 'The Departed'
(Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, et al / R / 107 mins / Warner Bros.)
Overview: Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover cop South Boston assigned to infiltrate a mob syndicate run by a boss named Costello (Jack Nicholson). Meanwhile, a young criminal, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), has embedded himself in the police department's Special Investigation Unit. Both their lives become endangered when the two organizations realize they have moles within their ranks.
Verdict: 'The Departed' is based on an awesome Hong Kong movie called Infernal Affairs from a couple of years ago - watch it, it's worth your while also! - and is a wickedly exhilarating bout of pulp entertainment if ever I've seen one in the past ten years! Scorsese returns to the crime genre with supreme confidence and breathtaking ferocity here in this story of a young cop (DiCaprio) who infiltrates the mob, and a young mobster (Damon) who also infiltrates the cops. The rats dance around each other, each trying to be the first to bust the other. Eventually, lots of guys get shot in the face, I'll be honest, but to get to that point is one breathtaking cinematic event, believe me! If Scorsese doesn't get an Oscar for this, there is NO justice in the world!
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