MOVIE REVIEWS
The Departed
Jay Perry
Dear Mr. Scorsese,
Oh Martin, you have really outdone yourself this time. Your place in cinema history is well documented and the fact that you have never acquired an Academy Award for “Best Director” in your illustrious career is so criminal, it will eventually be the focal point of a Law and Order episode. From your fantastic portrayal of egotistical mafia life in Goodfellas to the eye-opening revelation of the disturbing effect of monotony on the human psyche in Tax Driver, you are masterful in creating outrageous characters that battle with simple, personal real-life problems.
Simply put: you have directed some of the finest movies that have ever graced a screen – big or small. Although, I must say “The Hustler” was kind of mediocre. But hey, no one is perfect, except for me.
However, your newest contribution to the world of film may very well be your best. Amongst the recent shit-filled wave of films ranging from employee’s earning monthly accolades at their place of employment to Kevin Costner getting BACK in the water, you have sent out a life preserver that will allow all movie-goers to keep their heads above the nasty water.
The life preserver goes by the name of “The Departed”.
You surrounded yourself with an amazing cast that performs marvelously in this tale of deception and manipulation based on the Hong Kong film “Wu jian dao” (Internal Affairs). Leonardo DiCaprio’s testicles finally dropped as he plays the role of troubled Billy Costigan: a Boston State Police Officer who is sent to infiltrate a dominant Irish-American gang. Matt Damon plays one of the most easily hated on-screen villains in years as Colin Sullivan: a criminal who has infiltrated the ranks of the Boston State Police and is quickly rising to power. Hell, you just helped make Mark Wahlberg an A-list actor by putting him in the role of ball-busting instigator Sgt. Dignam: a role he fits so perfectly, it forces you to completely disavow that at one point in time, he was “Marky Mark”. And I’m sure you already realize what a tremendous decision you made casting the living god, Jack Nicholson, as gang boss Frank Costello. I don’t think I’ve ever sat through a movie where I could honestly say that at least four of the film’s actors should be nominated either for “Best Actor” or “Best Supporting Actor”.
The superb acting is just one element of the amazing, and authentic, Boston atmosphere you have created in “The Departed”. As someone who hails from Massachusetts, I couldn’t help but to constantly point out all the real-life locations presented in the film: The T-station (specifically, the red line South Station), Suffolk University, Beacon Hill, etc. While you did cheat a little and shoot some of the film in New York, but passed it off as Boston, I can forgive you. In addition, and this is where the actors deserve most of the credit, the Massachusetts accents were in full force and fantastically depicted. While Matt Damon is from Cambridge, Massachusetts and Mark Wahlberg hails from Dorchester, Massachusetts (so both are already familiar with the accent, as you already know), DiCaprio, Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin (both members of the Boston State Police) do a jaw-dropping good job in not only recreating the accent, but the general mannerisms of a typical Bostonian.
But I don’t want it to seem that only Massachusetts and Rhode Island natives can enjoy this film. The pacing of this deceptive drama is nearly perfect. Your plot points are revealed with precision and are never rushed. The dialogue is meaningful to not only the story, but each characters development. For example, every word DiCaprio utters as Costigan reveals to the audience that the burden of his assignment is becoming overbearing, and that this life of deception is something that no police training seminar can prepare you for. On a side note, I also must applaud you for a fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the action on-screen and once again fit’s the mold of the Irish-influenced Boston atmosphere.
My only major gripe with your modern masterpiece would have to be the ending. While far from disastrous, I see you must be a fan of the title used for heavy metal band Metallica’s first major record release from July 1983. But my feelings about the ending are more associated with my connection to the characters, as opposed to the execution.
This written fellatio must come to an end, as I cannot express any further my appreciation for “The Departed”. In a day and age where Ashton Kutcher can be the star of two movies released on the same weekend, it’s nice to know that Hollywood doesn’t hate society too much by distributing your latest masterpiece across the nation.
But, just so you know, you will probably be the number two movie at the box office behind “Employee of the Month”.
Thank you, Martin Scorsese. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jay Perry
