The Departed(2006)- User Reviews

The Departed
Renowned director Martin Scorsese astonishes us once more after his knockout crime thrillers like Mean Streets and Goodfellas; he does it again with his ferociously entertaining 2006 film The Departed. Scorsese’s The Departed is a remake of the Hong Kong classic, Internal Affairs. This crime drama thriller exceeded many expectations for the South Boston based movie, winning four Academy Awards as it was nominated for five. In the U.S. opening weekend, The Departed made $26,887,467; worldwide, the movie grossed $289,800,000 (IMDB). The film was worth every penny it spent and made back because of its intense plot, outstanding cast, amazing setting authenticity, and entertaining dialogue. Scorsese will keep you on the edge of your seat as he immerses his viewers into the unsettling world of drugs and organized crime that flood the neighborhoods of South Boston.
The film begins on the streets of South Boston, Massachusetts. A powerful Irish mafia boss, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), pushes one of his youngest and brightest followers, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), into the Massachusetts State Police Academy as a cadet in hopes he will quickly move up the ranks of the state police department to become his ‘inside’ man. Coincidently, another young cadet, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), chooses a different path in the state police department by becoming an undercover detective. His assignment is to get involved in the Irish American organized crime run by Frank Costello to obtain evidence that will prosecute him for life. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there's a mole in their organization. Costigan and Sullivan are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed as a rat. Each detective must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.
Director Martin Scorsese brilliantly works the screen. With over fifty movies carefully directed by Scorsese, he has developed plenty of experience in the film industry. However Scorsese does not veer far from his traditional movie trademarks. He often uses a strong sense of location in wherever his movies take place. In “The Departed”, Scorsese makes sure the viewer never forgets that they are watching a Boston-based film. Therefore, his choice of established actors was no surprise. Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jack Nicholson take this movie to a whole other level. According to a review by Rebecca Murray from ****.com Hollywood Movies, “Scorsese gets the absolute best there is out of Damon who, on the surface, seems like the least likely choice to play a crooked cop who sides with the mob” (Murray). Also, Matt Damon is originally from Boston which makes his character more realistic. Leonardo DiCaprio proves himself as well in his role as ‘Billy Costigan’. “Although he’s played adults characters many times before, somehow this performance feels like the first time we’ve seen a mature DiCaprio onscreen” (Murray). However, it’s Jack Nicholson’s role that raises the bar that much higher. Rebecca Murray writes, “Nicholson’s whirling dervish portrayal of an untouchable, perverted mob boss is reason alone to see The Departed” (Murray). Nicholson’s first line in the movie is, “I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me,” and that’s exactly how he plays the role of Frank Costello.
The dialogue throughout the film is hilariously entertaining. According to review from the New York Post by Lou Lumenick, “The profanity-laced but witty and literate dialogue by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven") is delivered by a brilliantly chosen cast, almost all of whom are operating at the very top of their game” (Lumenick). Furthermore, each actor’s ‘Boston’ accent is spot on. In a line from Mark Wahlberg’s character, Dignam, “My theory on Feds is that they're like mushrooms, feed 'em ***** and keep 'em in the dark,” Mark Wahlberg’s accent is flawless. That’s far from the only thing making this movie authentic. South Boston, Massachusetts is almost a world of its own within its rough blue-collar communities and the people that call it home. Scorsese’s setting authenticity is perfectly displayed in The Departed by using a lower camera angle at a faster pace to keep up the streets of Boston (New York Times). He also uses a very provocatively, sarcastic entertaining dialogue, one that could only be found in the heart of state’s capital. However, like every film, it has its faults.
In my opinion, as with many other fans of the 2006 film, the ending could have been improved. In a review written by Josh Tyler, “After spending 140 minutes sucking his audience in with an engrossing story about blurring the lines between the law and the lawless, The Departed drops the ball and takes the easy way out in the last 9[minutes] (Tyler). The remake film also lacks the emotional depth that was displayed in the original Internal Affairs. Martin Scorsese could have done better if he wasn’t so obsessed with random bursts of violence that define his films as a director. From a review in the The New Yorker by David Denby, “Not one of Scorsese's greatest films; it doesn't use the camera to reveal the psychological and aesthetic dimensions of an entire world, as "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "Goodfellas" did” (Denby).
Despite The Departed’s lackluster ending, the film was worth every penny that was put into it. Martin Scorsese proves that crime thrillers are what he does best. This Oscar award winning film has a powerful plot, a top of the line cast, great setting authenticity, and a witty dialogue that will keep you captivated until the very end.