Damon was a tour de force as the lead, tapping every ounce of his acting reservoir for this role. Nicholson creates another classic role to add to his already sterling resume. His mob boss would almost steal every scene he was in, if it not for every other actor being so fantastic However, the biggest surprise for me personally came from Leonardo DeCaprio.Having never warmed up to any of his roles or movies, I found myself blown away by him in this. I'm not sure if it was the material he was given, or if DeCaprio has grown this much as an actor, or a combination of both, but he finally won me over with his role in this instant Scorsese classic. Every character is pitch perfect, every scene is right on the money. The plot builds to a crescendo of such dynamic proportions rarely seen on film. I don't want to give too much away, but I'm still shaken from the ride I was taken on.People go to the movies in the hopes that maybe once in a hundred times you get to experience storytelling so masterful and transcendent that it changes the way you view cinema. This is one of those spectacularly perfect times.Forget Taxi Driver. Forget Raging Bull. Forget Goodfellas. As much as I LOVE those movies and as much as they have affected me in my lifetime, The Departed will hands down be Martin Scorsese's Master Work.

even watch the original film while adapting its screenplay, thus enabling him to infuse the script with his, and Scorsese's, respective visions.All the actors are first-rate yes, even Leo, for all you DiCaprio bashers out there , and turn in some of their best performances to date. THE DEPARTED is sure to garner a host of Oscar nods, if not wins, including hopefully Scorsese's long-overdue statuette for Best Director. Plus, with actors like Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin playing supporting roles, that says a lot about the quality of the film they signed up for! THE DEPARTED is tough stuff, not for the faint-of-heart. That said, it is a must-see for adult viewers who long for intelligent, gritty stories to grace our movie screens once again.

roles that remind me of Jesus Quintana from 'The Big Lebowski', by this I mean that their screen time is limited but they make lasting impressions that you cherish each and every scene they are in, Alec Baldwin especially. The story itself starts off with the basic intro of the players and the setting, but you'll find yourself slowing following each and every plot twist and rooting back and forth for the good guys and for the bad guys. If you're a Scorsese fan, which I am, I think you will appreciate this film. You can clearly see the Scorsese touch ranging from the cinematography and of course the music, it's great to hear "Gimme Shelter" again, but "Comfortably Numb" played in so well. It's another gangster flick from Scorsese, yet this one stands alone because feels so fresh and most would agree Scorsese does gangster films the best; so why not let him. Oscar worthy, the acting I certainly hope; this is DiCaprio's best role since 'The Aviator' which was his best role since 'Gangs of New York', am I seeing a pattern here. But my lasting impression wasn't concerned with the politics of the golden statue; my lasting impression was that I had sat through 2 and half hours of brilliant and especially entertaining storytelling. Thank you Mr. Scorsese.

the departed is stellar. Living-legend Jack Nicholson flawlessly delivers one of his best performances in years as the execrable mob boss Frank Costello. Nicholson's nuanced acting was so on-point that at times I felt like I was actually about to be shot by the slimy capo.The Departed is nothing short of spectacular. Funnier that most comedies, Scorsese is still able to amplify the bloodshed and meticulously deliver a stunning cinematic achievement.Bravo, Mr. Scorsese; you have outdone yourself.

correct when he said, "Maybe he Scorsese got what he deserves--exclusion from the mediocre." This film is Scorsese's finest work since Raging Bull, but it is not simply about Martin Scorsese or the amazing screen play by William Monahan, it is more than an amazing score, and great cinematography. While many of the accolades for this film belong to those behind the scenes people who envisioned and directed this film. One would be remiss to not point out the great performances of an all-star cast, many of whom deliver the finest performances of long and storied careers. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon deliver incredible performances. However the performance that stood out for me was Wahlberg, Mark Wahlberg's Sgt. Dignam stole every scene he was in, and he shared screen time with each of the afore mentioned actors. He gets to deliver some of the best lines, and with every scene he leaves the audience wanting more, and anticipating his next scene.Since The Academy has had its collective heads stuck … for so long, mentioning a Scorsese picture and Oscar in the same sentence seems to be a waste of time. That being said I can not say if he will finally win the Oscar that he has deserved for so long, as his major competition Flags of our Fathers has yet to be released, I will say that I expect to see Wahlberg nominated for best supporting, and Leo and Damon will be pitted against one another once more, this time for best actor, Monahan will be nominated for writing, and of course Scorsese will be nominated for director. Also, it goes without saying a best picture nomination will be in order for The Departed.That was the long version; the short version is if you like a movie with incredible performances, direction, music and visuals. If you like a layered story that is not formulaic, in short if you appreciate film making and story telling at its finest then see this film. Even with the glowing reviews of myself and others, and the high expectations they will undoubtedly bring I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Martin Sheen are good, too.Definitely one of the best films of the 00's. And easily one of the best remakes of all time. It's intense, funny, exciting, suspenseful, superbly acted, violent, has great characters, and has one of the most shocking scenes I've ever seen. And there's not a boring moment in it's two and a half hour running time. The film will most likely be nominated for picture, director and adapted screenplay, and in my opinion, it deserves all three of them. DiCaprio and Wahlberg also deserve nominations.See this as soon as you can.

add up much. SPOILER: i really hate the The Departed ending. Why did they end it like that? They should have stuck to the same ending as Infernal Affair. But then, if they did, Mark Wahlberg's character would have been useless...Even though it's Scorsese, it cant beat Infernal Affair. I give it an 8 because I gave Infernal Affair a 10.

crimes.Costigan gains Costello's trust and gets involved a lot deeper in his crimes.On the other hand ,a rising police office is actually a mole in the department, informs everything about the Police Department's movements to Costello.But things get deadly when both men are about to have their secrets exposed and the Mobs and the cops discover that there is a mole/informer,and a traitor who's getting things messed up on both sides.And then they both try to save themselves from each other and the Mobs.They slowly get confused with their dual identities and things get deadlier for the both of them as their delicate balance with the Mobs and the Cops gets them too involved with the world they're into.While both men are in love with the same women,one of them has to suffer the consequences.Leading to a shocking conclusion to this epic.There are intense scenes of violence and action and twists that you never see coming.A Martin Scorsese film is always dark,graphically violent,raw,hard edged,and filled with memorable powerhouse performances.And this film is no exception.The Departed is something new and different .Its complex plot unfolds to an even more powerful story ,with characters colliding with one another and facing terrifying situations.Scorsese shows that what it is like to be a cop.Your life is in danger 24/7 ,and that every minute is a risk when you're undercover.Your only fear is having your true identity be exposed.And then,it's all up to the person who's holding a gun to your face.It's a tough film he carved out,and to be honest it's a perfect example of how a remake should be made.It's actually as good as the original,even better at times.And shows that when it is helled by a legendary director who knows what he is doing the results are always great for a remake.To compare the original and this one,I would say this one is slightly better than the original.Otherwise,it's just as brilliant as the Hong Kong version.But the thing about this film is that even if you've seen the Hong Kong version,you'll still be blown away by the Hollywood version.However,comparisons are inevitable.What else can you ask for when you have a cast this big?I could only recall one such film that had such a huge cast at the moment,and that was Ocean's 11.Where that film didn't do full justice with its cast,this film makes use of its actors and gives you a rare piece of entertainment that is thought-provoking and ingenious.Scorsese really have given a great piece of work.I wouldn't say this is his best work ever,his best directed film was GANGS OF NEW YORK ,which he should've won an Osacar for,but it certainly is one his best work since Goodfellas in the crime genre.It's got the usual trademarks of the director.The script is fantastic.The writer has done a terrific job in this remake.It makes the film a standout from the original.Rich CinematographyThe cinematography is rich,and the editing is sharp. The Score is superb,Scorsese's choice of music is great.And the look of the film and its sets are brilliant,getting us old and new Boston.And lots of cell phone use.Well,you're wondering who's the show stealer out of a giant cast like this.Everyone got to do something with full satisfaction.But the real standout here is Di Caprio and Damon.The actors have only gotten better and better recently and here they pull it off again.They are complex and tough characters to play and they play their part brilliantly.Di Caprio's emotional stature is strong.He manages to bring the character's fear and confusion with full conviction.You do feel sad in the end for what happens to him.You will be shocked and it was unfair for the character.Damon on the other hand is superb as the mole who informs the crime bosses.Their face off and rivalries are intense and suspenseful.And of course,Jack Nicholson couldn't have had more fun doing a film like this than doing another sad comedy.His and Scorsese's collaboration is another reason,altogether a different reason, to watch this film.At this age,he could still pull off juicy performances,and do all that he's done on screen really makes you wonder if he's ever gonna do another film with Scorsese again.And his over the top performance is really fun to watch.Wahlberg is great in his role as the tough cop who talks tough to his co-officers.Alec Baldwin and Martin Sheen are both terrific.Vera Farimiga was a real surprise as a women who falls in love with both leading men.She plays her part really well and you kind of feel sad that why didn't she chose the character that deserved her. Of course, this film is not without its flaws,and I expected it to end with a bang,whereas the writer seemed to have abandoned the script's energy and just concluded it somewhat like the original film.It was an uneven conclusion.And I just wasn't sure why was it necessary to do what the writer did to the main characters in the end.But regardless of that the rest of the film is a tour de force raw drama.A modern classic and a definite must-see of the year.This film can count on its chances of being at the Oscars next year.A sure fire success.The Departed is the most exciting,fun and thrilling dark crime Drama of the year.And it's fully satisfying and very entertaining.Highly Recommended.

won't give him an Oscar for this, especially since he is up against a few Academy favorites and a veteran Arkin . While I do not think this is Scorsese's best film, nor the best film of the year, it is one of the finest serious crime thrillers I have seen in a very long time.The film is set in Boston, and relies on stereotypes of that city and its ethnic groups that only slightly detract from the film's believability. Despite the fertile ground for psychological examination, the film's slightly absurd pace DiCaprio becomes a trusted confidant of a crime boss in 3-4months??? the film is not a character study, and, rather, relies on archetypes of good cop/bad cop which are employed pretty consistently and to varying degrees throughout the film. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a performance that exceeds his own high standards, opposite Matt Damon in a life and death cat and mouse game. DiCaprio is undercover for the police infiltrating organized crime, Damon is undercover for an organized crime boss Nicholson infiltrating the police. Vera Farmiga is excellent as the police psychologist who ends up connected to both. Damon also gives a nice, edgy, though a little detached performance, and stalwarts Nicholson, Baldwin and Sheen do some of their best work in years. The Boston accents only occasionally slip into exaggeration and surprisingly - are only over-done by actors who have lived in Boston! .The acting is generally outstanding. The cinematography is above average - there are too many straight pans and rhythmic fast cuts, but the action is always well framed and nicely emphasized by the camera. The direction is, as with most Scorsese work, tight, economical and clean. The script is excellent, and, in my opinion, is likely to give Babel a run for its money for the adapted screenplay Oscar. Contrary to some opinions I have seen here, I did not feel that the soundtrack added much to the film. In fact, if I were to fault the film for anything it would be sound. Excellent film, well worth seeing if you can handle the nihilism and violence it portrays.