Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
"The Departed" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/10/2012
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are two cops; one is honest and taking part in appalling crimes while working undercover, the other corrupt acting under the facade of respectability. Soon it becomes necessary for them to discover each other's identity in a cat and mouse game against the clock. Scorsese's pedigree as a director shines through as this is far from the usual clunky Hollywood remake we've all come to revile. In fact, the spirit of the original is so apparent that it feels far more like the kind of Asian cinema influenced picture you'd expect from Tarantino than a Scorsese, and for that reason, anyone expecting the kind of intensity and provocativeness of Goodfellas or Taxi Driver may be disappointed. The cast are uniformly solid (although the kind of heavyweight performance …
Rating of
1.5/4
An infernal affair
Bribaba - wrote on 05/03/2011
The worst film from Scorcese in what has been a distinguished career, not least because it belongs to a genre in which he usually excelled. It's tempting to think how this would have been viewed had it not been a remake - a comparison with the original film does it no favours.
The scenery chewing actors help sink the enterprise, especially Nicholson who seems to think it appropriate to reprise his role as The Joker from Batman. And then there is the ludicrous ending, all the more so when compared to the slick coherence of Andy Lau's film. But nowhere is the Hollywood thinking more apparent then in the way the role of the psychologist has changed. In the first film she was a neutral character, but now she has to be the 'love interest'. The title of the film could easily be an ironic …
Rating of
4/4
Scorsese at his pinnacle!!!!
ryan - wrote on 05/23/2010
We all know that Scorsese's mobster films really put him on the map (Goodfellas, Casino). But those were Italian mob pictures, while this, on the other hand, is an Irish mob picture, which ( i think) rivals Goodfellas. The plot is such a work of art just in itself, its hard to take in everything that makes this movie so good with just one viewing. We see two young men, who are in many ways, almost the same person. One has a relatively easy time going through his life and career as a Boston State Police Homicide Detective. The other has a much tougher time with his own life as well as the work he does for the Boston P.D. as an undercover agent. O' Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everything pretty much handed to him in life because the man he really answers to, Francis Costello (Jack …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Departed Review
Nick - wrote on 03/24/2010
The Departed will stand as a defining moment in mob film history. Every cast member delievers amazing perfromances top notch this is what your looking for in a film. There is not one thing wrong with this film at all. Thank you Martin Scorsese always bringing us amazing films and always will. Leonardo DiCaprio was amazingly great. Made me believe his was William Costigan. Tour de force performance hands down. Matt Damon was great loved his performance. I think it's his best performance in his career. Jack Nickelson gave another great performance in another great movie I can't stress it enough. Another actor that did great was Mark Wahlberg he does great in those kind of parts I love when he's playing a supporting role he always passes better then being the lead which I can live with. …
Rating of
4/4
Almost as good as the Godfather Trilogy
mdtinney - wrote on 07/22/2009
I'm not going to pull any punches here. 'The Departed' is the definition of a crime/thriller. Any fan of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and gangster films will absolutely love 'The Departed', which deserves to go down as one of the best films of the last 25 years, if not of all time. It is near perfect in every aspect of film making, and is a non-stop, heart pounding, gripping, and brilliant thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
Gang lord Frank Costello (3-Time Oscar Winner Jack Nicholson) is practically the most feared man in all of Boston. For years, he has controlled the streets with unparalleled authority. But now, that could change. The police has assigned a young man from another gang family turned police officer, Billy Costigan …
Rating of
3.5/4
A Riveting Suspense
aknudse2 - wrote on 09/22/2008
"The Departed" is a diverting, exhilarating, and thoroughly entertaining film. Few movies outrank Scorsese's production for shear suspense. This is a film about secrets, and the viewer sits on edge at the ever present fragility of the undercover characters' hidden truths.
The all star cast also delivers a uniformly masterful performance. Even though the viewer knows Colin Sullivan's (Matt Damon) true purpose from the beginning, his winsome earnestness conveys such superficial decency that the viewer is almost deceived into believing that he couldn't be that bad. Likewise, Mr. DiCaprio is fantastic. The audience identifies with Billy Costigan and becomes vested in his success. Superb direction and acting help to suspend disbelief and for two hours enable the audience to care …
Rating of
4/4
The Departed
Franz Patrick - wrote on 12/24/2007
I have yet to get this on DVD, which I am ashamed to admit. This is a modern classic from Martin Scorsese, starring A-list actors like Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon. This was spellbinding in so many levels. The thrills are more than earned, the characters are as sharp as a needle, and the script is as tight as it can be. Even though this movie lasts about two and a half hours long, I don't mind watching it multiple times because it's that brilliant. I always see or realize something different each viewing, which makes it all worth it. So far, I haven't seen a movie from 2007 as good as this one. "The Bourne Ultimatum" comes very, very close. But then again, it's pretty early in the year. Usually, excellent movies arrive in the fall or winter. This is as perfect a …
Rating of
2.5/4
Good, But Falls Short of the Original
JayFilmCrave - wrote on 12/04/2007
First of all, I should say that I have seen the original film on which this was based and I have to say that based solely on watching this film, I really think Martin Scorsese should give his oscar up. Now before people go and shoot me, watch the original and you'll be able to understand some of the issues I have with getting an oscar for a remake. If Scoresese completely changed shots in this film and found ways that made me think it was incredible, I would have absolutely no problem giving him the oscar and giving this film 4 stars. It is an incredibly well made film in many respects, but it doesn't differentiate in very many ways from the original that actually make it a more interesting film. The one way I did think it was better was it only had one love interest for both men, …
Rating of
4/4
Great crime film from Oscar winner Martin Scorsese
jmoney1776 - wrote on 11/06/2007
The Departed will forever be known as the movie that finally got Scorsese the Oscar. It's a blessing and a curse. Is the Departed Scorsese's best film? No. Was it better than every movie released last year? No. Was it better than what it was up against at the Oscars? Yes. Except for possibly Letters From Iwo Jima all the other nominees will be mostly forgotten. The Departed will not.
The movie itself is probably the most mainstream film Scorsese has done, but that's not a bad thing. The cast is great, the script is great, the editing is great as always, and the direction is Scorsese doing what he does best. Getting great performances. The film is based on Infernal Affairs which I have seen and liked. They are two very different movies especially in the make-up of the Matt Damon …
Rating of
2/4
Review - The Departed (2006)
Delorted - wrote on 11/04/2007
Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) are both undercover for opposite sides of the law. While Costigan is working undercover to catch the notorious mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), Sullivan is working undercover as a cop for Frank. As things heat up, both sides look for a leak in the Best Picture winning film, "The Departed."
After the pathetic win of Crash in 2006, one would have hoped the next winner would have been something worthy. Unfortunately, we got this piece of over-rated garbage. The film is based on a Japanese flick called "Infernal Affairs," which I have not seen as of this review. I can only assume the original was not as goofy and poorly put together as this was.
I have seen the film three times since its release and not once …
