October 14, 2006
The Departed
Scorsese moves the action from the mean streets of New York to equally mean streets of Boston and loses nothing in the change.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
Rating: 9/10
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Runtime: 152 minutes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
Rating: 9/10
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Runtime: 152 minutes
People love a good comeback story. Whether it's the return of Terrence Malick to the directors chair after a 20 year absence or Woody Allen making his first great film in almost as long, the media loves to tout the comeback. There is certain to be the same type of talk surrounding Martin Scorsese's new film and it's certainly warranted. Although The Aviator and Gangs of New York were both great films the director was no where to be found in the measured and, oftentimes, boring films. They were Oscar bait, pure and simple, and it took a high concept Hong Kong crime film to get his creative juices flowing. The Departed is alive like no other Scorsese film has been since his last with Paul Schrader, 1999's Bringing Out The Dead. And, much like that film, a lot of the credit must be given to The Departed's screenwriter, William Monahan, who delivers a script filled with dialogue that would make David Mamet jealous.
Set in Boston, The Departed follows the state police who are waging war on an Irish-American gang led by Frank Costello (Nicholson). Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the syndicate but, while Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Damon), a young criminal who has infiltrated the police department at Costello's request is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigations Unit. Each man becomes a pawn in an increasingly dangerous game that becomes all the more deadly when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there's a mole in their midst. This information forces Billy and Colin to uncover the identity of the other man as quickly as possible or suffer the consequences
Looking over the cast of this movie, it would seem as if Hollywood knew this would be the return of Martin Scorsese and everyone wanted to participate. It's one of the strongest casts in recent memory and each performance is delivered as well as one would expect from this caliber of performers. Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin deliver exciting performances with Wahlberg and Baldwin being notable standouts (an early exchange between the two actors is as quick and funny as anything I've seen in quite some time). Much is going to be said of Nicholson's performance come awards time and, as good as it is, there's no denying the fact that his Costello is just Jack dialed up a notch. It's fascinating to watch but it's difficult to call it acting - for Nicholson, it's just being. The most Oscar worthy performance is delivered by DiCaprio (working with Scorsese or the third time in as many films). DiCaprio is always a good actor but his last films with Scorsese (2004's The Aviator and 2002's Gangs of New York) have seen him deliver mannered and somewhat dull performances. However, DiCaprio plays Costigan with a ferocity that has been lacking since 1995's The Basketball Diaries.
The Departed is a rarity in Hollywood - a high concept crime thriller that transcends it's commercial roots with outstanding performances and intelligent dialogue. It's an Oscar worthy film that functions just as easily as escapist entertainment and, most importantly, it's a comeback for one of cinema's greatest auteurs.
Set in Boston, The Departed follows the state police who are waging war on an Irish-American gang led by Frank Costello (Nicholson). Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the syndicate but, while Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Damon), a young criminal who has infiltrated the police department at Costello's request is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigations Unit. Each man becomes a pawn in an increasingly dangerous game that becomes all the more deadly when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there's a mole in their midst. This information forces Billy and Colin to uncover the identity of the other man as quickly as possible or suffer the consequences
Looking over the cast of this movie, it would seem as if Hollywood knew this would be the return of Martin Scorsese and everyone wanted to participate. It's one of the strongest casts in recent memory and each performance is delivered as well as one would expect from this caliber of performers. Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin deliver exciting performances with Wahlberg and Baldwin being notable standouts (an early exchange between the two actors is as quick and funny as anything I've seen in quite some time). Much is going to be said of Nicholson's performance come awards time and, as good as it is, there's no denying the fact that his Costello is just Jack dialed up a notch. It's fascinating to watch but it's difficult to call it acting - for Nicholson, it's just being. The most Oscar worthy performance is delivered by DiCaprio (working with Scorsese or the third time in as many films). DiCaprio is always a good actor but his last films with Scorsese (2004's The Aviator and 2002's Gangs of New York) have seen him deliver mannered and somewhat dull performances. However, DiCaprio plays Costigan with a ferocity that has been lacking since 1995's The Basketball Diaries.
The Departed is a rarity in Hollywood - a high concept crime thriller that transcends it's commercial roots with outstanding performances and intelligent dialogue. It's an Oscar worthy film that functions just as easily as escapist entertainment and, most importantly, it's a comeback for one of cinema's greatest auteurs.