What are the chances a director will take an ensemble cast, an Americanized script of a Hong Kong classic, terrific background score and botch it up completely?
Nil. If you are Martin Scorcese directing a film titled “The Departed“.
After what must be years decades, Martin Scorcese finally returns to his roots, an area he is so familiar with and delivers probably a movie, a crime drama, a spy caper, but importantly his best since “The Goodfellas”. Yes, its been that long. Spending years together on “I-want-an-Oscar” movies like “The Gangs of New York” and “The Aviator” have taken Martin Scorcese nowhere, and with “The Departed”, it almost seems as if Scorcese has given up on the trophy, and concentrate on what makes a good movie. The irony of it all is The Departed could very well end up fetchig quite a few nominations this Oscar and may win a few. A superb screenplay, and brilliant performances from its actors are merely enough to carry this movie on its shoulders. Martin Scorcese might have just guided the way behind his lens – which is what a good director should do.
Meet Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), both who grow up on the streets of Boston, both with a bitter childhood who enroll in the police academy for entirely different purposes. Meet Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the gangster who controls the mean streets of Irish Boston, and a godfather to Colin Sullivan. While Billy tries hard to be a “real” cop with real identity, his background and his previous life only serve as a perfect getup for him to be an undercover cop, a cop without any identity or, a mole. Reluctantly enough, Billy accepts his job to infiltrate Frank Costello’s gang and serve as a mole to the cops. Frank Costello however, has the exact same plans for his godson – Colin Sullivan – a mole in the special detective units who works for him so that he could be one step above the law.
The fun begins however Frank and the Police discover that they both have mole amidst them. Oblivious to each other’s identity, both Billy and Colin’s job from there on is to find the mole. And in that, The Departed scores quite handsomely.
Almost Shakespearean in its approach, The Departed provides ample time and scope for characters to display gamut of emotions. It has it all – a love triangle, humor, overthetop scenic compositions et al. By the time the movie ends, one leaves with a feeling of having watched a Shakesperean tragedy played to perfection. A contrived love triangle doesnt add much to the story but brings about the vulnerabilities of both Billy and Colin beautifully. Leonardo in particular impresses as Billy, the reluctant mole searching for his identity. The cocky arrogant attire suits Matt Damon very well, and he plays his part to the hilt. Impressively the supporting cast consists of accomplished A-list actors like Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Mark Walhberg who only compliment an already perfect cast. But the movie, as always, in any movie that he is, belongs to Frank Costello played by Jack Nicholson.
Here’s an actor who so completely breathes his role that its almost possible that Jack Nicholson is Frank Costello in real life – the overthetop costumes, overtheedge personality and wily humor – all of these traits suit Jack Nicholson perfectly and he carries it off brilliantly. Any other actors might have gone overboard in their roles, but at the expert hands of Martin Scorcese, nothing of that sort happens, and we are treated some brilliant performances from its star cast.
Since this is a gangster film, and a R-rated one at that, expletives free flow into the movie; It would be impossible to hear a 3 line conversation without an expletive exploding – but it only brings about the old-good feel of Goodfellas. The humor is crude, racist, vulgar and dry – but works splendidly. The Departed scores in another department : Finally a movie where cops and gangsters shoot each other where they should and get instant gratification.
To say the screenplay is almost too good for itself is an understatement; because by the time you leave your seats, even glaring loopholes in the plot and Martin Scorceses irrelevance to a very important part of the movie seems almost meaningless to ponder upon. You dont care about it anymore. The Departed draws you in the story of the main “characters” not the “story” around the characters. And there in lies The Departed biggest strength.
Bottomline: Easily one the best movies to have released this year, and certainly a welcome relief for fans of Martin Scorcese. If you like Goodfellas, I bet you’ll like The Departed.