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by Willie Waffle

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The Departed

Men, our movie has arrived!  No more Zach Braff whining about his love life or pretty boy Ashton Kutcher trying to act butch.  The Departed has MEN, like Nicholson, Sheen, DiCaprio and Marky Mark.  It is THE movie for guys this weekend, and an Oscar contender, when so many pretenders have failed this fall.     

Jack Nicholson stars as Frank Costello – a long time Irish mobster in Boston, who has risen to the top.  He’s smarter and nastier than anyone before him, so every law enforcement agency wants to put him in jail.  Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and his right hand guy, Sergeant Dignam (Mark “Don’t Call Him Marky Mark, especially when he is in a Martin Scorsese movie” Wahlberg), have selected a new graduate of the academy, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), to go so far undercover to gather evidence against Costello that only the two of them know.  However, Costello has his own mole on the task force trying to catch him - rising police star Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). 

Which rat will be caught first?  Can anyone bring down Costello?          

It seems like every male actor in Hollywood who didn’t end up in All The King’s Men ended up in The Departed, and are they glad!  The Departed is classic Scorsese complete with the awesome soundtrack, amazing acting performances and a story so dense and exciting you don’t want it to end.  But, when it does end, HOLY MAMA it’s a good ending. 

The Departed’s main strength is the way writer William Monahan (based on the Hong King movie Infernal Affairs by Sui Fai Mak and Felix Chong) sets up all of these competing comparisons between characters as the story unfolds before you.  We see Costigan as the good guy, but he lives a lonely, dangerous, dirty life, eating in smoke filled bars, while the bad guy, Sullivan, gets accolades, a fancy apartment, five star restaurants and a hot girlfriend, Madolyn (Vera Farmiga).  Then, we see the loving, fatherly relationship between Costigan and Queenan versus the bullying mentor relationship between Costello and Sullivan and how those effect each character’s decisions along the way.  Finally, Monahan fills the movie will all sorts of interdepartmental squabbles, office politics, and colorful characters to make the movie dense enough to keep the audience on its toes and paying attention all the way through.

The Departed also benefits from one of the best casts in the business.  Nicholson is gripping as the mob boss, who might be going a bit loony along the way.  He knows the audience wants every scene chewing, eyebrow raising, rage erupting moment, and Nicholson delivers again and again and again.  It’s as if Scorsese just told Jack to roll with it, and kept the camera going to catch every wild moment.      

Then, you throw in DiCaprio who sparkles in scenes with Nicholson and on his own.  He has an amazing intensity, and knows when to turn it on, and when to step back so Jack can be Jack.  Even Marky Mark puts in a memorable for the ages performance as he spouts off vulgarity-filled dialogue that is equally hilarious and frightening.    

Finally, The Departed is a winner because of Martin Scorsese.  As a true lover of film noir, he understands how to use shadows and darkness from the opening, and soon to be classic, silhouette of Costello walking through a warehouse to a steamy chase through Chinatown to the dark movie theater where Costello has a key meeting.  Then, the film, which might seem long (2 hours and 30 minutes) to some, moves forward with constant action as Scorsese finds all sorts of complications and action.  However, the violence and action is rarely like the big explosion and shot ‘em up scenes you expect from other movies.  Scorsese understands this violence is conducted so no one else can hear it or see it, providing every victim with the kind of shocking, cold and lonely ending they should expect. 

The Departed is very close to standing with Goodfellas, Raging Bull and Taxi Driver as one of Scorsese’s finest movies. 

4 Waffles (Out Of 4)

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