Imho this film kinda drags it out too long before getting down to the nitty gritty..Film opens with two Police Officers..both having two very different reasons for joining the force..one a good Cop trying to prove his worth as a Police Officer....the second Cop falls under bad Cop..each working against the other without realizing it until it's too late..Jack Nicholson does a fantastic job playing a low life scum bag criminal..one of his best performances ever..Leonardo DeCaprio has definitely changed alot both in his look and his acting he has come a long way from his "Titanic" days..Mark Wahlberg starts out playing a not very likeable character in the beginning, but all of that changes by the end of the film..usually I dislike Martin Sheen in films, but his character was very likeable sort of a fatherly type..this film is filled with blood and guts and the langauage would make a Sailor blush..definitely not a movie for the under 18 crowd..movie buffs will enjoy this flick for the pure action, tense scenes and yes there is a bit of a love story in it as well, the ending alone makes this movie worth the long ride..This film is definitely a catalyst for all other action movies to pattern themselves after..4 out of 5 stars, but only because it took soo long to get to the heart of this fun thrill ride of a movie!!Read full review
Do people really live like this? It's Boston, which is a long way from where I live. But it reminds me of the spy-counter spy movies from the past that we went to see in the 1960s and 1970s--only bloodier. It is also so complicated that it reminds me of "The Big Sleep." In the movie, we have an Irish Mafia leader (Jack Nicholson) with a spy in the police (Matt Damon). But we also have an undercover police captain (Martin Sheen and his assistant Mark Wahlberg) with a spy in the Mafia (Leonardo DiCaprio). The cat and mouse game is the root of the story. Who will outsmart the other and figure out who is the spy for the other side? And additionally, who is the cat and who is the mouse? The use of two or three cell phones by each character makes this a movie that could not have been made before now. Unknowingly, the two spies have the same girlfriend played by police- psychiatrist, Vera Farmiga, who is pregnant at the end of the movie. An unresolved issue is who is the father, which to me would have made the movie much more satisfying if we had known. There would have been a victory of sorts for one of the characters. On the downside, the movie contains constant cursing in language that would tremendously offend conservative, church-going people. Additionally, there is a tremendous amount of bloodshed--especially gunshots straight through the brain spattering blood all over the place. There is also other violence--people being pushed off of buildings, glasses smashed into faces, broken hands smashed again, and lots of karate type moves. You have to have a certain tolerance of lots of action and be willing to accept lots of coincidences and being in the right place at the right time to like this kind of movie. I for one prefer a simpler story that is true entertainment--but not slapstick comedy. This movie, however, was cleverly done. Jack Nicholson plays the part that he plays so well--grody, sexual, fearless, tragic, and always on the edge of being caught by the police. Also great is Mark Wahlberg, who for once plays a good guy but only in a roundabout way. (He is really a curser. It almost makes you laugh if it weren't so vulgar.) Martin Scorsese finally won his Best Director Oscar for this movie. I assume that he deserved it, but really I think that it was one of those Oscars given because he had lost so many times in the past. Finally, this movie is for those of us who still thrive on lots of violence, action, and a story full of coincidences and being in the right place at the right time.Read full review
The Departed is an unquestionably good film. But, movie of the year? Hardly. Yes, it's Scorcese at his Scorcese-ist. Yes, the plot is mature, intricate, twisty, and altogether enjoyable. Yes, there are some pretty brilliant performances. But, Best Picture? Uhhh... I'm obviously not hating (4 out of 5 is a good score), but I certainly wasn't blown away by The Departed. Take Jack Nicholson: For half the movie, he gives a brilliantly dynamic performance as a kind of mob boss, but he eventually devolves into just playing Jack Nicholson on coke. He was the Joker all over again. The plot didn't really grab me until the last third of the film, making me wish that some of the more dramatic interplay between the good and bad guys had been around in the first couple of acts. Still, that last third is pretty spectacular, fueled by absolutely brilliant performances from DiCaprio and Damon and Marky Mark. You will want to watch it again as soon as the credits roll. Then there's this DVD. Of all the major DVD releases this winter, this is by far the weakest. Sure, the video and sound quality are spot-on, but where are the extra features? There are no featurettes, no behind-scenes documentaries, no comparisons to the Asian film upon which this is based...nothing. You'll get a couple of commentary tracks, and that's it. Even the packaging is lackluster (a basic DVD case with a fairly simple insert...whoo). If you truly enjoy this film, expect to buy a deluxe edition in a few years, as this is hardly definitive. Everybody loves this movie. I guess I'm the only guy who just likes it.Read full review
The movie is a cat-and-mouse game where it is never too clear who is the cat and who is the mouse; nor is it clear with which character we are supposed to identify. It has borrowed heavy from the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a young man from a gangster family, joins the police, and goes undercover to infiltrate Boston's mob. There is Jack Nicholson, who upstages everybody in the picture. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon do their best to match Nicholson,but its no contest. In supporting roles, Mark Wahlberg , Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, and Vera Farmiga. Its intelligent and has enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Departed brings the Irish Mob back on the big screen in this latest film by Martin Scorsese. This is the story of 2 Police Officers, one who is a mole for the cops in the Irish Mob and the other is a mole in the police department for the mob. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is the head of the Irish Mob Family who raises a boy like his own son, and sends him to the police academy to become a cop. Officer Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon) helps out his adopted father by passing on police information to him. Officer Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) infiltrates Costello's crew and passes on information to his superiors (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen). This is called Martin Scorsese's best film since Goodfellas, but I would have to say that Goodfellas was better. There is alot of good action, and there is a good twist at the end. Overall it is a real good film. Definitely one to see for any gangster movie fan. Get the Widescreen Edition DVD on eBay today and check it out for yourself !!Read full review
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