Two men (Matt Damon & Leonardo DiCaprio) from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy’s identities. (imdb.com)

The Departed is definitely one of the best films of this year and of Scorsese’s career. Not that he’s ever done a bad film. Critics have said the same except many commented on the storyline involving the Vera Farmiga’s character (madolyn) whom both DiCaprio (Billy Costigan) and Damon’s (Colin Sullivan) characters get involved with. I thought the storyline was very well integrated into the plot. I especially though DiCaprio and Farmiga had much better chemistry than she and Damon though there characters actually date.

Also surprising was Jack Nicholson’s performance as Frank Costello since I can’t stand the man. He’s always “Jack Nicholson” in his films. Never really the character. Not to say that I ever forgot Frank Costello wasn’t Nicholson, but he was just less over the top as he usually is. Probably everything to do with Scorsese’s directing. The man can direct Joe Schmoe frying an egg and I’d watch. The writing was just perfect. A Balance of raw humor, taut drama, a believable romance and a whole lot of quintessential Scorsese mobster violence. On par with Goodfells in violence and writing and directorial calibur, The Departed is now on my list of top mobster films of all times.

What makes the movie so compelling is Damon and DiCaprio’s characters. Colin Sullivan and Billy Costigan are both complex characters living complicated lives. Costigan is a police informant within the mob. He’s a good guy despite his family’s history as criminals. Most save for his father. Colin Sullivan, on the other hand, worked for Frank Costello as a boy and went into the police academy, graduated with honors and was made detective all so he can become a mob informant in the police department. Of course, living double lives take tolls on both characters. DiCaprio, especially, played the complexies exceptionally. The man keeps surprising me, as well he should considering his less than mediocre performance in a less than mediocre film, Titanic. In both Catch Me if You Can and The Aviator, I saw again the talent obvious in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. And now, The Departed. DiCaprio’s performance was vulnerable, believable, well-rounded. As for Mr. Damon, as much as his portrayal of the increasingly tormented mob informant/detective, his performances in films including this one have not at least reached the level of his portrayal as the highly tormenting, intriguing, vulnerable Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley. His vulnerabilities seem to have gone somewhere. Or perhaps it’s his choice of film roles?

Regardless, The Departed is a fabulous, fabulous film. The surprises are fabulous. Definitely a film you’d want to see in the theaters and soon own on DVD.

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