Departed

"The Departed" is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. This is certainly Oscar-worthy, and is definitely worth your time and money.

The premise is fairly simple, but the twists and turns keep the movie interesting. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a recent Boston Police Academy graduate assigned to infiltrate mob boss Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) organization. Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a recent Police Academy grad who actually works for Costello as a mole within the Special Investigation Unit as they try to bring him down. Eventually, both sides realize they have a rat in their group. The action then revolves around who figures it out first. Oh, there is also the female psychiatrist who falls for both Costigan and Sullivan.

Every single performance is a stand-out, with DiCaprio turning in his best work yet. Nicholson is nearly over the top, but is perfect for the role. Martin Sheen is the calming force in the chaos, while Mark Wahlburg and Alex Baldwin have some of the greatest lines in years, none of which I can repeat here. With this being a Martin Scorsese movie, there is no lack of blood and graphic violence. At the same time, there is a certain levity with each character riding the other merely for existing.

To tell you anything more about "The Departed" would be to tell you too much. There are surprises throughout, as no one character is safe. While the final thirty minutes did drag somewhat, it is probably because we are no longer moving at the break-neck speed of the first two hours. While I usually don't comment on the technical aspects of films, the editing here is amazing. "The Departed" is sure to be on my top ten list of best movies of the year. Check it out. I give at an A.

"The Departed" is rated R with a running time of 150 minutes.