Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
This Martin Scorsese film won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. It features a star studded cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg. The movie also features a notable, eclectic soundtrack featuring everything from Patsy Cline to The Rolling Stones, and the Celtic group Dropkick Murphys.
The Analysis:
Irish Mob boss Frank Costello brings a young Colin Sullivan under his wing, grooming him to become a mole in the Massachusetts State Police. He becomes a recruit along with Billy Costigan Jr., who is approached by State Police Captain Charlie Queenan and asked to go undercover into Costello’s crew. In order to make him credible, Costigan is kicked out of the academy and serves jail time. Meanwhile, Sullivan celebrates his academy graduation and Costello sets him up with a great apartment and allowance. As Costello and the State Police both realize there are moles within their organizations, Sullivan and Costigan race against each other to discover the other’s identity.
I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Sullivan and Costigan’s lives. Sullivan, the criminal, lives a life of luxury, while Costigan is subjected to hard time and violence in his noble pursuit as an undercover officer. The Departed benefits from excellent acting, although I found the names and relationships of characters to be confusing at certain times. Why name one character Costigan and another Costello? Luckily, the recognizable faces in lead roles made it easier to keep track of characters. The movie has a similar feeling to Goodfellas with a little added interest of seeing DiCaprio and Damon act as foils to one another. This organized crime thriller is fast paced, intense, and will keep you guessing at the ending. A must see of the genre.
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