The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating: 4.0

Mary's review of The Departed
Best Scorcese Film Since Goodfellas
Departed Delivers
One to watch; and own!
One of the greatest films ever made.

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The Classic Mob Film

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Matt Damon , Jack Nicholson , Mark Wahlberg , and Martin Sheen
Director: Martin Scorsese , and Richard Schickel
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Product Group: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000M5AJQS
2007-02-13

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Martin Scorsese makes a welcome return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) with The Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film since Casino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, the film was intensely scrutinized by devoted critics and cinephiles, and while Scorsese's intense filmmaking and all-star cast deserve ample acclaim, The Departed is also worthy of serious re-assessment, especially with regard to what some attentive viewers described as sloppy craftsmanship (!), notably in terms of mismatched shots and jagged continuity. But no matter where you fall on the Scorsese appreciation scale, there's no denying that The Departed is a signature piece of work from one of America's finest directors, designed for maximum impact with a breathtaking series of twists, turns, and violent surprises. It's an intricate cat-and-mouse game, but this time the cat and mouse are both moles: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an ambitious cop on the rise, planted in the Boston police force by criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hot-tempered police cadet who's been artificially disgraced and then planted into Costello's crime operation as a seemingly trustworthy soldier. As the multilayered plot unfolds (courtesy of a scorching adaptation by Kingdom of Heaven screenwriter William Monahan), Costigan and Sullivan conduct a volatile search for each other (they're essentially looking for "themselves") while simultaneously wooing the psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga) assigned to treat their crime-driven anxieties.

Such convenient coincidences might sink a lesser film, but The Departed is so electrifying that you barely notice the plot-holes. And while Nicholson's profane swagger is too much "Jack" and not enough "Costello," he's still a joy to watch, especially in a film that's additionally energized by memorable (and frequently hilarious) supporting roles for Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and a host of other big-name performers. The Departed also makes clever and plot-dependent use of cell-phones, to the extent that it couldn't exist without them. Powered by Scorsese's trademark use of well-chosen soundtrack songs (from vintage rock to Puccini's operas), The Departed may not be perfect, but it's one helluva ride for moviegoers, proving popular enough to become the biggest box-office hit of Scorsese's commercially rocky career. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD
Introduced by director Martin Scorsese, the nine deleted scenes from The Departed are all interesting to watch, though not a significant loss from the picture. The other bonus features are very good as well. "Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie, and The Departed" is a 21-minute history of the real-life Boston gangster Jack Nicholson's character was based on. Scorsese, screenwriter William Monahan, and a number of journalists are among those interviewed. In "Crossing Criminal Cultures" (24 minutes), Scorsese and the cast discuss gangster pictures and specifically Scorsese's. Consider that a warm-up for Scorsese on Scorsese, an 86-minute documentary from 2004. (It's the only bonus feature not available on the HD DVD or Blu-ray versions.) There's no narrator or interviewer: it's just Scorsese talking about his upbringing and influences. There's a generous use of clips through The Aviator and even his American Express commercial. --David Horiuchi

Beyond The Departed <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr align="center" valign="top" class="tiny"> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000DI87S.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
More gangster movies</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000286RKW.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
Amazon.com's Martin Scorsese Essentials</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000LXS6H0.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
The original inspiration: Infernal Affairs</td> </tr> </table>

Description

Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Costello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down. Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole. How these covert lives cross, double-cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs, guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral tale of crime and consequences. This is searing, can't-look-away filmmaking: like staring into the eyes of a con - or a cop - with a gun.

Customer Reviews:

Mary's review of The Departed.......2007-06-11

I think Martin Scorsese has waited a long time to be honored for his work, and winning the Oscar for the Departed was a fittting tribute. This crime drama pits the good guys and the bad guys in each others' camps and keeps you wondering right up to the end. It's good to see Matt Damon stretching his acting chops to be the bad guy. His baby-face looks usually lend him to be the good guy, which he does quite well. But playing the smarmy weasel in The Departed works well, too, since he is the last to be suspected. A resounding "Well done" to all of the cast and to Mr. Scorsese.

Best Scorcese Film Since Goodfellas.......2007-06-05

The Departed is pretty good, but not because its large cast is good or because of Martin Scorcese's direction.

Its good because the original Chinese film its copied from, Infernal Affairs (2004) was a superior plot.

The story is about two impersonators who have infiltrated the Boston crime scene. One is employed by the Police Department to find any moles who might have penetrated the force. The other works for Boston Mobster Frank Costello, not related at all to the Mafioso who rapped his knuckles on a congressional desk in the fifties during a televised hearing about organized crime.

Jack Nicholson plays Costello and wrecks the movie pretty much. In interviews, Nicholson said he wasn't inclined to be in the film because the Costello role was little more than a cameo. But Scorcese had the part built up for Nicholson, hurting the film in the process.

The film is a tightly wound tale of intrigue about moles inside the Boston department. Leo De Caprio and Matt Damon play the spies. De Caprio is better than Damon but not by much. De Caprio knots up his forehead too often in order to be taken seriously as a slightly troubled cop.

There's a certain amount of advanced technology to sleuth the mystery the audience already knows the answer to. But this is a great script.

Jack Nicholson's Costello is over the top, damaging a pretty good film substantially. De Caprio is off his mark too.

But this is the best Scorcese film in years, better than Gangs of New York or the Aviator, both of which were directed by Scorcese and both of which featured Leonardo De Caprio.

Nicholson is so awful and such a gargoyle, he reminds me of Burl Ives, who was terrible as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1958. Nicholson is almost always miscast and overacting these days. I think the last decent film he did was the Postman Always Rings Twice in roughly 1980. He hasn't been good in anything since, but they keep paying him as if he's a bankable star.

Other actors in what is supposed to be an ensemble film include Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alex Baldwin, Vera Farmiga and Krista Dalton. Dalton is a newcomer and is quite good. But Baldwin, Farmiga and Wahlberg don't get enough time to act with Nicholson chewing scenery all the time.

The film, due to its extraordinary plot and a series of film surprises, is quite good, despite everything.

Departed Delivers.......2007-06-05

Forget what any naysayers here say. Yes, Martin Scorsese has made gangster/mob movies before, and yes "The Departed" does ride the coattails of "GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)" and "Casino (Widescreen 10th Anniversary Edition)." But you are - just as you did in those classics - getting to see a Director in his element as he guides an excellent cast through some of their best work.

The three principles here, DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson, all give committed performances, and this may be DiCaprio's finest film. Even Mark Wahlberg comes off looking like he is an actor. The smaller roles punch through (Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin, who has the best lines) to make everyone in the cast come across convincingly. While the film has serious continuity errors for those of you that like to pick for that stuff, the pace is so rapid-fire that I only noticed a few while watching. What you will notice, though, is how Scorsese manipulates the gore and the corruption to the point that it creeps into every frame of the film as "The Departed" charges forward. (You got problems with splatter or the F-Bomb? Leave this one on the shelf.)

That is a lot to say about an almost three hour movie. The twists start flying so thick at the end that you may have to back track through the DVD to make the connections. There is plenty of suspense to be had in "The Departed," and it was worth Scorsese's finally nabbing that Oscar.

One to watch; and own!.......2007-06-04

If you are reading this, than chances are you already have an interest in the movie and what others think; that being said, there is no need to review the plot and scrutinize everything that happens in this film.

Getting straight to the point; the acting in this film is suberb; and the directing is also top-notch. The twists and turns that this movie provides are amazingly crafted and well-executed. I was never a big fan of Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio, but his performance in this film has earned him my respect!

Check this movie out if you haven't already and definetly add it to your collection. It may be a re-make, but it will develop into its own classic over time!

One of the greatest films ever made........2007-06-02

I'm not a words person so I'll give a rating of all the qualities of the movie.
Acting: 9/10
Leonardo DiCaprio - 9/10, almost perfect performance
Matt Damon - 8/10, good but does not come off naturally
Mark Walberg - 9/10, very intense
Jack Nicholson - 6/10, pretentious, overacts many scenes
Baldwin - 8/10, very funny
Leading Lady - 7/10, very sexy

Directing: 9/10
Story - 9/10, great story, some parts might be hard to follow on first viewing
Setting - 9/10, captures Boston beautifully
Music - 9/10, awesome music, especially Shipping up to Boston

Overall - 9/10, incredible movie, only a handful of movies ever are better than this. Godfather, Good Will Hunting and only a few others are better than this.

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