The Departed is one of the year's very best and most exciting films. The film, which is based on a Hong Kong gangster movie, tells the story of Irish cops in Boston.
It isn't until later on in The Departed that you realize how important and well-crafted its beginning is. Two Bostonians, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), nearly cross paths when they're interviewed in succession by Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) and Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen). Costigan is chosen to infiltrate the mob in order to get to Boston's most feared boss, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson); meanwhile, Sullivan is pulling the ultimate job for Costello by infiltrating the state police department and alerting the mob boss of their every move.
As the two moles become more involved in their undercover operations, the groups they're infiltrating begin to smell something fishy. The storytelling here is a model of smooth precision, even as the two undercover agents try to smoke each other out into the open without giving themselves away. In addition to Damon, DiCaprio, Nicholson and Sheen, the cast includes Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg as detectives.
"The Departed" is a tough movie with tough characters, and it looks it. Martin Scorsese, along with his collaborator, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus has truly managed to create a masterpiece. It’s one of the best paced films you will ever see. The story moves along at a frenetic pace with fast cutting that has a unique style. And just when it slows down, it yanks you back on your feet. |
