The Departed

The latest offering by Martin Scorsese is the kind of movie that requires more than one viewing to be fully understood and enjoyed. I had a hard time because of the accent, but arguably the speed of the action made it hard to follow for anyone.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the movie. The plot is rich of twists and turns and the characters are all well developed and established.

Leonardo DiCaprio, all grown up now, gives what is probably his best performance to date. So does Matt Damon, and I felt that Jack Nicholson, accused by some to overdo it in some scenes, was excellent as usual. His portrayal of a mob boss always on edge and seemingly enjoying his game of cat and mouse with the cops was riveting.

The story follows the three of them (and a top notch supporting cast that includes Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Vera Farmiga, and Mark Wahlberg) as both the police and the mob are infiltrated by moles who try to tip off their respective bosses. The action drums up, confrontation after confrontation between the two forces, and never really slows down, hurtling toward the unexpected and shocking finale.

With this movie, Mr. Scorsese is definitely back in shape (some compared it to his Goodfellas, but I never saw it). After two misfires with Gangs of New York and The Aviator (the first too puzzling and unclear, the second somewhat boring, albeit both artistically interesting), he's back in great form with a thriller that never lets go of its grip on you.

A must see.

Grade: 8.5