Movie Review: The Departed (Spoilers)

Starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin, you just knew going in that this movie would be something special. The only question mark was Martin Scorcese. I know, I know...he's a legend in the business, everything he touches is brilliant...blah, blah, blah. I just want to know if I'm going to see wonderfully directed boredom like Gangs of New York or something interesting like The Aviator. Not only was this not another outing like Gangs of New York, in my opinion, this movie surpassed The Aviator and rose to the level of Goodfellas or Raging Bull.

The Departed tells a not unfamiliar story of the mafia and the police, but in this story, we have moles on both sides of the fence. Nicholson plays the mafia boss forward-thinking enough to work a neighborhood kid into the police force and up the chain of command. Martin Sheen, Mark Whalberg, and Alec Baldwin work in the police force trying to catch Nicholson's character using Billy Costigan, an undercover cop played by DiCaprio. The story devolves into a battle between the moles to uncover each other and survive attacks from both sides.

Each performance in The Departed is brilliant in its own right, but two actors really elevated it beyond the usual fare. DiCaprio played the role of Costigan, the undercover cop, so unhinged that you literally had no idea what he might do next. Would he kill his contacts in the police force and join the mafia permanently?
Who knows? On the screen less than most, Baldwin turned in some well-needed comic relief by creating an extreme characterization of a Boston detective. With lines like "Patriot Act! Patriot Act! I love the Patriot Act!" you have to believe Baldwin added a little of his own sarcastic flavor to the role. Aside from that, I think that was his only line without an expletive so I had to use it.

If you can handle lying, stealing, cheating, murdering, stabbing, cussing, etc., I highly recommend this movie.