“The Departed” is must-see instant classic

Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are just some of the classic movies that director Martin Scorsese has shot, but none of those movies are as good as The Departed. The Departed gave Scorsese his biggest opening weekend at the box-office, but it will give movie-goers something better…an all-time great movie. The Departed is not just a very well-written story but also has a star-studded ensemble. Commercials for the movie harp on the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg all have starring roles in the film, but the supporting actors are stellar as well. Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Anthony Anderson all have supporting roles and make up what might be one of the best casts ever. The plot revolves around two men, DiCaprio and Damon. Set in South Boston, DiCaprio plays a young undercover cop named Billy Costigan. His task is to infiltrate Frank Costello’s (Nicholson) mob syndicate. Meanwhile, young criminal Colin Sullivan (Damon) infiltrates the Massachusetts state police department. Sullivan rises quickly through the department to the Special Investigation Unit, all-the-while working as a mob informer. The movie follows the double lives of Costigan and Sullivan and the hardships that they have living a lie. Eventually it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there is a rat inside their organizations. This turns the movie into a rat race between Costigan and Sullivan to find each other out. The script is wonderfully written and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The acting is superb and is among the best you will ever see in a movie. The actors practically give a clinic on how to act and their Boston-accents are very accurate and extremely impressive. The Departed has very few problems. The movie does contain a lot of strong language and even more violence, but coming from a mob-type movie, this is expected. There are a couple of scenes that seem a little out of place, one being a cocaine and women scene with Nicholson that just seems to be thrown into the middle of the movie. Besides these few faults, The Departed is an awe-inspiring movie that should go down as one of the best of this generation. Many people love The Godfather and Scarface, and if you like those movies then you will love this one. In my book, The Departed just may be one of the best movies ever made. This movie is miles ahead of last year’s best picture winner Crash, and is without a doubt this generation’s Godfather and Shawshank Redemption. So unless you are against strong language and violence, then race to a theater to see The Departed. You won’t be disappointed.