Last month I had a real urge to watch a great movie I hadn’t seen for a while. I was particularly excited for Mrs Screen Room Movie Podcast to see it since she never had.
You might remember me mentioning in another post that due to the long run-time and the fact that the evening was getting on we opted for Role Models (2008) instead.
Well I finally got to scratch that itch at the weekend and what a treat is was!
The Departed (2006)
If you haven’t seen it, it’s an crime/drama/thriller directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas) with an all star cast including Jack Nicholson (As Good as It Gets), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity), Mark Wahlberg (Lone Survivor), Alec Baldwin (Mission: Impossible - Fallout), Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Martin Sheen (Wall Street) and Ray Winstone (Black Widow) among others.
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
South Boston cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) goes under cover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief Frank Costello (Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster's trust, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan (Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. When both organizations learn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out each other's identities to save their own lives.
I don’t tend to go for these crime dramas very often but this is a such great film!
I think I might’ve caught some of it on TV once and got so drawn in that I had to watch it from the beginning. Unfortunately that’s sometimes the only way to get me to watch certain films.
A long run-time can also put me off a movie, especially if it’s one that I’m not overly interested in seeing. This is one of the reasons I’ve still never seen Gangs of New York (2002) or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) - ironically both starring Leonardo DiCaprio…
Jack Nicholson is a powerhouse in this movie! I’m a huge fan of his anyway but I’m always reminded just how good he is whenever I watch one of his films. The fact that he can play an hilarious character like Dr. Buddy Rydell in Anger Management (2003), then just a few years later play a character like Frank Costello in this movie is a testament to his superb acting talent. I for one miss seeing him on our screens.
Everyone does a phenomenal job in this film, Leonardo DiCaprio in particular. He was on an impressive run when this movie came out with titles like The Beach (2000), the previously mentioned Gangs of New York (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002) and The Aviator (2004) just in his rear-view mirror. He so convincingly portrays the desperation and fear of a guy who might get “found out” at any time.
The story is brilliant and excellently told!
I love how the characters all intertwine in some way and how despite all of the big names, everyone gets their own slice of the pie.
The whole thing plays out beautifully and the ending will leave you staring at the screen thinking “whaaaaaat?!”
As it happens, Mrs Screen Room Movie Podcast fell asleep about half an hour into watching it. That’s not a reflection on the film, she just tends to do that. Since I technically put this on for her and she still hasn’t seen it, I may be due another watch fairly soon…
If you like a good crime/drama with a riveting story and a great cast (including Ray Winstone who does yet another hilariously bad accent), this is most definitely one you should check out!
Seen it? Let me know what you think.