The Departed

I think Scorsese might finally have something to win him that Oscar he's been after. The man has had some really great films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York and The Aviator. The guy is good. However, there's always something else that seems to win. I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed and loved this one. The story is great. It's about the Irish mob in Boston and the state police who are dedicated to keeping things kosher. You have people playing both sides and some crazy people at the top. Throw in performances from Martin Sheen, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Vera Farmiga and you have a wonderful film. As always with Scorsese, this one is long. It clocks in at 151 minutes, but I wasn't left with that feeling like I've been there forever and am bored to death. I wasn't ever on the edge of my seat, but attention was kept the whole time. The story starts out with the lives of two boys growing up in Boston. Then we see them as adults and what they're currently doing. They're both involved with the police and they're both involved with the mob. I'm always a sucker for mob movies. I don't know why. I guess secretly inside I wish I was tough and people respected me. Scorsese definitely proved himself with Goodfellas, but I think this might be even better. The stories have a much different feel to them and they are in no way the same movie. I really love how you get to know the characters involved and see what happens as their lives unfold. You see bad guys doing good things and good guys doing bad things. Are the bad guys really bad? Are the good guys really good? Ok, maybe I'm taking it a little too far. This isn't a western. One thing I noticed right away was the music. There's a lot of Rolling Stones and some Pink Floyd thrown in there. I really enjoyed it. It's amazing how much the music can make or break a movie. When it's good, you usually don't notice it, but if it's bad, it can stick out like a sore thumb. I don't know what more to say without divulging too much of the plot. I loved this and plan on buying it. I hope you like it too.