some 10 years earlier. What made "Infernal Affairs" so special, besides the technical excellence of the production and the fast-paced, high-octane action, was its emphasis on characterisations: particularly in what I regarded as the key, indeed the only players of any necessary substance: Tony Leung as the police plant, and Andy Lau, as the crime-lord's mole.The problem with Martin Scorsese's 're-working', and, while I recognise that he is at liberty to expand the narrative to broaden the supporting characterisations, is the way he allows himself to be compromised by the star turns and the 'alternate agendas'.So, and in what I refer to as the first 'half' we get too much of: Jack Nicholson, (whose HK equivalent was, at best, a two-dimensional peripheral character), revelling in an excessive quota of 'Jack-isms': think 'The Shining'; "Batman", etc, etc. Alec Baldwin, in his latest incarnation of his 'Glengarry Glenn Ross'/'The Cooler' hard-man, seemingly revelling in his ever-expanding waistline; Leonardo Di Caprio, who had to be given plenty of opportunity to emote, his 'Aviator' Oscar play having fallen short. while Ray Winstone gets to drop the Cockney hard-man stunt in favour of its Bostonian equivalent.Then, just when I was about to doze off, having realised too late just why Martin Scorsese needed 140 minutes to tell his story, he cranked the gears up a few notches.Matt Damon's gang-lord's police mole realises he's got to move fast before Di Caprio's good guy undercover cop brings his (Damon's) employer's empire crashing down and, in a daring move, orders a police tail on the head of the police undercover unit, thus hoping to flush out Di Caprio: the resultant 10 minutes or so of breakneck, white-knuckle tension, even if it does rely too much on the original and 'The French Connection' for inspiration, is almost worth the price of admission alone,culminating as it does in a tragic death which ultimately precipitates a breakneck pace of cross and double-cross.This is where Scorsese really comes into his own, with the kind of frenetic, yet sure-paced action sequences not seen since the heyday of "Goodfellas". Pausing briefly to swiftly despatch Nicholson's crime-lord, (which couldn't have come too soon, in my opinion), he constantly keeps us guessing as to the next twist and turn of the tail, and which of the 'double agents' will eventually prevail, and at what cost.A 'film of two halves', indeed, and while the second 'half', of perhaps 50 minutes or so, probably contains more cinematic merit than most Hollywood productions of at least the past 5 years, ultimately this has to be seen as a missed opportunity for Scorsese.As with 'The Aviator', Scorsese seems these days to be compromised too much in his artistic 'vision', to such an extent that I don't believe that this is 100% the film he wanted to make. 'The Aviator' seemed to me partly an Oscar vehicle for Di Caprio's (admittedly fine) acting, and part Scorsese 'Citizen Kane' homage: granted it was, after all, a Di Caprio vehicle. Here, once again, it appears to me that far too much screen time is devoted to 'Jack-isms', and more (unconvincing) brooding Di Caprio 'emoting'. As if, 'the Aviator' pitch having failed, they'd make sure of it this time. The trouble is, while Di Caprio is certainly a fine actor, who, I believe has yet to achieve his peak, more often than not he's trying too hard in this film in what is an underwritten role, lumbered with often puerile dialogue. And, where acting is concerned, don't get me started on Alec Baldwin, (whose acting capabilities seem to decline in inverse proportion to his waistline), or to Mark Wahlberg's cardboard-cutout undercover sergeant 'character'. Matt Damon, who doesn't try too hard, almost reaches what for me was his peak of 'The Talented Mr Ripley' But it was good to see Ray Winstone doing a 'foreign' accent, for a change.Once again, Scorsese's choice of music was impeccable: And I so loved his apt placement of Roy Buchanan's sublime, bluesy guitar rendition of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams".Would that all of Scorsese's moves had been as sure.
Scorsese is in his prime with The Departed
posted on 24 Aug 2009If there was any doubt about Martin Scorsese's craft as a film director, The Departed silences any critic of his. However, if there was any doubt in the first place I highly suggest quitting movies. Scorsese delivers an epic in a time where movies are being churned out with no emotion, no connection to the viewer, and reliance on gimmicks so the studios can earn a little dough and taking the prized honor of being the number 1 listed movie on a 12 year old kid's myspace page.The Departed delivers in every facet. The cinematography is well crafted - the camera positions to grasp the scene in its fullest while avoiding being generic and also straying away from overly "artsy" camera angles that make the film unwatchable. In fact, The Departed is probably Scorsese's most rewatchable film. There are more twists than a Chubby Checker concert which will make you both gasp and let out sighs of relief.The characters are believable and engaging. Jack Nicholson plays one the most accessible of all the mob villains of Scorsese's past. He is complete slime, but his demeanor is that of an uncle who permits you to watch the TV shows that your parents told you not to. Matt Damon as Colin is like one of those pompous pricks who cheat repeatedly and get away with it, and Leo as Billy Costigan grows on the viewer and as a character through his dangerous line of work as a police informant.The Departed is an American masterpiece.
Best Movie Of The Decade
posted on 24 Aug 2009I know, I know. There are other movies. But The Departed is so electric. A Scorsese Film we have been waiting for since 95 when he came out with Casino.The characters on electric, Dicarpio proves once again he was one of the best in the game. Dicaprio performance maybe mock or knocked by some, but I give nothing but praise. Watching Deniro in Taxi Driver. Leo's portrayal of Costingan is a direct bloodline to Travis Bickle.Colin Sullivan, in my opinion the most confused character in film history. Outside Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy. Who can guest Sullivan next move. A sneak,a rat,a homosexual. Damon was so believable and should of been nominated for an Academy Award.Jack Nicholson. Is Jack Nicholson. Everyone expected it, his mugshot in the beginning says it all. He so believable as a gangster. And brings that classic Scorsese edge. If it goes down as his second to last role, well he truly has proved he was one of the best actors of all time. Right up there with Brando and Bogart.Surprise, surprise. Mark Wahlberg aka Marky Mark. Earns himself a nomination. He was so natural in the role.And of course what made it great was the little performances. Ray Winstone was great, and played off Jack so well. Martin Sheen a role that was meant for Deniro, but Sheen shined. Vera Farminga as the cranberry mixed with the seltzer and the vodka. And of course Kevin Corrigan,Anthony Anderson,and James Dadge Bale.But all couldn't happen with the direction of Martin Scorsese. His song choice is brilliant, and fits right in with the film. Marty does it again.
Bad acting, non-existent character development, confusing plot.
posted on 22 Aug 2009First of all, I must say this is THE worst Martin Scorsese movie I have ever seen. I usually like Scorsese's movie, but this one is the first one I have encounter that totally blow me away in its awfulness.My first problem with The Departed is the casting. They got a bunch of baby-face fruitcakes like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Anthony Anderson and Mark Wahlberg which totally throws the suspension of disbelief out of the window. It is like watching a bunch of boy scout playing cops and robbers - None of them looks like cops - more like boy scouts.Secondly, the acting, is just wooden. There is no subtlety in the acting, and they try to cover that up by over-acting, and constant swearing. (Perhaps it is to make them look more "mature" for their part.) Now, about the plot, it is pretty thin, and confusing at times, lacks clarity or resolve. The several scenes made me cringe, particularly when Jack Nicholson tries to torture Leonardo DiCaprio, it just seems totally unbelievable after Jack Nicholson violently tortured DiCaprio and he trusted him AGAIN!! Now, about Matt Damon's acting in this movie, it is pretty god damn bad. In fact, what acting!!?? Matt Damon just doesn't emote at all!! He is as souless and as wooden as a robot. It is extremely wooden as if he is the living proof that Pinocchio exist!Leonardo's acting is more of his usual self, pretty boy in distress with endless whinings to anyone who would lend his ears to him - but in this movie, he seems particularly out of place. The character development lacks subtle internal conflicts presented in the original character so involving and multi-dimensional.Jack Nicholson is just his usual sly scoundrel self. Totally uninspiring acting. Same goes with Martin Sheen's super stiff acting. Anthony Anderson is totally mis-casted in this movie as if he is a comic relief (and yet there is nothing comic about it)The character development and inter-character dynamics are almost non-existent between the two rivaling characters (Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon) it is as if they are in two separate movie. The movie not only lacks any subtlety but blatantly plays up the caricatures of what we perceived as "mafia" - loud mouth constantly swearing goons - it is both extremely cliché and uninteresting.The plot is also pretty confusing due to extremely bad direction, it lacks focus, and the camera works is also chaotic and uninteresting.
And the Oscar for worst swearing in a movie goes to...
posted on 22 Aug 2009this otherwise very mediocre movie.Look, I don't care if it is a remake or not -- not an issue. Both Thomas Crown movies were good, for example. But I am frankly sickened that this movie won best picture, and that Scorsese won his (body-of-work) Oscar for this piece of literal dung. It reminds me of Sean Penn winning for Mystic River when he should have won for I Am Sam.Wahlberg was off the scale unrealistic. Not at all impressive acting. I may have to move him to the always-avoid category I've affectionately dubbed the Revolta zone.Nicholson was great, as always. He can truly make any movie work and become successful. So where was his supporting nomination? Damon was OK, given his character's ridiculous behavior (I blame the director and script). Ditto for DiCaprio, who put amazing effort into this lost cause.This movie has hundreds and hundreds of swear words. Some are EXTREMELY ugly. Virtually all are gratuitous and do NOT help this movie. The lowest of these words make this movie unfit for repeated viewing -- and that is a crime. I blame the super ordinary scriptwriter who shall remain nameless and hopefully career-less.This movie is overly graphic in places. Add to that a sound track that is one of the worst I have ever heard -- boring, mostly, except when a gun is fired or a body hits the ground.By the way, the best scene involved the ringing phones (and nary an expletive).All in all, this movie is disgraceful, Mr. Scorsese. You have made some good movies, (and some excellent commentaries), but this one is unfit for human consumption.2* out of 4* for those not put off by sickening amounts of swearing and gratuitous violence.
The Departed- Mr Scorcese I am now your fan
posted on 22 Aug 2009Before I watched this movie I had read mixed reviews about it, instead of putting me off it made me even more curious. I am glad that I took a chance on it. To be honest I can't understand why people didn't like it. It is a superb drama about undercover cops. Scorcese has managed to assemble a superb class of actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen amongst others. DiCaprio has finally got rid of his pretty boy looks by having a more rugged look in this movie. Add to that a twist in the tale and you have a absolutely compelling drama.To be honest I have not watched any other Scorcese film apart from the Departed, after this movie I want to watch all his other classics. This was easily the best movie of 2006, Mr Scorcese you should be proud.
The End?
posted on 22 Aug 2009This was a great movie. I am Irish and like Irish-mafia movies (the few that there are.) The "wrist violence" (as Stephen Colbert would say) in one scene is a little disturbing but the reason for it is great (a listening device in the cast.) The whole concept of the movie is brilliant. The casting is great, the actors really fit their roles. The only thing i did not like is the end. In the end everyone dies. What is that? Yes, definitely possible and very realistic but kind of a strange way to end. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam everyone dies in a few minutes. When I saw that i was like "C'mon" that is a little far fetched. Don't get me wrong a great movie but an abrupt ending kept it from a higher ranking.
Disappointing
posted on 20 Aug 2009As a big fan of both Martin Scorsese and the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs that The Departed is based on, I was looking forwards to this film. Sadly I've come away somewhat disappointed.Taking it on its own strengths, it's a decent thriller with a good premise, but it really needed another pass on the script to tighten it up and (sad to say) stronger direction. I love Goodfellas, Casino, Taxi Driver, even The Last Temptation Of Christ. The Departed can't match the narrative or visual flair of those films.The script is full of dead ends and wasted potential, and it doesn't help that the editing is choppy at best, downright sloppy at worst. It's almost as if (despite the two and a half hour running time) half the story and character development has been left on the cutting room floor.The FBI connection never really goes anywhere, the pregnancy comes out of nowhere and goes straight back there, the love triangle never gives the pay-off you expect at the end (such as the identity of the baby's father), Costello's wife is a waste of space who doesn't add anything to the story, the envelope Billy gives Colin's wife is never used for anything, the mainland Chinese gang with their corrupt official in tow seem to have wandered in from Infernal Affairs 3 and are totally irrelevant to the plot, and when they get arrested (off-screen) a couple of scenes later, the target of the bust on Costello's gang just switches from the stolen micro-processors (which vanish into McGuffin Land almost without comment) to a drugs shipment (which appears from much the same place).On the other hand, while Monahan and Scorsese find time for all these narrative cul de sacs, the characters and core storyline are poorly developed. Only Leonardo di Caprio's Billy is really fleshed out, and it's no coincidence that he comes out of the film with one of the strongest performances. The supporting cast in particular is woefully wasted, with actors of the calibre of Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg reduced to virtual cameos.Where the film really suffers though is in comparison to Infernal Affairs. For example -- Matt Damon's Colin is one dimensional and uninteresting compared to the equivalent character that Andy Lau plays in IA.- Martin Sheen's Queenan doesn't have the same close relationship with Billy that Anthony Wong has with Tony Leung in IA (or the screen time to develop it), making his death far less moving and Billy's extreme emotional reaction to it somewhat bizarre.- Making Matt's girlfriend and Billy's shrink the same person was a good idea, but the relationship between Billy and the psychiatrist isn't given as much time to develop as it was in IA.- The numerous scenes that The Departed lifts almost verbatim from IA (from Queenan's death and the elevator shoot-out to the encounter at the movie theatre and the smashing of the cast on Billy's arm) mostly come across as pale imitations, lacking the emotion, tension and visual flair that cinematographer Christopher Doyle and directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau brought to IA. It doesn't help that some of these scenes have been lifted entirely out of context and inserted into a different place in the story.- IA's intro is flashy and concise, getting you straight to the heart of the story in double quick time without leaving any room for confusion. By comparison, The Departed takes far too long to set up all the pieces at the start of the film and does it in a rather clunky manner, making the opening a little muddled and long-winded.- The constant texting and mobile phone calls in The Departed lack the tension of Tony Leung's morse code messages in IA.- And so on and so forth...It's no surprise to me that fans of IA found The Departed a bit of a let down by comparison. It does surprise me to see so many Scorsese fans here waving the flag for what is in my opinion one of his weaker movies.Is The Departed a bad movie? No. Is it a great movie? No. Is it one of Scorsese's best? Definitely not. Is it as good as Infernal Affairs? Not even close.
Vile and Vicious
posted on 20 Aug 2009If you like listening to a dialog that sounds like this: "F**k those guineas and nig**s and F**k your mother" for over two hours and seeing non-stop, meaningless, gratuitous violence, crude behavior, and basically a world where the police are corrupt and everybody curses like a sailor - basically a hellish existence - then maybe you might like this. Good luck to you then.This movie was unwatchable and I had to turn it off after 45 minutes. I value my mind, integrity, and soul too much to soil it with this celluloid gutter trash.2006 was the worst year in Hollywood history for movies and having this refuse win awards only further illustrates.One can only wonder just how degenerate America has become to see this movie even receive so many accolades.
Best Movie Of The Year
posted on 20 Aug 2009The real story in "The Departed" is in the dualities of DiCaprio and Damon's characters. Di Caprio is a cop with familial ties to crime who works as an undercover spy, whereas Damon is Colin Sullivan, ganglord Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) plant posing as a cop.Each frame of this crime drama crackles with the kind of visual energy that's trademark Scorsese. We thrill to every cut and camera movement here because, like all of Scorsese's movies, they try to push the boundaries of cinematic language. The cast is terrific, with the standouts clearly being Matt Damon and believe it or not, Mark Wahlberg. There were also outstanding performances by: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Di Caprio, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga.Overall, it's a very fascinating look into the meaning of what it is to be a rat within a morass of a world in which everyone is a rat of different sorts.This movie confirms that Leonardo DiCaprio is Scorcese's new Deniro. Another excellent work by Scorcese! 9/10
Movies don't get much better than this.
posted on 18 Aug 2009D'you know the types of movies from which you walk out after your first view knowing (not thinking, but KNOWING) that it's among your favorite movies ever? D'you know how rare it is for a movie like that to come along? A movie that strikes you like a Muhammad Ali punch, appealing in all aspects to your movie-going senses? Well, my friends, the Departed is one of those movies. I could be blunt and end this review right now by saying there's simply nothing wrong with this movie and giving it 10 stars. And while that's absolutely true, why be blunt? In the opening scene of the movie, whilst you're flying through the skyline of Boston and hearing the Rolling Stones' classic "Gimme Shelter," you just know this will be one hell of a movie.We've all seen mafia films, or just films focused on crime in general, where the plot focuses on the identification of a rat in the system. The rat, typically viewed as "bad" (for lack of a better turn) by the criminals, who have the audience's sympathy, is eventually found out, eliminated and voilà! The movie ends with the criminals winning and the audiences happy. But The Departed takes it to a completely different level, having not just one - but TWO rats; one working IN the Police Department FOR the mafia and one working FOR the Police Department WITH the mafia. It is here that the movie really succeeds, because both characters, with their completely different agendas, merit your sympathies throughout the film, and you're constantly questioning who to root for in the conflict.The movie has so many solid performances that it should be illegal. Of course there are DiCaprio, Nicholson, Damon and Wahlberg to be spoken of, but even actors like Alec Baldwin (who I stopped taking seriously many years ago) Anthony Anderson (whom I've never much cared for) contributed positively to the film. My personal favorite performance was from Mark Wahlberg who, asshole that his character Dignam was, still delighted you every minute he was on screen.As mentioned earlier, the soundtrack is a pivotal contributor to the overall effect of the movie. Scorsese used more popular, mainstream music as a backdrop, rather than predictable, clichéd orchestral and Opera music. (Although the latter does make an appearance in one scene of the movie.) He compiled a soundtrack of songs that fit each scene in which they were played. The aforementioned opener, "Gimme Shelter," for example, gives you that cool, collected feeling while being used to depict the cool, collected nature of Frank Costello's earlier years in power. Later, the best used song in the soundtrack, Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," reminds us all that, even though it's a mafia film, all the sh*t's going down in Beantown.I'd compare the film to another Scorsese masterpiece, Taxi Driver, for one main reason. Both start out as "solid" movies, movies that entertain you and are worth the price of admission, but then develop into true classics as the reels roll on. (Pardon the pun.) With Taxi Driver, it was Betsy's rejection of Travis Bickle that catalyzed his dramatic character change. Here, it was the first MAJOR murder. (I say major, because there are numerous smaller ones throughout the film of little to no consequence. I won't further spoil this movie in naming the murder, but once you see it, you'll know - and the movie skyrockets from that point on into sheer ecstasy.)Martin Scorsese SHOULD win the Best Director honor at the Oscars, and The Departed SHOULD win Best Picture this year. (They may or may not; you never know, given his luck with the Academy.) Regardless as to trophies and the decisions of a select group of so-called "movie experts," anyone who considers themselves a TRUE movie fan should see this movie. It might just be the best film Scorsese's ever made and, yes, it cracks my top 5 list.10/10
Technically fine, but....
posted on 16 Aug 2009Scorcese has made this film before. He's one of the finest living directors and has certainly deserved the best directing Oscar in the past, but this is NOT the film he deserves the Oscar for. Performances by the main leads are excellent, although on occasion Nicholson plays with the script and makes some choices which I felt were inappropriate. Cinematography is superb. The scenes of violence are quick and jarring, as they should be. Script should have been trimmed. The original film, "Infernal Affairs" was tight. A few scenes in this version seem padded, although they are never boring with Mr. Scorcese at the helm. See this film if you haven't seen the original and then seek out the original. The similarities and differences between the Irish Catholics of the West and the Chinese Buddhists of the East may surprise those versed in both philosophies, although the Eastern view may be slightly less nihilistic.
very intense, very good film
posted on 16 Aug 2009Overall I thought this film was very good. The casting was excellent. I thought that all of the actors did a great job with their roles and cannot think of any changes I would make. The writing was also very good and there are enough twists to keep anyone interested without being lost.The character development was good but there was a lot of violence. What seems to be a predictable ending is anything but. The quirkiness of some of the characters provided needed relief from the intensity and sometimes seemingly senseless violence. This film kept me interested from the very beginning and I was hesitant to go to the restroom (it is 2 1/2 hours) I do highly recommend it and would definitely see it again.
Very Good, not great.
posted on 16 Aug 2009Well shot, well scored, well edited--for once events that are supposed to be happening simultaneously feel like they are happening simultaneously, and its also a nice way to suggest passage of time)-- well acted, well directed, and well written--the characters are always smart, and the screenplay almost always refuses to cheat. And yet, the romantic subplot is contrived. What are the odds of a cop and crook, particularly the cop and the crook who are working against each other, falling for the same girl? Why not give each a different girl to aid in developing their characters? Not having seen Infernal Affairs, I couldn't say if Monahan lifted this element from it, but it is unnecessarily economical decision nevertheless. It also brings the movie down to the level of a genre picture; though, like Heat and Collateral, a very good one. It would never have won Best Picture if Taxi Driver had.
Rat on the Railing at the end nice touch!
posted on 30 Aug 2009I consider myself a very discerning movie watcher, and am completely opposed to cheesy, Hollywood ridiculousness UNLESS it comes from Martin Scorsese. The guy could make an infomercial for spray on pubic hair and I would love it. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the Departed, and actually thought that the last shot of the rat on the railing with the government building in the background to be a perfect way to end things. Is this as a result of my devotion to Scorsese? I have read some posts that point out this scene as ridiculous, and I am just wondering what the consensus is on that particular issue? Alec Baldwin gave yet another incredible performance, almost on par with his movie stealing acting from Glengarry Glen Ross. The other thing I could see someone not hopelessly devoted to Scorsese taking issue with was the scene in which Costello's guy died on the couch before revealing Costigan as a bad guy. That seemed a little bit ridiculous. The violence in this film was done beautifully I thought, and yet I read some conments stating that the part where Martin Sheens character hits the ground and his blood sprays up on Costigan as looking fake. I could not disagree more, I though it looked quite realistic. Am i completetly blindfolded by my respect for Scorsese?