THE DEPARTED [2006] review

I wasn’t really motivated to see this movie for several reasons, least of which were very mixed reviews. However, after it got nominated for Best Picture, I thought i’ll at least try it as I usually almost always see all five Best Picture nominees. For the first 2/3 or more of this movie, I was totally feeling it. The pacing was sharp, I was quite riveted and at times I actually forgot that I watching a bunch of movie stars. In a movie like this, it really wasn’t like watching characters as all the actors were so familiar. I wasn’t buying Jack Nicholson as a mob boss for one minute, was wondering why Alec Baldwin was in the movie at all, and enjoying Matt Damon and Leonardo unknowingly battle each other. People said Leo’s performance was better in THE DEPARTED than in BLOOD DIAMOND, but I think I prefer his performance in the latter. I saw more range in that role. In this movie, I really didn’t understand his motivation to so strongly go after the mafia.

The story is very intriguing, with one mobster becoming a cop to be a source of inside info, and a seemingly good kid becoming a cop because he wanted to be a cop, but being asked to live among the mobsters. Watching them each try to find out the identity was good cinema. But then the last quarter of the movie…..it just made everything seem pointless. It left me feeling like, “umm, so why then did I just watch this movie?”

So for me this is a good movie, with a flawed final act that has no business being nominated for Best Picture. I will continue to pull for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE tomorrow.

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