Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: William Monahan
Based on the screenplay by: Alan Mak and Felix Chong
Produced by: Brad Grey, Graham King and Brad Pitt
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Studio: Warner Brothers Pictures

Perfection. It's a great word, in fact a perfect word and no better word to describe The Departed. I got back from The Departed and my hands are just now calming down. An hour ago they were shaking like a mad man. For the last 30 minutes of The Departed, I gasped about thirty-five times and I blinked about five times. This riveting, exciting, portrayal of the mean streets of Boston will truly take your breath away.

In Martin Scorsese's new crime drama, a true disgusting, repulsive, immoral, dispicable human being named Frank Costello played by screen legend (and personal favorite actor) Jack Nicholson is the leader of the mean streets of Boston, a Boston where nothing is as seems: cops are corrupt, preists are corrupt, where can a good man turn, well in the very begining of the film Frank says "You can become cops or criminals; What I'm saying is this, when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?" In this movie the fact is, that is basically the case, you can't escape Boston, so choose a side, good or bad. The boy Frank adresses that to was young Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), and unfortunatly Frank is a heavy influence on that young boy, so much that the child goes down the wrong path, becomes a patsy for Frank, then we see Colin graduating from the Massachutsetts Police Academy, but he still is good friends with Frank. So when the Boston State Police sends an man named Billy Costigan undercover to infiltrate Jack's crew, you have a snitch on both sides, Colin is beginning to gain respect at the station and Costello is getting used to Billy, so when the police and Costello discover that there are informers on both sides they each find it difficult to discover one another.

This truly re-invents every genre out there, no actually it's a different genre all-together, there is comedy, drama, sci-fi, thriller, fantasy and now The Departed. The direction of this film was flawless and if Scorsese doesn't win the Oscar he's earned three times now, I might just scream. This film not only keeps you entertained it leaves you stunned and breathless, especially when looking at the Costello character, you think "Wow, what would it be like to be that sick and have no regard for decency or life at all?" You're truly looking at a vile low scum of a human being, this is not a film where Jack feels like your papa and you want to go give him a hug because he is so likeable. That is why this is such a great performance, because, it is truly hard to not like Jack Nicholson, he seems like such a fun guy, but The Departed is perfect in every way. It should without a doubt be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and features seven performances (Jack Nicholson, DiCaprio, Mark Whalberg, Damon, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin) worthy of awards consideration and while Jack is miles ahead of the others, they all are superb and make the most with their screen time.

The cinamatic pairing of Nicholson and Scorsese is a true gift from God and every actor and everyone involved with The Departed deserve a good pat on the back. I hope this film is still regarded as one of the all-time best even when I myself am departed.