Nobody does mob like Martin Scorsese. “Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino” and now “The Departed” establish him as the greatest of all directors of crime drama.
Our cultural fascination with those who choose to make a living outside the law is hard to understand. Lying, stealing and killing are not things we teach our children, but somehow we almost admire those like Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) who choose, as he notes at the beginning of the movie, to not be changed by his environment, but to change that environment.
Costello is the vicious crime boss in South Boston that young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is trying to bring down. Only his two bosses Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the explosive Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) even know of his existence. Costigan’s counterpoint is Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) a member of the police Special Investigation Unit who is Costello’s plant in the police department.
As the narrative unfolds both the cops and Costello become aware of a rat in their operations, and the dramatic tension rises as Costigan and Sullivan try to escape detection and certain death.
The acting is superior. If you go to the movies to see real actors (not celebrities making appearances) then this is the movie for you. Nicholson exudes seething menace that some might criticize as overacting. But for me it is Nicholson doing Nicholson, and that alone is worth the price of admission. Put it this way: Tony Soprano would be lucky to be driver of Frank Costigan’s crew.
DiCaprio and Damon more than hold their own. DiCaprio especially makes clear the terrible price you pay for having to continually be who you are not. Mark Wahlberg steals every scene he is in.
Be clear that this movie is graphically violent with the proverbial red spray everywhere, and Employee of the Month (yes I saw it) is playing down the hall. But then you would miss one of the best movies of the year.
