Drama

Thriller

Crime

The Departed

Warner Bros. Pictures

Plan B Entertainment

Initial Entertainment Group

Vertigo Entertainment

Media Asia Films

Hong Kong

United States of America

English

广州话 / 廣州話

Leonardo DiCaprio

Matt Damon

Jack Nicholson

Mark Wahlberg

Martin Sheen

Ray Winstone

Vera Farmiga

Anthony Anderson

Alec Baldwin

Kevin Corrigan

James Badge Dale

David O'Hara

Mark Rolston

Robert Wahlberg

Kristen Dalton

Thomas B. Duffy

Richard Hughes

J.C. MacKenzie

Mary Klug

Peg Holzemer

Robert 'Toshi' Kar Yuen Chan

Gurdeep Singh

Armen Garo

John Cenatiempo

Joseph Riccobene

Billy Smith

Lyman Chen

Kevin P. McCarthy

Chris Fischer

Brian Smyj

William Severs

Larry Mitchell

Anthony Estrella

Andrew Breving

Tracey Paleo

Douglas Crosby

Dorothy Lyman

Audrie Neenan

Frank Mallicoat

Paula DeMers

Conor Donovan

Amanda Lynch

Sallie Toussaint

Patrick Coppola

Mick O'Rourke

Deborah Carlson

Nellie Sciutto

Peter Welch

Henry Yuk

Dennis Lynch

Michael Byron

William Lee

John Rue

Peter Crafts

Joseph P. Reidy

John Farrer

Paris Karounos

Brian Haley

Terry Serpico

Jay Giannone

John Polce

Bo Cleary

David Conley

Victor Chan

Jill Brown

Sarah Fearon

Denece Ryland

Daniel F. Risteen, Jr.

Francis P. Hughes

Johnny Cicco

Chance Kelly

Shay Duffin

John McConnell

Kenneth Stoddard

Jeffrey Winter

Paddy Curran

Mark Philip Patrick

David Fischer

Walter Y.F. Wong

Tony M. Yee

Francesca Scorsese

Alex Morris

Emma Tillinger Koskoff

Craig 'Radio Man' Castaldo

Takumi Bando

Eric Bruno Borgman

Brendan Burke

Chris Chinn

Jeffrey Corazzini

Jim Ford

Trudi Goodman

Steve Lord

Jack McCullough

Osmani Rodriguez

Lawrence Cameron Steele

Conor Timmis

Joseph Oliveira

Adam Masnyk

John Franchi

Paul McGillicuddy

Martin Scorsese

Michael Ballhaus

Thelma Schoonmaker

Ellen Lewis

William Monahan

Brad Grey

Brad Pitt

Graham King

Sandy Powell

G.A. Aguilar

Kristi Zea

Teresa Carriker-Thayer

Leslie E. Rollins

Kathryn Blondell

Kay Georgiou

Johnny Villanueva

Joy Zapata

Michael Germain

Sian Grigg

Christine Beveridge

Donald Mowat

John Caglione Jr.

Erik Knight

Marion Kolsby

Robert Thayer

Theodore Suchecki

Philip Stockton

Eugene Gearty

Allan Zaleski

Tom Fleischman

Steve Kirshoff

Ron Ames

Robert Legato

Thomas Lappin

Bruce MacCallum

Andrew Rowlands

Andrew Cooper

David Davenport

Thomas Stokes

Devin Sterling

Tass Filipos

Jennifer Dunnington

Robert Martini

Martha Pinson

Tim Monich

Carla Raij

Larry Kaplan

David Ebner

G. Mac Brown

Susan Perlman

Felix Chong Man-Keung

Alan Mak Siu-Fai

Andrew Lau Wai-Keung

Brian Ricci

Eric Weinstein

Doug Davison

Roy Lee

Michael Arthur

William 'Billy Jack' Jakielaszek

Timothy Healy

Paul A. Levin

David Swayze

Lisa Shaftel

Chris Cenatiempo

Joseph S. Alfieri

Robert Griffon Jr.

Jac Rubenstein

George B. Colucci Jr.

Blaise Corrigan

Lauren Hayward

Janet Paparazzo

Peewee Piemonte

Jodi Michelle Pynn

Shawnna Thibodeau

Joseph Zamparelli

Jeffrey Stern

Marissa Littlefield

Howard Shore

Marko Costanzo

Jamie Baker

Kam Chan

Cathy Scorsese

Chris Barnes

I decided to celebrate the Summer Solstice by watching 'The Departed'. Don't ask me why. I had previously loved the Hong Kong-made 'Infernal Affairs' trilogy on which this is based. Usually I hate when international masterpieces get remade, but this was a sterling exception. This was controversial when it took in a cartload of Oscars, particularly finally a directorial nod for Scorsese, but don't be misled--it's easily one of his finest works.

This is my Golden Rule on both remakes in general, but especially American remakes of international (particularly foreign-language) great films. When in doubt, check the label:

1. Director? (check)
2. Cast? (check)
3. Script? (check)

'The proof is in the pudding!'

The only one that can do what I do is me. Lot of people had to die for me to be me. You wanna be me? 

The Departed is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan, Alan Mak and Felix Chong. It stars Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Mark Rolston and Alec Baldwin. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Michael Ballhaus.

An Irish gang in South Boston becomes aware there is a rat in their midst, whilst the police force has a mole to contend with - with each one trying to out each other before the other does...

Martin Scorsese remakes Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002) for the English speaking world, and promptly bagged his first Best Director Oscar in the process. It's a thrilling picture packed with suspense and edginess, a psychological gangster picture driven by two men leading double lives that is leading them to the abyss. When the violence comes it erupts in thunderous strokes, all while the narrative pulses with paranoia. There are some irksome contrivances, but with a uniformly strong set of turns from the cast, great musical accompaniments, and a director returning to gangster form, The Departed is a sure fire winner. 8.5/10

CinemaSerf

I think this might be my favourite performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as he takes on the mantle of undercover cop "Billy". On a perilous arms-length basis from his boss (Martin Sheen) pretty much from the start of his career, he must undergo the violent perils of prison so he can convincingly infiltrate the gang of hoodlum "Costello" (Jack Nicholson) who runs the crime syndicate in the city of Boston somewhat enigmatically. Meantime, we also meet "Colin" (Matt Damon) who is in a mirror-image position with the State police. As the situation in the city becomes even more dangerous it becomes clear to both the cops and to "Costello" that there is a fly in their respective ointment, and those men's positions become even more hazardous. Now each must try to identify the other before the entire house of cards comes crashing down in a blaze of gunfire. If we add to the mix the fiery and determined detective "Dignam" (Mark Wahlberg) and a bit of love interest from "Madolyn" (Vera Farminga) and we get an engagingly complex thriller that unravels cleverly and slowly over 2½ hours generating a proper sense of menace. Nicholson is on superb form as the maniacal boss whom you just know probably isn't trustworthy - even for those his own side, and the focussed efforts from Leo and Damon deliver well to build the tension effectively. I liked the writing - and the paucity of it. There is comedy here, there is threat here but there is very little extraneous verbiage. The characters have a visceral quality to them that, as the story develops, really does immerse you in their tawdry and shady goings-on. I can't say that I loved the ending - somehow it seemed a little bit rushed, but there's certainly vindication there for someone... This is the kind of drama that thrives by knitting the myriad of threads together without having to faff about with timelines, loops, or repetition. It's a story that evolves in a plausibly hazardous yet characterful fashion and if you can catch it on a big screen, then it's highly recommended. Scorsese - indeed, just about everyone, at their best.

Dignam Gets Revenge

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