... The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a f&*$ing job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That's what the n*&$ers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, ... Read review
Martin Scorsese makes a welcomed return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) ... more
withThe Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film sinceCasino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 20...
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Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect ... more
mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win the perfect mole, the man in the inside of the mob ran by...
Martin Scorsese makes a welcomed return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) ... more
withThe Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film sinceCasino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 20...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Cops or criminals; when you're facing a loaded gun what's the difference? A big-budget ... more
Hollywood star power remake of the Hong Kong classic crime thriller Infernal Affairs. Two men operate on different sides of the law; one a mole with the Boston Sta...
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Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect ... more
mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win the perfect mole, the man in the inside of the mob ran by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Cosello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlbery and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down. Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole. Now these covert lives cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs, guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral tale of crime and consequences. This is searing, can't-look-away filmmaking: like into the eyes of a con - or a cop - with a gun.
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: Witty, gritty, thrilling... the best gangster film I've seen in years. Disadvantages: A bit of a Deus ex machina ending, some predictable moments...negligable really
...me. Years ago we had the church. That was only a way of saying - we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a f&*$ing job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That's what the n*&$ers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it's this - no one gives it to you. You have to take it." These opening ... ...are here. They definitely set the stage for this interesting drama.
"Departed" isn't just about what lies under the belly of Boston's clever workingman exterior, as the title implies it is about those who pass on before us, why and who gets left behind. A rather cold, business-like and mock polite label for the truth left behind, revealed or unrevealed, when a person becomes an empty body. Typically a heck of a mess that ... more
"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me. Years ago we had the church. That was only a way of saying - we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a f&*$ing job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That's what the n*&$ers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it's this - no one gives it to you. You have to take it." These opening lines by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) in Scorsese's film "Departed" are delivered cheerfully and without rancor, just letting you know how things are here. They definitely set the stage for this interesting drama.
"Departed" isn't just about what lies under the belly of Boston's clever workingman exterior, as the title implies it is about those who pass on before us, why and who gets left behind. A rather cold, business-like and mock polite label for the truth left behind, revealed or unrevealed, when a person becomes an empty body. Typically a heck of a mess that someone else will be cleaning up and only the Gods know for sure what really went down. Frank is one ruling class in Southies' "Irish mafia", and we see right from the beginning just how much of a family business he runs. Taking young fatherless Colin Sullivan under his wing, we see Colin (Matt Damon) eagerly accept the role of adopted prodigal son and rise rapidly through the ranks of Boston's state police force. He's not the only "statie" with roots in the rough south side of Boston though.
Colin is so wrapped up in his own ambitions that he never noticed young Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) training right beside him. Billy is in a unique position though as he's never hid his family connections...or his anger and disdain of them. Outside the hospital room of his dying mother, Billy confronts his Uncle Ed in a personally satisfying moment, "Maybe it would have done you some good to have some *questions* from time to time, you know? "Am I an @$$hole? Are my kids a mess? Is my wife a money-grubbing wh&*#?" I mean, those are questions, right? "Have I ever been good to my dying sister or am I just now pretending to be?"
But Billy's bosses Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) want him to be something more than a Statie. "You got a 1400 on your exams. You're an astronaut, kid. Not a Statie." In fact, they want to kick him out altogether! Sit back in their web and watch him do some time for assault and then work his way back into the family. They want what Costello already has on them...another man on the inside.
This gritty cat and mouse game between two of Boston's most charming and skilled rats unfolds like a particularly nasty highway wreck, unpredictably and with a rather gruesome hypnotic power. Cheese is being left out all over the city, while those in the shadows wait to see who will take the bait. The names of the departed will be remembered by those left standing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This star-studded cast really made for a solid family of characters. Powerful, clever and charming men playing powerful, clever and charming men works! While the writing occasionally suffers from inevitable predictability, and the ending feels anticlimactic, the story itself and especially the play between it's characters kept me riveted. There were times when the tension was so tight that we were the ones who snapped, holding our breaths or popping up suddenly to rush for a new drink before the scene changed.
The supporting cast here was fabulous and it was good to see such talented actors in relatively small roles willing to lend their presence never-the-less. Vera Farmiga was perhaps the most consistently likable and down-to-earth character as the love interest that unwittingly gets caught between two of the main players in this story. It was good also to see Anthony Anderson, much better known for his comedic roles like Mahalik from the Scary Movie series, branching out and taking on a serious role. People like Ray Winstone (Teague from Cold Mountain, and Bors from King Arthur) as Costello's right hand man Mr. French and David O'Hara (Stephen of "my island" fame from Braveheart) as Fitzy help to form a solid foundation for those dancing their more complicated character's to rely upon. These are confident actors well used to playing tough, gritty characters who are more familiar with the rough edge of life, and it shows here.
All in all, I have to say that I've been enjoying this trend in Hollywood lately of filling a film with every good actor willing to take on a role, and it definitely seems to support weaker moments in a film where perhaps the writing falters or a situation doesn't quite fly. This is not Martin Scorsese's best work, perhaps, but is was definitely clever and entertaining.
There's a lot of humor hidden in all this drama too. Witty lines, verbal fencing, black observations on society delivered with wry chuckles are all just about as frequent as the ever-present swearing. It helps to grease the lives we see rolling past us, and lends an air of humanity and realism to everything. Personally, I'm of the belief that Laughter will get you through things that could send you over the edge of reason, and I don't look down on anyone who laughs at a funeral, for instance. That's life, that's what makes it worth living. Watching Billy become more and more desperate to hang onto his sanity and his life is made more real as he looses his ability to laugh. Lighter moments also helped to ease the tension that earmarks this film as a great Thriller. **** Exchanges like,
Police Camera Tech: "Who the f**k are you?" Dignam: "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."
Can't help but pull a chuckle from me as we've all wanted to say such things to less than competent co-workers at some point. The film definitely earns it's R rating with casual violence, adult situations and language. It is however, equally worthy of the awards it won (four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director with an additional 44 nominations, honestly too many to list here) which isn't always the case. While "The Departed" has it's tiny flaws like oh-so-convenient moments, these are far out shadowed by it's dramatic appeal, talented cast, entertaining dialog, and thrilling edge.
Special Features: The nine deleted scenes Introduced by director Martin Scorsese, are interesting and a favorite feature for me on any DVD. None of the scenes were vital to the film though and you can see why they were edited out.
"Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitely Bulger, Southie and The Departed" is a real gem in the special features category. Basically a 21 minute history of the real-life gangster that Costello was based on, we see interviews with William Monahan (the screenwriter), Scorsese, and several journalists. Very interesting and I could have watched a bit more of this sort "truth behind the fiction" as I find it fascinating to see what inspires and how a story or character develops its own life apart from fact.
"Crossing Criminal Cultures" is 24 minutes of Scorsese and cast members discussing gangster films in general and Scorsese's films specifically. In my opinion this really should have been combined with the "Stranger Than Fiction" piece to help balance out the lengthy 86 minute "Scorsese on Scorsese" documentary from 2004. That particular bonus feature is not currently available on t he HD or Blu-ray versions, incidentally. Personally, I remembered the interview from it's original airing, and while mildly interesting to me, it would probably be more interesting to Scorsese fans. I skipped it during this viewing.
Final Word:
An excellent film equally worthy of it's awards and R rating, a Scorsese gem, and must for fans of gangster films. This 2 disc DVD with the extras is definitely more interesting than the bare bones editions that were also released. At an average of four dollars more for this set, I'd shell it out. The Departed is one of those classic films that you could enjoy over and over, you may as well have the extras too.
Advantages: Exciting with a strong twisting plot. Disadvantages: Slow start and unfulfilling end.
...were criminals. This makes him the perfect undercover “mole”, the man on the inside of the terrorising mob run by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It’s his assignment to gain Costello’s trust and help his police bosses (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen), who are the only people on the police force who know he is actually a cop, to bring Costello and his violent mob syndicate down. In the meantime, SIU officer, in the same department, Colin Sullivan ... ...the police force that there must be a mole on the inside of the police force working for Costello as he always knows where to go, stand and when to leave on a job that the police are watching. Colin Sullivan is a model officer and has been promoted several times. No one suspects him of being Costello’s mole. Ironically later in the film, he is so trusted he is assigned to finding the mole working for Costello inside the police department, all he ...
guydavies123 23.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
Advantages: Superb performances all-round; top calibre thriller; fresh departure for Scorsese; complex and original story; fantastic script Disadvantages: Not really Scorsese's film; overly choppy editing at times; occasional poor use of soundtrack
...graced our screens in 1995, the last "mob" movie we have seen by Martin Scorsese, arguably the finest director of crime pictures. Indeed, since then, with the exception of a couple of films, the mob movie has gradually died out. So when the finest director of crime pictures releases a film of the crime genre, it's difficult not to get excited. As an Italian-American born in Little Italy, Scorsese has always brought accurate, gritty and in part semi-autobiographical ... ...that Scorsese primarily focuses on the way of life of the people he is portraying, rather than sticking to a tight plot. That's what sets the Departed apart from its siblings; it's all about the plot, and less about the day-to-day dealings of its characters that has made Scorsese so popular in the past. In many ways, this is Scorsese taking his films to a new level, and is breaking new ground. However, this is a double-edged sword, which is in part ...
harlequin21 21.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
Advantages: Some great performances, thorough direction. Disadvantages: Overlong and peppered with wandering accents.
...Costigan is charged with infiltrating the mob syndicate run by mobster Costello. Meanwhile Costello's mole Colin Sullivan is working his way up the ranks of the Special Investigation Unit. The two men are consumed by their double life, but when the police and the gangster realise there is an informant in their midst, Colin and Billy are both in danger of being exposed to the enemy. So each has to race to uncover the identity of the other in order ... ...does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and no. It's an engrossing, meticulously crafted film that makes the most of a large and varied cast. It has a strong sense of time and place and has a keen eye for detail. The atmosphere remains tense throughout and you're never under any illusion that these people are dangerous and deadly and that someone is clearly going down. Everybody's situation is precarious and the film is never predictable. There are ...
afy9mab 04.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
Advantages: Fast-paced, action-packed, bloody, thriller! Disadvantages: Ending is of an acquired taste
...Copying, then improving and revolutionizing, the basic plot from Wai Keung Lau and Siu Pai Mak's impressive 2002 Hong Kong action film, 'Internal Affairs', and produces another great film for the action film industry. It tells the stories of William Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover cop inside the mobsters gang, and Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a secret mobster who has landed an important job in the police.
The film starts with a commentary ... ...Stone's 'Gimme Shelter' playing in the background, the first in the line of lots of great songs in this soundtrack.
Made in 2006, this film corresponds with the happening of the Iraq war, and many believe Scorsese uses his plot as a metaphor for the complex workings of the UN, Iraqi assembly and US Congress.
Costigan is trying to get enough evidence to prosecute gang lord Costello, and is having to gain his trust to try and get into a position ...
midpikyrozziy 22.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
Advantages: Luminous lead performances supported by an excellent supporting cast Disadvantages: None
...totally riviting crime-drama, directed by the award-winning Martin Scorsese, delivering what is undoubtedly his most enthralling film since the masterpiece "Goodfellas" (1990). "The Departed" was based on the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs" by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. William Monahan delivered the scorching screenplay, crackling with savage, brutal wit while producers of "The Departed" included Brad Pitt, Brad Grey and Graham King. With such a ... ...all deliver magnificent performances, complimenting the stark blend of unflinching violence, harrowing, psychological drama and exhilirating, rip-roaring action scenes.
Young Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a rookie, Boston-based cop. Billy grew up in a world surrounded by crime and violence. Billy's superiors, the diligient Queenan (martin Sheen) and ever-obnoxious, but straight, Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) are desperate to catch notorious local ...
IanPhillips 07.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
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Advantages: Characters, Direction, Supsense Disadvantages: Gets constantly compared to Goodfellas.
Forget any preconceived notions of the term "re-make" that may have developed from bad experience- The Departed is a remarkable achievement in American crime cinema.
Borrowing elements from the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese establishes a stellar cast, a brilliantly-written script, and thematic use of Boston's heritage and culture to make The Departed his own.
The basic premise is that a cop goes undercover in the mob, while the mob places one of their own as a mole in the police force. In Scorsese's version, the "good cop" is Trooper William "Billy" Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), while the Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is the informant to mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson).
Sullivan is tracked from boyhood, rising through the ranks. Costigan's story runs parallel, as we see his superiors ...
andycarrington 22.04.2009 (18.05.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Departed (DVD)
Advantages: Superb thriller, great performances Disadvantages: Some won't like the violence and bad language
Jack Nicholson's character - a real mob leader in Boston. This is actually very interesting and I would definitely recommend watching. Then there is a documentary about how gang-related violence in film has affected Scorsese's work - again, interesting to watch. There is also a selection of additional scenes with commentaries by Scorsese - worth a quick look, but the documentaries are more interesting.
I really enjoyed this film. It is one of the best films I have seen in the last few months; everything about it just worked as far as I am concerned. Even the fact that, at 150 minutes, it is way longer than I like a film to be didn't seem to matter, although I must admit I'm glad I had control of the DVD control to break it up a little. Of course, if you don't like action thrillers or violence, then this isn't going to be for you, but ...
Advantages: Excellent ,unpredicatable, original, exciting Disadvantages: Some dodgy accents, alot of swearing
After watching the Oscars the other night I stumbled across a film called The Departed. I had seen this film in the video store a few times but never really thought that much of it as I hadn't heard a great deal about it, plus I never really liked Leonardo DiCaprio. Then when it won the Oscar for best motion picture I thought maybe it was worth toddling off down the video store and buying it. So off I went paying £12.99 for this DVD.
A Japanese director called Sui Fai Mak originally wrote the screenplay called infernal affairs. Then the screenplay was credited to William Monohan. The Excellent Oscar Winning Martin Scorsese, who has directed many brilliant films, such as Gangs of New York and The Aviator, directs the film.
The film is about crime lords in Boston, at the beginning of the film you meet Colin Sullivan played by Matt ...
Additional scenes with introductions by Martin Scorsese, Feature-lenght profile - 'Scorsese On Scorsese', 'Story Of The Boston Mob' and 'Crossing Criminal Cultures' featurettes
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Award information
OSCAR
Best Director 2007 (Martin Scorsese, Martin Scorsese)
OSCAR
Best Screenplay Based On Material Previously Produced Or Published 2007 (William Monahan, William Monahan)
DVD Description
Director Martin Scorsese returns to his trademark style with the violent, bruised, and bloody feature THE DEPARTED. Scorsese filched the basic storyline from Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak's masterful 2002 Hong Kong action film, INFERNAL AFFAIRS, which saw a policeman going undercover as a mob member and a mob member infiltrating the police force. Scorsese transfers the action to Boston, positioning Leonardo DiCaprio as undercover cop William Costigan and Matt Damon as undercover mobster Colin Sullivan. While Costigan and Sullivan get into plenty of nail-biting situations that almost reveal their true identities, Scorsese gradually unravels his strong supporting cast, including Jack Nicholson as Sullivan's mob boss, Frank Costello; Ray Winstone as Costello's meat-headed muscle; Mark Wahlberg as a hot-headed police sergeant; and Vera Farmiga as a love interest for both Damon and Di Caprio's characters.
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