Movies: The Departed

I'll start right off and say that The Departed is the best crime movie that I've seen in a long time. V for Vendetta and Inside Man are the only other movies I remember this year that kept me entertained from start to finish.

The story, adapted from a Hong Kong movie called Infernal Affairs, adds an interesting twist to the usual the undercover cop infiltrating a crime gang story by spending equal time on the criminal mole within the police department. The writers did such a great job of opening up so many possibilities about who would get caught first that I gave up trying to guess what would happen next and just enjoyed the ride. It made me recall some of elements I enjoyed about shows like Donnie Brasco, Wiseguy, Face/Off, and No Way Out and still added heaps of other interesting aspects on top of it.

The actors delivered great performances all around. There was only a scene or two (or three...) where Jack Nicholson reminded me he was Jack Nicholson (or worse some actor doing a Jack Nicholson impression), but then he'd turn around and do something that would make me forgive him. So, to say Jack Nicholson was the weakest link of a cast is saying alot. Actually, I'm starting to get fascinated about how different this movie would look if various actors switched roles, in particular Jack Nicholson and Alec Baldwin. Mark Wahlberg steals some scenes and says some of the best lines that cannot be repeated in public (or under most circumstances for that matter). Leonardo DiCaprio's acting skills somehow keep improving. He puts just the right amount of intensity during his close-ups whereas I get bothered by Tom Cruise who sometimes comes across as trying too hard.

This brings us to director Martin Scorsese, who many people argue is overdue to win an Oscar. I haven't seen all of his movies, but the bits and pieces I've seen have been great but slightly uneven, too gritty to watch, or missing something. I imagine though that some of his movies are required study for anybody attending film school. His more recent attempts like The Aviator and Gangs of New York were good but maybe over-ambitious or just not easy stories to work with. I get the sense he reigned himself in with The Departed, and created a movie that had me leaning forward in my seat and not want to turn away from. If another movie comes out this year to leave Scorsese without an Oscar once again, I want to be first in line to see it. A