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Movie Review - The Departed (2006)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Martin Scorsese |
| Starring: |
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, and Martin Sheen |
| Rated: |
R (for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material) |
| Length: |
149 minutes |
| Genre: |
Crime/Drama/Thriller |
| Tagline: |
Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it? |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
The Departed |
| Release: |
October 7, 2006 |
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PLOT
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The Departed is set in South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on organized crime. Young
undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland
chief Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy is quickly gaining Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon),
a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising
to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.
Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of
the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there's a
mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy - and each
must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself. My favorite Martin Scorsese film
ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Easily one of 2006's best, The Departed illustrates that attempting to appeal to the masses through
the overuse of formulas and clichés is not necessary to create an entertaining film. Scorsese blends a great
ensemble cast with the right mix of humor, drama, and non-compromise to produce a gripping, compelling feature
that refuses to leave you indifferent.
Love it or hate it, it will grab you, and it will force you to formulate an opinion. More than
any other movie this year, this is simply a film that you don't walk away from with a mere shrug of the
shoulders or a rolling of the eyes.
It's a tragedy. Life's a tragedy. What happens when people depart from what they should be doing with their
lives? What consequences await when you turn away from the right path towards the gray? What makes a man choose
"gray" with an "a" rather than "grey" with an "e"? The answers aren't always comforting. And if there's no
comfort to be found in The Departed, there's at least a warning of what can happen when you get
too deep in a hole out of which you can't climb.
Sharp, crisp dialogue is a cherished rarity in today's films, and there's plenty on display here. Not many words
are wasted. It's rapid-fire so be prepared to pay careful attention or you could quickly find yourself lost in the
maze of directives and details.
The cast misses nary a beat. Nicholson proves why he has a rabid fanbase, Damon further forces me to respect
his ability, Wahlberg continues to prove to be one of today's most unlikely dependable actors, and Vera Farmiga's
alluring eyes could even set Richard Simmons straight. Well, OK, perhaps I speak in hyperbole.
But you know the biggest surprise? Leonardo DiCaprio. I have long sighed in perplexed disbelief at this guy's
popularity and demand. His 12-year-old looks, Charlie Brown round head, and Julia Stiles resemblance have been
too much for me to overcome. But I give credit where credit is due, and I have to tip my hat. He showed me
something here, with a surprisingly believable performance as a cop undercover who's about to lose control.
Good job, perpetually pubescent one, good job.
Don't let the movie's lengthy runtime steer you away. The 2 1/2 hours move very quickly, and not once did the
film start to drag. I thought it did at one point, but that was just Martin Sheen's face lift.
To have a little extra fun I challenge you to see how many times you say "Holy crap" during the final 10
minutes. I think I counted three. Let me know your final number.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Based on the 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs.
- Screenwriter William Monohan didn't watch the original movie before adapting it into an American version. He
worked from a translation of the Chinese script.
- The letter X is used symbolically throughout the movie as an homage to 1932's Scarface.
- Robert De Niro was set to play the police chief, Oliver Queenan (a role that later went to Martin Sheen) but
his commitment to his directorial feature The Good Shepherd forced him to drop out. That's a
shame.
- Ironically, DiCaprio was cast to star in The Good Shepherd but dropped out to do The Departed
instead.
- Martin Sheen's a douche bag.
- So is Alec Baldwin. But he's actually entertaining in this.
- Nicholson's character is partly based on South Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.
- Thomas B. Duffy, a 30-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, served as a technical consultant for
the film. He worked on the case against Bulger.
- Whitey's last name is said to have originated from the fact that his ancestors used to wear socks in their
pants.
- Johnny completely made that up and sincerely hopes there are no gangster Bulger family members who might
take exception to the joke.
- Jack Nicholson was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon who was in Hollow Man with Josh Brolin
who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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A Martin Scorsese film about gangsters? What could possibly make you think this would meet mama's approval?
"F" bombs are dropped quite often, as are the non-scientific names of various body parts. Prepare for loads
of violence as well. There's no real nudity, but there's one makeout scene between Leo and Vera where we
get a brief glimpse of thong. Don't worry - it wasn't Leo's.
Oh, and there's one scene where Nicholson meets Damon in a porno theater to discuss some shady dealings. We never
see what they're watching, but Nicholson whips "something" out, and I have no idea if it was real or not. It's a
quick shot, I've tried to erase it from my mind, and I have no desire to further research it. I just thought you
might need to know.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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Good trailer, even better movie.
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THE GIST
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Not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, The Departed should appeal to adults outside of the
aforementioned groups who like their stories told with grits, guts, and little compromise. Quick warning - if
you demand a fairy tale ending then you might want to learn to accept a compromise to such demands.
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