The Departed
Bulldog Movie Reviews
“The Departed”
By: Mike Pickowicz
One of my favorite sections of The Archway last year was the movie reviews. Disappointed that the torch was never passed on, I’ve decided to take the job upon myself to watch newly released movies that you, the reader, are probably interested in seeing. I’ll try my best to cover all types of movies, just so there is a good variety to keep everyone one their toes. With the introduction out of the way, here is my first review.
“The Departed” is the new thriller/crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese (The Aviator, Goodfellas), which is based off a Hong Kong movie under the name “Internal Affairs”. The movie not only has one of Hollywood’s biggest directors running the show, but also a slew of the biggest actors in the business today, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon. With the names like those attached to the movie, one can only wonder if the story can match up.
To try to put the complex story in a more straight forward form, “The Departed”, which takes place in the city of Boston, revolves around the conflict of two groups, the Boston State Police and the Irish Mafia. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), a cop with a family history that is riddled with organized crime, is sent in to go undercover and become part of the Irish Mafia to help get evidence that could lead to the arrest of the leader, Frank Costello (Nicholson). What is unknown to the Boston State Police is that Frank has a rat of his own, Colin Sullivan (Damon), who is not just in the Police force, but also running the investigation for Frank’s arrest. Soon, both Colin and Billy discover that there is undercover man inside the other organization that they are working for. They are in a rush to discover one another’s identity and flush the other out, while protecting their own cover at the same time.
While the summary of the movie doesn’t make it seem extra ordinary, I can, without a doubt, say that this was the best thriller movie I have seen in years and easily one of my favorites this year. “The Departed” does many things right, it’s almost difficult to find flaws. One level the film succeeds at is the characters. Very few movies today revolve around characters to drive a story (Little Miss Sunshine being an exception). You actually feel for the character, understand the pain they go through, the fear of the main characters being discovered, and accept the choices they make. This can all be brought back to the excellent performances by the lead men in the movie. On another level, the writing is great. Not only does the movie take itself very seriously, but it also has a great wit and creativity in the dialog. If I could nit pick at the movie, I would have to say that the beginning is somewhat hard to follow because scenes from the past and present are some what intertwined, making you wonder if it’s happening now, or earlier. I also had, for some reason, a tough time telling Damon and DiCaprio apart in the beginning, which also made me question who is exactly who in the story.
“The Departed” is a movie that will keep you at the edge of your seat, guessing what’s going to happen, thanks to the twists and turns the film takes. It’s not only well acted, but also well written and directed. The only way to describe it is pure entertainment. I’m going to give it 4 ½ Bulldogs out of 5. Oscar season seems to be coming early this year.
“The Departed”
By: Mike Pickowicz
One of my favorite sections of The Archway last year was the movie reviews. Disappointed that the torch was never passed on, I’ve decided to take the job upon myself to watch newly released movies that you, the reader, are probably interested in seeing. I’ll try my best to cover all types of movies, just so there is a good variety to keep everyone one their toes. With the introduction out of the way, here is my first review.
“The Departed” is the new thriller/crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese (The Aviator, Goodfellas), which is based off a Hong Kong movie under the name “Internal Affairs”. The movie not only has one of Hollywood’s biggest directors running the show, but also a slew of the biggest actors in the business today, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon. With the names like those attached to the movie, one can only wonder if the story can match up.
To try to put the complex story in a more straight forward form, “The Departed”, which takes place in the city of Boston, revolves around the conflict of two groups, the Boston State Police and the Irish Mafia. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), a cop with a family history that is riddled with organized crime, is sent in to go undercover and become part of the Irish Mafia to help get evidence that could lead to the arrest of the leader, Frank Costello (Nicholson). What is unknown to the Boston State Police is that Frank has a rat of his own, Colin Sullivan (Damon), who is not just in the Police force, but also running the investigation for Frank’s arrest. Soon, both Colin and Billy discover that there is undercover man inside the other organization that they are working for. They are in a rush to discover one another’s identity and flush the other out, while protecting their own cover at the same time.
While the summary of the movie doesn’t make it seem extra ordinary, I can, without a doubt, say that this was the best thriller movie I have seen in years and easily one of my favorites this year. “The Departed” does many things right, it’s almost difficult to find flaws. One level the film succeeds at is the characters. Very few movies today revolve around characters to drive a story (Little Miss Sunshine being an exception). You actually feel for the character, understand the pain they go through, the fear of the main characters being discovered, and accept the choices they make. This can all be brought back to the excellent performances by the lead men in the movie. On another level, the writing is great. Not only does the movie take itself very seriously, but it also has a great wit and creativity in the dialog. If I could nit pick at the movie, I would have to say that the beginning is somewhat hard to follow because scenes from the past and present are some what intertwined, making you wonder if it’s happening now, or earlier. I also had, for some reason, a tough time telling Damon and DiCaprio apart in the beginning, which also made me question who is exactly who in the story.
“The Departed” is a movie that will keep you at the edge of your seat, guessing what’s going to happen, thanks to the twists and turns the film takes. It’s not only well acted, but also well written and directed. The only way to describe it is pure entertainment. I’m going to give it 4 ½ Bulldogs out of 5. Oscar season seems to be coming early this year.
posted by Mikepicko at 9:41 PM
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