The Departed (2006)

The Departed (2006)

8/10

Starring

Leonardo DiCaprio

Matt Damon

Jack Nicholson

Directed by Martin Scorsese

I didn’t rush to see this movie, because the cast did not appeal to me back then when it was released. The Departed is a movie that I can tell you you’ll enjoy from the get-go. The way the story unfolds isn’t what you’d expect, and that’s the beauty of it. Hollywood would have loved to take credit for this masterpiece, but The Departed is a remake—a great one, if I can say so myself—of a 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller called Infernal Affairs, written by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. It was directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.

The Departed is almost a scene-for-scene replica of the Hong Kong version, which received critical acclaim for its original plot and concise, swift storytelling style. The Departed also achieved critical acclaim, winning four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

The movie is filled with a wonderful cast, each bringing their A-game. In The Departed, we had Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, with Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, and Alec Baldwin in supporting roles.

The film’s plot takes place in Boston, where Irish Mob boss Francis "Frank" Costello (Jack Nicholson) trains a young boy, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), and plants him as a mole in the Massachusetts State Police. Ironically, at the same time, the police assign undercover trooper William "Billy" Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello’s crew. Billy’s identity is kept secret from everyone except Capt. Oliver Charles Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sgt. Sean Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Soon, both sides realize there’s a mole in their midst, prompting Sullivan and Billy to try and uncover each other’s true identity before their own cover is blown.

Throughout the movie, there’s a father-and-son relationship theme. Sullivan sees Costello as a father figure, while Billy looks up to Queenan as his. Both men have lost their actual fathers.

Although Infernal Affairs spawned two sequels (Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III), I don’t think The Departed will have a sequel, even though it was a commercial success. It’s a great one-off film, and they should leave it as such.

If you haven’t had the privilege of seeing The Departed, hurry to the video store now and get this movie. You’ll be glad you did. I think the movie will be one of those who survive the times and will remain watchable no matter the year in the future.