I Finally Did It!

I finally did it, my darlings. After all this time, I finally saw The Departed and I was flabbergasted. It was everything that you have all been saying. I was riveted after the opening sequence. From the editing to the music, it all fit together perfectly. I’ve seen tons of mafia movies and after a while they all blend together. Violence, greed, betrayal and more violence by (insert ethnic group here). I’ve seen them all the Chinese, Japanese, African American, Italian, Jewish and Irish organized crime groups. And many of these movies were by Martin Scorsese himself.

I’ve heard it said that he makes the same movie over and over ( I guess they’ve never seen Age of Innocence, The Last Temptation of Christ or Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) but he broke the mold on this one. Even though it’s a remake of a Japanese film, it was translated beautifully for an American audience. The Departed tells the story of undercover cop Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he starts his relentless pursuit of Boston kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) who is aided by the sinister cop Colin (Matt Damon). The stellar cast is supported by Mark Wahlberg is a career defining performance. I thought Boogie Nights was his breakout role but I never saw this coming.

Wahlberg without a doubt steals every scene he’s in. He showed great comic timing and the perfect hothead to Martin Sheen’s sensible straight man. Nicholson as always brought the highest level of commitment to his character. Costello was a charismatic, eccentric and intriguing crime boss. The real star of the movie was Matt Damon. His sweet face belies the evil of his character. He stunned me in The Talented Mr. Ripley and left me once again without words. Not too many actors can convincingly plan heroes as well as villains. He greatly deserved an Academy nomination for this role. Wahlberg and Damon took advantage of their Boston roots to add authenticity to the production.

DiCaprio has given me another reason to rethink his box office mojo. He’s always been the pretty boy but his acting in The Aviator and now The Departed has caused me to pause. I suspect Blood Diamond will further cement his talent and appeal to me. I have to admit, little Leo was kinda hard and smokin’ as a street thug. Still a little too petite for my liking but he’s transcended his little boy looks and stretched his acting muscles. My only confusion came with the sole female character Madolyn (Vera Farmiga). She wasn’t as dimensional as her male counterparts. She was written like a plot device to humanize Billy and to some degree Colin.

Over all, the movie was a triumph. It works on all levels. Intelligent script. Diverse range of talented actors. Visually and musically captivating. I was tense and clutching my pearls through much of the movie, a testament to the engaging energy of the picture. I threw my hands up in victory during the last scene. Scorsese created another masterpiece. Add this to Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.

I could kick myself for not watching this earlier.

What did you see this weekend?