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‘The Departed’ left me breathless
Being electrocuted is a blast, especially when Martin Scorsese is wielding the wires.
His latest picture, “The Departed,� wastes no time in springing to life. The very first lines come from the unmistakable voice of Jack Nicholson, whose ruthless mob boss slyly intones, “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.�
So it goes for Scorsese, who for the second time in his career after “Cape Fear� has remade a movie. This time, he takes the highly regarded Hong Kong thriller “Infernal Affairs� and makes it into his own brand of a crime story that pulsates with energy. “The Departed� is brutal, powerful, intense, and above all, tremendous fun to watch.
Nicholson plays Frank Costello, the king of the Boston underworld and public enemy number one of the Massachusetts state police, who send two very different cops after him. As it turns out, the cops are working on opposite sides of the fence.
Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) tries to live down a shady past, becoming a cop who reluctantly poses as a mobster. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a smooth operator whom Costello has groomed since boyhood to infiltrate the police. The cops and crooks become aware their opponents have placed spies in their midst, forcing Costigan and Sullivan to ferret each other out in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and rat.
Other critics have hailed “The Departed� as a return to form for Scorsese, though quite honestly, I wasn’t aware he was gone. Yes, his last two films, “Gangs of New York� and “The Aviator,� were propped up as Oscar pictures, but both were legitimately among the best movies of their years. So is “The Departed.�
It’s more accurate to say that “The Departed� marks Scorsese’s return to his roots, to the rough and ready crime dramas that made his name. He clearly relishes these shady worlds, constantly finding new and different ways to explore them. And when Scorsese is having a great time, a great movie is sure to follow.
Some have said this movie is simply a ride of pure top-grade entertainment. However, such movies, even the good ones, usually fade from memory quickly. “The Departed “ remains burned in my mind’s eye days after I saw it. More than just a police procedural, “The Departed� shows how the difference between good and evil can be a thin blue line.
The excellent screenplay by William Monahan (“Kingdom of Heaven�) crackles with sharp dialogue and smartly contrasts the characters, with Scorsese using striking dual imagery to pit Damon and DiCaprio against each other even when they don’t share the screen. When they start tracking each other, the director stages a chase that’s breathless even though the players aren’t running.
The two leads are riveting, with Damon giving the performance of his career, but the entire cast is flawless. Yes, Nicholson chews scenery, but he savors each bite, showing how Costello can be compelling yet frightening at the same time. Mark Wahlberg surprised me with his strong turn as a cop with a mouth that would make Joe Pesci grin, and Vera Farmiga strikes rich emotional chords as a police shrink who comes between Damon and DiCaprio.
With a filmmaker as revered as Scorsese, inevitably some will wonder if this movie measures up to his past masterpieces, especially considering “The Departed� was created by mostly the same crew that made the classic “Goodfellas.� This includes cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, production designer Kristi Zea and, as always, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, all of whom do great work.
“The Departed” does not have the historical sweep of “Goodfellasâ€? or the emotional wallop of “Raging Bull,â€? but it carries a unique charge that demands repeat viewings. Scorsese himself told Time magazine that even though he usually finds fault with his own movies, he likes watching “The Departed.â€?
That goes double for me. I can’t wait to hook myself up to this movie again to see — and feel — the sparks flying.
GRADE: A+
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Comments
By Sir Critic
October 10, 2006 5:16 PM | Link to this
Actually, I think it’s quite possible Marty could get his Oscar this year, even if “The Departed” does not. Right now his biggest competitors are Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers) and Bill Condon (Dreamgirls). Condon is better known as a writer. And even if “Flags” delivers, (there’s disagreement on that) I don’ t think they’ll give Eastwood another Oscar so soon after “Million Dollar Baby.” So Marty could very well finally get in because a large chunk of the Academy is dying to make it up to him.By Mark
October 9, 2006 2:03 PM | Link to this
I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m planning on it. 27 mill opening weekend…not bad. Could this be the the one for Susan Lu..er, Marty, to finally get over the Oscar hump?