Review of The Departed (2006) by Stephen Z — 10 Mar 2015

With his latest film, "The Departed", Martin Scorsese has once again proven his ability to create a superb film. This crime drama tells the story of two unrelated Boston cops whose connections to the criminal underworld bring their lives colliding together. As such, this is a very character-driven film.

The best part of "The Departed" is its characters and the incredible actors who bring them to life. Leonardo DiCaprio gives an excellent, sincere performance as Billy Costigan, a cop from a family of criminals determined to redeem himself. Matt Damon gives an equally excellent performance as Colin Sullivan, a criminal mole in the police force. I really like the way Scorsese developed DiCaprio's and Damon's characters as great foils for each other. Jack Nicholson, as mob boss Frank Costello, just does his thing, with his usual charisma. And Mark Wahlberg is entertaining in his supporting role.

"The Departed" is definitely another Scorsese triumph. I really enjoyed the performances of DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson, and it's only because I was enjoying these performances that I went along with the drawn-out plot. "The Departed" is a well-acted, well-written, and well-directed film. And the last 20 minutes will completely shock you.