The Departed (2006)

In a world where Hollywood is driven by action and over exaggeration, Martin Scorsese, along with this all star cast, find a way to break the mold and develop one of the best films of the twenty-first century. What is unique about this film is the fact that Scorsese does what most directors would have avoided, he bases almost the entire film on dialogue. Rather than focus on action or jam-packing the entire film with violence and explosions, the writers and directors (and I know that this film is a remake) use violence to help create and develop the characters, the story and the film. The lengthy scenes do not hinder the film, but they help to develop the story and allow the audience to buy into what was happening quite easily. The film’s budget was in the upper percentile of Hollywood films with ninety-million dollars being the incredible limit that Scorsese and his cast had to work with. Even with the budget being so high, the film’s cast is more than most filmmakers could have hoped for. Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon are just some of the names that help to round out this star-studded cast. These actors, along with the rest of the cast, took the riveting dialogue and presented it in a manner that draws the audience in and refuses to let them go. From the moment the film began, Dicaprio’s Billy and Jack Nicholson’s Frank Costello are mesmerizing; they bring to the silver screen something that I’ve seen only a few times. These two characters (along with the others) are multi-dimensional and they present the audience with this idea that no one is who they say they are, constantly keeping them guessing. Billy, Costello and Damon’s Colin Sullivan are constantly forcing the audience to dig deep into the story and hang onto their every word. It is revealed early on who is who in the grand scheme of things, but it doesn’t stop the audience from remaining engaged in what is happening. The characters and the story still made the audience ask themselves “what is going to happen next?” Up until the very last second of the film, I remember trying to figure out how the film was going to end and how, after more than two hours of phenomenal acting and storytelling Scorsese could have wrapped the film up in a way that did it justice. I was impressed by the story, the acting, the camera that was regularly used to signify who Billy and Colin Sullivan were before we actually knew and the way in which the film ended (the tiny rat that runs across the banister as the film fades to black). If you’re into regular violence (with a purpose), an absurd amount of foul language and a story that will keep you guessing and will keep you engaged from beginning to end then this film is perfect for you. I can’t say that this film failed in any regard and I truly believe that the depth of the story is incredible enough to draw in any audience.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/?ref_=nv_sr_1