Movie Review: The Departed

No time for lame introductions, friends. This is the good stuff. A film of Oscar-worthy proportions.

RANT AT THE SCREEN

The Departed. Set in Boston, the story chronicles the conflict set by two men: one (Dicaprio) from a family of crime who enrolls to become a state trooper, only to be sent undercover in the Irish mob. The other (Damon) is from a crimeless family who is planted in the state troopers. Life becomes dangerous as each side becomes suspicious, and try to have the two moles discover each other.

This is one of the darkest comedies I've seen in a while, but the humor isn't really the point. It's second to the incredible tension of the plot, which in many ways the juxtaposition of the two characters, showing how similar and frightening their lives are.

The acting is incredible. Jack comes out swinging as a complete psychopath, and possibly the living embodiment of evil. Leo and Matt follow right behind him, with Matt playing a charismatic con-man trying to keep his head above water, and Leo is forced to increasingly deal with the angst of being in contact with a group of people to whom violence is the ultimate answer. Also worth mentioning are Mark Wahlberg (who delivers some spectacularly filthy lines as a police lt.) and Alec Baldwin (as a doofish sarge). The only person who doesn't catch complete traction is the almost unused psychotherapist, who helps show the differences between our featured characters.

The plot is rife, RIFE, with story, developments, dramatic moments, and cutting bits of dialogue, with a few surprises for everybody before the end. The ending itself is almost mentally damaging.

I give this movie six stolen guidance chips out of five. MUST SEE.