Release Date:
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Just when you think Martin Scorsese can't make another unforgettable mob classic, along comes The Departed. He lays off the Italians here as he zeros in on Irish gangsters from Boston, corrupt cops and some of the most glorious violence and suspense we've ever seen. In this film, based on the Hong Kong The Infernal Affairs Trilogy (read the review for that here!), Leonardo DiCaprio makes full amends for Gangs of New York as a deep undercover cop. Matt Damon breaks new ground as a filthy cop that keeps creating unholy messes by taking orders from an evil crime overlord played by the legendary Jack Nicholson. Mark Wahlberg also reigns supreme as a relentless cop that's focused on bringing down the bad guys no matter what. The Departed delivers so many moments of shock that it's almost heart-attack inducing, and will have you rewinding scenes over and over again because you won't believe your eyes. As for extras, Warner Bros. included a second disc filled with deleted scenes, a great documentary on the actual Boston Mob, as well as a few others centered around Scorsese's history as one of the greatest directors of all time. Overall, this left us with one definitive conclusion: If this isn't the best picture of '06 then the Academy Awards are completely fucked. (Even though we already know this because Marty didn't win for Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Color of Money, Goodfellas, Casino or The Aviator. Hell, even Kundun had its moments.)