Movie Review: The Departed

Superlatives are building up in praise of Martin Scorsese’s new film The Departed. No doubt, however, there will be plenty of people comparing it (unfavorably in all likelihood) to the director’s previous, similarly themed Goodfellas and Casino, as well as the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, of which The Departed is a somewhat loose remake.

Don’t listen to those people. There’s a good probability that fans of Scorsese’s crime-related movies will also enjoy this one, but comparisons are needless and unfair. How can anyone really judge anything they’ve seen only recently and probably only once against something else that’s become a part of cinematic culture and history? Enjoy The Departed for what it is—an electrifying, well-acted story with a dream cast and the most accomplished American director working today.

The story is deceptively simple. Boston mob boss Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson) grooms a young man to become a police officer (Matt Damon) just as the state police set up one of their own (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate the gangster’s clan. The two men’s paths never cross and eventually both men are given the task of finding their counterpart.

The complexities of this twin paradox are explored with an intriguing amount of gravitas, especially with DiCaprio’s character, Billy Costigan. While Damon’s Colin Sullivan enjoys rising up through the police ranks and his new luxury apartment, Costigan leads the life his father worked tirelessly for his son to avoid. Sullivan is given greater and greater responsibilities on the state police force while Costigan deals with prison, witnessing murders, and unspeakable violence.

It’s not surprising that the female psychotherapist (Vera Farmiga, who will hopefully parlay this somewhat standard role into a higher visibility that allows her to show the acting chops she displayed in last year’s Down to the Bone) becomes interested in both men for different reasons. When Costigan entrusts her with an envelope presumably containing crucial details of the work he’s done, the contrast in how the two men view her is obvious.

DiCaprio is mesmerizing as Costigan, giving essentially two performances and finally showing the intensity that was lacking in some of his other efforts. There’s a particular point in the film where the character is in a nearly impossible situation, closer than ever to having his cover blown and struggling to deal with what has just happened to one of the two men who know he’s a cop. Stripped of a safety net, Costigan’s fear is palpable and DiCaprio is perfect. In fact, I would venture to say that his performance really elevates The Departed from what could have been a much more standard cops-and-gangsters action picture to a film with a hefty amount of emotional depth.

Even though DiCaprio is the standout of the remarkable cast, Nicholson is, as expected, delightfully over-the-top when need be. Because of his iconic status (how many other 69-year-olds would Rolling Stone put on its cover?), Nicholson’s involvement seems to be the most talked about aspect of the picture and the prologue prior to the opening title focuses on his character. Nevertheless, Nicholson does what he should here, which is play an aging, eccentric crime boss brimming with explosive evil.

Article Author: clydefro

clydefro is an industrious young film lover. He uses his film journal as an outlet for his ever-growing need for Billy Wilder and Nicholas Ray.

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