The Departed (2006) Review

Be assured, this review is spoiler-free!  I wouldn't dare ruin this flick! 

The Case

Like everyone else, I'd heard the unbelievable hype and rave reviews over the new Scorsese film, The Departed.  Now, I'm not really into that hard, gritty, explicit brand of movies, so I honestly didn't have any interest in this film - at first.  However, while at theaters, The Departed solidly retained its reputation of brilliance, and, after nearly everyone I knew told me it was amazing, I finally decided it was worth the ticket price to check it out myself. 

Unfortunately, by the time I made this decision, the film had left theaters.  Throughout the wait for the DVD release, I nearly forgot my desire to see The Departed, but when I spotted it at the video store, I figured, "What the heck?"  What the heck indeed!  This movie was, in a word, flawless.  In two, mind-blowing.  In three, a must-see!  In four, go rent it now!!!

The Good

Many others have described this movie in a more eloquent fashion than I could ever hope to, so let me just say that it changed my expectations of films, and also actors.  The plot blew me away.  The performances were on another level entirely, especially in the cases of both Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio.  The action and tension were simply unreal, and if you can predict the ending to this movie, you should contact military intelligence immediately.  They could use a clairvoyant individual, I'm sure!

The Bad

There's nothing bad, as long as you know that The Departed has strong language, brutal violence, graphic imagery, sex, and drug use.  It's rated R.  It's intense.  As I expressed before, I'm someone who doesn't necessarily enjoy these types of films.  So, let me just say to everyone else like me - none of that even matters.  You have GOT to see this movie!

The Verdict

Five stars!  The Departed verges on perfection!