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The Departed (Special Edition Steelbook)

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It's a tricky business adapting a foreign movie for an American audience. Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" captures all the best elements of the original film "Infernal Affairs" and works traditional Scorsese themes and material into the film making it very much his own and every bit the equal to the Chinese film. Featuring outstanding performances all around perhaps this film will finally earn Scorsese the Oscar for Best Director that he deserved for "Raging Bull" over twenty years ago.

Two state trooper academy graduates one an undercover officer named Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a mole in the department Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) working for crime lord Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson)have opposite goals. Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) charge Costigan with gathering as much dirt as possible on Sullivan so they can finally take him out. They work up a false history for Costigan which includes a brief stint in prison to create credibility. By comparison Sullivan is a boy scout who rises to the top of his department rapidly working for Ellerby (Alec Baldwin)in a rival department. Both are charged with ferriting out the mole in their respective organizations and both are romancing the same woman (Vera Farmiga) without ever meeting.

It's a brilliantly constructed game of cat and mouse with each playing the respective role at one point in time. Filled with brilliant visuals that echo the themes of the script adapted by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven")from the script by Siu Fai Mak and Felix Chong the film manages to stay true to the elements that worked best in the Chinese film while incorporating elements unique to "The Departed". DiCaprio and Damon give complex, compelling performances as opposite sides of the same coin. Nicholson plays Costello with psychopathic intensity at times without going too far over the top. The entire cast gives stellar performances but I'd like to note tree actors in particularly who do the most with their limited roles--Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen (who replaced two other actors that had to drop out--Robert DeNiro and Gerard McSorley)and Mark Whalberg all three give intense performances and inhabit their characters fully. Vera Farmiga handles her role of Madolyn equalling the big boys despite the fact that her character isn't given as much screen time by comparison. Special note should also be made of actor Ray Winstone ("The Proposition", "King Arthur" and "Cold Mountain") who gives a nice edgy performance as Mr. French.

The film runs 2 hours and 22 minutes. Scorsese uses every minute to allow the actors to build their characters or for brilliant set pieces. The film does sag a bit towards the middle but that's partially due to its complex set up for the story during the first twenty minutes of the film.

At long last a great movie by Scorese again. After a disappointing Aviator and an impressive but somehow soulless Gangs of New York, this one is entirely satisfactory.
A highly suspenseful cops and gangsters story with the main driver provided by the mutual spy set-up, i.e. both sides having their undercover agents in the opposite camp.
Leo D. and Matt Damon are perfect in their parts as "rats". Of course they represent different species of the rodent. Leo is the good rat, who hides among the baddies and has to pretend to be one of them. You suffer with him and are near a nervous breakdown, just as he. Damon is the smooth and admirable bad rat who seems to his environment like a good solid bloke, but the viewer knows better. Well, also Wahlberg's character does not like him, but he likes no one. This is the Hitchcockian technique of letting the audience know more, which increases suspense dramatically. Imagine the same story, but you don't know who is the bad rat. That would be much less interesting.
Nicholson as the evil gangster boss is possibly slightly overdone, but very well so. A good cast in the cop team includes Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg, the latter being mainly remarkable for his foul mouth and his crucial role in the story's conclusion.
The movie is a remake of an excellent Hongkong movie of a few years ago. Scorsese's version is quite different, but neither better nor worse. Most Hongkong reviewers seem to have decided not to like the new version. Up to them.

I just saw Martin Scorsese's new film, The Departed, last night and I have to say - it was excellent! Scorsese is back in top form here, revisiting the mobster genre that he has been known for over the years. I would rank this one up with his classic film - and one of my personal favorites - Goodfellas. It's nice to see Marty swing back to his gritty, ultra-violent self!

First of all, the acting, directing, and just about everything else was state of the art. Jack Nicholson was perfect as Frank Costello, a mob boss who is in charge of the organized crime ring in Boston. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, an undercover cop who sneaks his way into Costello's gang so he can be an informant for the police department. Meanwhile, Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, an informant for Costello's mob who works for the police department, and is on his way to be promoted in the Special Investigations Unit. Both men cross paths, and fall in love with the same woman - a psychologist played by Vera Farmiga from the little-known indie Running Scared. Each man starts to become consumed by their work, and when they are both in danger of being found out, only then do tensions rise, and things get a little out of hand. The performances from the leads are all Oscar-worthy. I never thought that I'd ever say that about Matt Damon. Well, let me back that up. He was quite good in Good Will Hunting and he was great in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and his performance here is no exception. Leonardo DiCaprio gives his best performance here since What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio is becoming a fixture in Scorsese's recent films, almost as if he is the director's newfound muse amongst male actors, the last one being Robert DeNiro. This is Jack Nicholson's first film with Scorsese, which is hard to believe, but it is true. Jack is back to what he does best in this role, and, pardon the cliche, but it fits him like a glove. His performance is one of ferocious intensity, and everytime he's on the screen, you feel really uneasy...and that's not a bad thing! The direction is flawless. I've already said enough about Scorsese, but the man knows how to make a great film! I must also give credit to the editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, who worked on Goodfellas. Her editing makes the film seem fast paced and hyperactive, and for a film that is thirty minutes short of being three hours long, that's amazing!

However, if you are easily offended by profanity or graphic violence, then stay far away! They are both here, and in abundance.

After getting some uncalled for flack recently for his films "Gangs of New York" and "The Aviator" director Martin Scorsese returns to those gritty mean streets he seems to know oh so well. How odd it is then to find out that the film did not come from Scorsese's imagination. Instead it is a remake of the 2004 Hong Kong action/thriller "Infernal Affairs". But, that doesn't really matter because Scorsese takes the material and makes it his own.

"The Departed" is going to get some unfair comparisons with "Infernal Affairs" from devoted fans of the original. I never like to do that. I also don't like when people compare the book to the movie version. Both pieces of work exist within their own world. They are seperate from each other.

Leonardo DiCaprio (the recent favorite of Scorsese, whom in my opinion needs to find a new muse already) plays Billy Costigan, who comes from a poor working class family that mostly consist of family member who were on the wrong side of the law (depending which side of the law you're on). He has managed though to work his way up and become a cop.

Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, who appears to be the exact opposite. Sullivan is one of those people who probably got straight "A's", stayed at home and studied while you were out playing baseball and was a loner. He too has become a police officer who is well thought of and clearly on a successful path.

These two characters never share a great amount of screentime together in "The Departed" but their impact on each other is apparent throughout the entire film.

Costigan is told by one of his superior officers Oliver Queenam (Martin Sheen) that because of his background he is not really "police material". Queenam flat out tells him you will never make it as a cop. So Queenam tells Costigan he has a special assignment for him. He wants Costigan to go undercover and get into Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) inner circle where the Boston Police have been trying to arrest him for years.

"The Departed" soon takes on one of Scorsese's favorite themes, childhood loyalty. Sullivan, back in his youth, became very friendly with Costello and now as a cop has turned into a crooker officer. How will the Boston police ever catch Costello?

The performances in "The Departed" are all pitch perfect. DiCaprio and Damon, who get top billing, are not just the only two worth watching. Even supporting characters like the ones played by Alec Baldwin and just so it's not all all boy's show, Vera Farmiga as Madolyn are both enjoyable to watch. But, perhaps the most memorable performances is the one given by Jack Nicholson. Rarely has an actor relished playing a villian moreso. The sheer exuberance of his performance makes the screen come alive. This isn't the Jack of recent films like "Something's Gotta Give" and "About Schmidt". Jack lets loose here and plays the role with the same spirit he did the Joker in "Batman". I would even go as far as saying every performance here deserves to get an Oscar nomination.

Some people may ask is this film as good as Scorsese's other films? That's a stupid question. Who cares? It seems, according to the reviews and box-office numbers (this marks Scorsese's highest box-office debut) people are responding well to this film. It is a powerful, well made gangster film that is about more than violence. As I said it is about loyalty and who we choose to give that loyalty to. This is one of the best films of the year! In fact the movie is so good I'm sure Scorsese will lose another Oscar race, just as his best films always do.

Bottom-line: One of the year's best films. "The Departed" finds Scorsese going back to the gritty mean streets of his past and makes this remake a work of his own. Every performance here deserves to get nominated.

Martin Scorsese has another major hit on his hands with the release of the intelligent, chilling, violent, puzzling, and completely fascinating THE DEPARTED. This viewer has not seen the INFERNAL AFFAIRS on which this film is based so comparisons are not possible. But taking this film solely on its own merits this is one gripping piece of cinematic art. Beginning with a very smart script by William Monahan (apparently based on the original screenplay by Siu Fai Mak) and employing one of the best ensemble casts of the year, Scorsese does what he does best in giving us a film that holds our attention, our breath, and our applause throughout.

The story involves two young recently graduated from police academy, men from opposite sides of the law and backgrounds, who are made moles within the Boston State Police department and the Irish mafia: Leonardo DiCaprio is one and Matt Damon is the other and both young actors turn in committed and convincing performances. On the polar aspects of the battleground are Jack Nicholson as the crime king Costello (his finest work since 'A Few Good Men') together with Ray Winstone as Mr French and on the other end are DiCaprio's mentors Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg and Damon's mentors Alec Baldwin et al. The very beautifully written female lead is played to perfection by Vera Farmiga who finally has a role (a conflicted psychiatrist for the moles) hat takes full advantage of her prodigious gifts as an actress.

Some may find the violence obsessively graphic, but then this is Scorcese's style and for this viewer it is necessary for the drive of the story. It is impossible to stop concentrating for a moment during this rapid fire drama, spiced with just the right amount of wry humor, making its running time (in excess of two and a half hours) speed by as fast as the many bullets in the atmosphere. This is one of Scorsese's best films and one that begs to be seen again. Grady Harp, October 06

Martin Scorsese should easily finally take home his first Academy Award for Best Director for "The Departed". With consummate skill he has assembled bewilderingly complex and varied ingredients: performers, story, settings, photography - with the result being a film that grabs your attention in the first few moments and doesn't let up until the credits roll. The film clocks in at a minute less than 2 1/2 hours. With about 10 minutes left the Mrs. and I shared that we both needed a bathroom break after our half-gallon sodas... but neither of us dared leave.

The screenplay, I learn, was adapted by William Monahan from a Hong Kong script by Siu Fai Mak which was translated into English as "Internal Affairs". I also read that Mr. Scorsese didn't see the Chinese film but, rather, worked from an English translation of the "Internal Affairs" script. The story is a compelling narrative. Mr. Monahan has adapted the story to a Boston setting of Irish cops and gangsters. The dialog is full of sharp, witty one-liners, but also with a realistic, gritty ring of truth. The language reflects the setting of South Boston, not Sesame Street, so if your ears burn with the constant use of profanity - you may want to wait for an "edited for TV" version.

The cast is brilliant. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a sizzling performance as a Boston "Southie" who joins the police force at a tender age, but because of his family (his father was a local tough guy and his uncle a low level mobster)and intelligence(we're told he scored 1400 on his SAT - not usual police recruit material) he is recruited by a secret undercover unit to infiltrate the local mafia. We see him put through a grueling interview by his to-be superiors, Martin Sheen, full of paternal wisdom, and Mark Wahlberg, full of suspicions and vulgarities (but with many of the movie's best moments in a role that is no higher than maybe 5th or 6th billing.) At the same time DiCaprio is being recruited to infiltrate the mob, Matt Damon has been sent by the same mob to join the police force where, with his intelligence, etc, he is soon in a parallel secret unit investigating both his boss, Irish Mobster Frank Costello (in yet another defining performance by Jack Nicholson) and the "mole" who it is apparent has infiltrated the police force. (Among the many fine scenes are one where Damon gets to inform Nicholson that he is now leading the investigation to find - himself.)

Jack's performance is a Nicholson special. Frank Costello is a nearly untouchable sociopath. (The reason Costello is "ungettable" by the Massachusetts police force is one of dozens of intricate twists and sub-plots.) Costello is vulgar and menacing and everyone in Boston quakes in his presence, from local priests to the scariest hit men. The Mrs. and I differ in our opinion of whether the film revolves around Costello (her view), since all the other characters revolve around him and, after all, he's played by the great Jack Nicholson, or whether DiCaprio's Billy Costigan is the main character (my opinion), since he has the most screen time and, if this story has a protagonist, Costigan is it. It's enjoyable to discuss such things, but it's quibbling. "The Departed" has so many well-drawn characters breathed to life by stellar actors in brilliant performances that it could easily populate two *good* films!

Vera Farmiga was previously unknown to me, but she delivers in the only major female role as a police psychiatrist who graduated from Harvard, but takes the presumably lower-paying position because she wants to serve her community while she also helps her patients. In one of the trickiest roles of the film she becomes romantically attracted to both "moles", not knowing the "true identity" of either until the climax of the film. Her steely determination after she discovers that Matt Damon is the police department "rat" reminds me of Alida Valli's famous performance in "The Third Man" and her final scene in this movie (walking away from a funeral in a cemetery towards the camera in a single shot, completely ignoring the man who thinks he has romantic possibilities with her) is an obvious homage by Scorsese to Carol Reed's film classic.

Ray Winstone (as Costello's right-hand man, "Frenchie") and Alec Baldwin (as the over-matched police detective who is trying to bring together the various machinations of the Boston detectives and undercover mob infiltrators) lead the next tier of supporting performances. It's just another sign of the overall quality of Mr. Scorsese's picture that actors who would "star" in other films take on roles that in other films would be fleshed out by unknowns.

The plotting and timing are relentless. There are a half dozen scenes with more edge-of-your-seat white-knuckle tension than a hundred chainsaw and machete wielding madmen movies combined. DiCaprio's performance brings home the fear that the character must have constantly been feeling. If discovered, he would certainly be killed by Costello's mobsters in a way that would serve as an example. The film ends, I think, as it must, and it's fair to say it's a Noir ending and not a "Hollywood" ending. Over the weeks leading up to this year's Academy Awards this film will be praised more than the last 25 films nominated for "Best Picture" combined. All the praise and hoopla will make "The Departed" and it's various investors a lot of money. This makes me wonder - if great films like this are profitable, why bother with the other 99% of brainless dreck that shows up at my local cineplex every week? Just wondering.

Martin Scorsese may be the most beloved director for American cinephiles. From his early triumphs to his later masterworks to his repeated Oscar snubs, Scorsese was always on the short list of Great American Directors. Who hadn't heard some film nut wax poetic over Scorsese's tale of listening to the gangsters talking on the streets near his childhood home, "so he knows how these guys talk!" Who hadn't been reminded of his encyclopedic knowledge of American music and his mastery of soundtracks? Who hadn't heard of the legendary violence in his movies?

"The Departed" was a seeming odd choice for Scorsese - it's a direct remake of the Asian blockbuster, "Infernal Affairs." Indeed, if you have seen "IA," as I have, you really have to question all the accolades that Scorsese and Team earned with this movie - including Scorsese's Oscar for Best Picture. If there has been a greater example of a "make up" award, I can't think of one.

The plot of "IA," adopted by "The Departed," is fantastic - a criminal organization has a mole buried deep in the metro police, and the police bury a mole deep in the criminal organization. They are charged with finding each other while coping with this soul-crushing burden. Both cops and criminals play for keeps - the body count is as high as the tension. And cellular phones feature prominently in both films.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon play the respective moles. DiCaprio works for the police and gets close to mob boss Frank Costello, played with brio but not much originality by Jack Nicholson. (Jack's played this role before, although his Boston accent is something new.) Damon gets close to the top of the police food chain, populated with such talented actors as Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen. There's plenty of testosterone to go 'round, especially when Damon and DiCaprio fall for the same police shrink.

This is not a bad movie, and if you haven't seen "IA" before, you might think it's great. However, there's something about watching a copy - even one as stylish and brutal as "The Departed" - that saps the experience.

In "The Departed" (2006) directed by Martin Scorcese, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is young police officer who has been sent undercover to work for a vicious and powerful Boston mafia boss, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) was handpicked by Costello as a young boy and placed to the Police Academy with the intention to infiltrate later the Boston Police Department. One day, two young men will inevitably meet...

"The Departed" is a very good film but sadly, it slows down in the final 20 or so minutes and leaves a viewer (yours truly) with several questions and slightly disappointed. Seems that Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello kept all parts of the movie together and after his departure, it became literally empty. As for directing, Martin Scorsese is in the top his form -the movie is well paced, suspenseful, and has a great soundtrack (as usual in Scorsese movies). The cast is the closest to perfect it could be. As much as I like Jack Nicholson, it was nothing he has not done before (his Frank Costello is a combination of Daryl Van Horne and Col. Nathan R. Jessep) but Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan played the best role of his career. About a year ago, I wrote about his acting in Scorcese's previous movie, "The Aviator", "Leonardo DiCaprio earns my respect and admiration for his acting - he is one of the most talented young actors now and I will be waiting for his following films impatiently. I trusted him in every scene and he made me feel strongly for and sympathize with Howard Hughes's affliction." I am very glad to admit that in "The Departed" he is even better - the hell Billy Costigan has lived in working undercover for the devilishly evil Frank Costello was absolutely real, suffocating and palpable. DiCaprio had many scenes with Nicholson and he never got lost next to his celebrated partner.

Not as perfect as "Goodfellas" which comes to mind while watching "The Departed", the newest Scorcese's work is a lot of fun to watch - it is an inspiring film-making, and I am happy that finally Scorsese has been recognized by the Academy for his directing.

Proving that he is not dimming with age, Martin Scorsese directs perhaps his best crime drama in "The Departed", written by William Monahan and inspired by the 2002 Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs". Corruption and duplicity are the rule in the longstanding feud between the Irish crime syndicate of South Boston and the Massachusetts State Police. Crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) took Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) under his wing as a youngster and groomed him to serve the syndicate. Sullivan grew up to be a cop and rose through the ranks in the State Police's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), where he fights organized crime while keeping Costello well-informed. Billy Costigan (Leoardo DiCaprio) was recruited out of the police academy to a deep undercover operation within Costello's inner circle, known only to Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) of the SIU. When the criminals and police both realize that they have a mole in their organizations, a complicated game of cat and mouse ensues.

There have been other movies about double crosses and double agents, but none so gut-wrenching as "The Departed". Great dialogue and characters who sit constantly on the emotional edge set this film apart. Billy is a bright guy trying to hold onto his identity. Colin is a yuppie trying to focus on his ambitions. They are both about to crack. But there is no melodrama, just a suspenseful, violent ride that looks like it can't possibly turn out well. The cynicism escalates in tandem with the characters' anxieties. Nicholson abandons his shtick and does some real acting here as an admittedly entertaining sociopathic sleazebucket. If "The Departed" has a flaw, it is excessive length. An hour into the film I was wondering how it could run another hour and a half. Some of the early exposition could have been cut. But most of the time is spent on unexpected twists and turns -that really are unexpected. "The Departed" commendably avoids doing the obvious at most points along the way. It keeps the audience guessing, while powerful performances keep us involved.

Martin Scorcese is the most overrated, overly hyped, highly praised director living today. And, for what? Well, I'll tell you: It's for his latest film, "The Departed"! He did once make some really great films, like "Mean Streets", "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "Taxi Driver", "The Color of Money", and "Goodfellas". But, that's been over 15 years ago. "Casino" was alright, but it was just an attempt at remaking "Goodfellas". And, films like "Gangs of New York", "Bringing Out the Dead", and "The Aviator" were just atrocious. His remake of "Cape Fear" was good, but nowhere near as great as he used to be.
But, lo and behold, Marty has remade another film, "Infernal Affairs", and made himself a new classic that he deserved every accolade thrown his way for. He definetly deserved the Best Director award at the Academy Awards for this. For all of you people who praise Scorcese like he's God, well, I have to say you're right on this one. This is an extremely deep and profound and intense fast paced masterpiece of modern cinema that will leave you utterly breathless in practically every scene. And, it is rich with irony! Especially the plot of having, not one, but two moles, each one on a different side than the other. Brilliant storytelling at its best! I just didn't like that a certain character got killed in the end that should have lived, but that's not going to taint my judgement of this great film.
Scorcese is on fire here, making quick cuts left and right, entering scenes through a circle point of view, cutting back and forth between scenes and characters, past and present, and using an extremely terrific soundtrack to boost the film along like a freight train to H*ll. This kicks people like Tarantino back into Kindergarden!! This is possibly the best crime thriller genre film that I've seen in years.
Everybody in the film is perfect for their roles, and their performances all shine through. This isn't near as gory as a lot of people make it out to be. It is violent, but no more so than any of Coppolla's "Godfather" films, and even less so than Scorcese's own "Goodfellas". Marty really out did himself with this one. He is the King!! Here's to hoping that he will stay on this winning streak of making great films again, instead of having to wait another 15 years. Thank you.