The Departed

Director Martin Scorsese, absent from the crime genre for more than a decade, makes a glorious return with this gritty, urban thriller about two undercover moles. Leonardo DiCaprio is the young cop who has infiltrated an Irish mob organization, and Matt Damon is his criminal counterpart who gradually climbs the career ladder of the Boston police department. As they struggle to maintain their cover, the two men frantically race to reveal each other’s true identity. The complicated premise is lifted from the 2002 Hong Kong sensation Infernal Affairs and, in many ways, follows the pattern of a modern day Shakespearean tragedy. The cast is absolutely superb. DiCaprio quickly gains your sympathies, despite a frenzied and violent performance; Damon is appropriately cold and uncompromising; Jack Nicholson, as the crime lord who hovers above everyone, is wonderfully over-the-top and unpredictable; and Mark Wahlberg steals every single scene in which he appears. After the disappointing Gangs of New York and the moderately successful The Aviator, it’s great to see Scorsese knock another one clean outside of the park. The Departed ranks high in the crime genre, and will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come.

Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Written by William Monahan.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, Ray Winstone and Alec Baldwin.

Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material. 149 min.

***** so says The Fish