Focus on Blu: The Departed (2006)

The Departed is much more mainstream than some of Martin Scorsese’s other work—especially his early stuff—but it’s no less entertaining. This is an engaging, riveting and involving crime thriller fueled by outstanding performances by the lead actors and slick, fast-paced direction, with a touch of comic relief sprinkled throughout.

Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a fatherless kid who happens to live in the same neighborhood as notorious organized crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Costello takes Sullivan under his wing at an early age and becomes a father figure of sorts. He helps Colin keep food on his family’s table and helps keep him mostly out of trouble; when the time comes, he forces Colin to join the Massachusetts State police and serve as a mole. Colin excels at the police academy and quickly rises through the ranks to join the Special Investigation Unit, a division assigned to organized crime.

Meanwhile, at around the same time, William Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is about to finish his time at the police academy. Just before he graduates, he’s approached by Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) for a deep undercover assignment to infiltrate the Boston Mob. Costigan is chosen because his father’s ties to the mob make him a more believable criminal. He’s imprisoned on a phony assault charge and, upon release, uses both his father’s name and his own phony criminal record to infiltrate Costello’s organization. Costigan rises as quickly as Sullivan, becoming one of Costello’s most trusted lieutenants.

Soon both the mob and the police realize they’ve been infiltrated; both informants are tasked with helping to find the traitor in his respective organization. What ensues is a race by each informant to discover the other’s identity. Complicating the issue is a love triangle that inadvertently develops between Costigan, Sullivan and a police psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga). Further complicating things is the fact that only Queenan and Dignam know of Costigan’s true assignment; he’s so deeply undercover that there are no official records of his involvement in the case.

The Departed is crime drama elevated to Shakespearean-like tragedy. Everyone in the cast is very strong and certainly no one is eclipsed; for my money though, DiCaprio gives the most impressive performance. Until this role, I couldn’t help still viewing him, to some degree, as Hollywood’s ‘Teen Beat’ cover boy. Say what you will about not believing him as a thug, the man can act. Plain and simple. Alec Baldwin provides the comic relief here and Matt Damon is terrific as Sullivan, a mob mole who’s far from in control of his destiny. Sullivan is a mildly sympathetic figure, but in the end, he proves little better than the thugs he works for and most will likely be hoping for his comeuppance. Mark Wahlberg is also good as Dignam, a police sergeant with an attitude and a decided dislike of both green cops and Costigan in general. And Jack Nicholson is, well, Jack Nicholson. He's demented and edgy and menacing as mob boss Frank Costello.

There are some issues here with the plot and the love triangle seems a bit contrived, but I hardly noticed any of that. The Departed is fun, involving, true edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Highly recommended.

Score: 9/10

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Released by: Warner Bros.