The Departed

Released: October 2006

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Not one to normally grab at a remake, (Infernal Affairs) Scorsese scores with a top notch cast, a great dialogs and dare I say a break out acting job by bona fide star.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, hell even Alec Baldwin makes his appearance as more than a cameo.

The plot involves two cops inside the Massachusetts State Police; one working for the cops as an inside man in organized crime, the other working as inside man in the police for the crime lord. Once the noose begins to tighten and the circle becomes smaller, the acting increases and the blood boils.

The breakout performance I allude to is by DiCaprio. As a middle aged male I have seen Titanic a go-zillion times, its unavoidable, and yes I too felt I needed to distance myself from anything Leo, but his steadfastness to gripping roles makes him a consistently watchable actor in good films. In The Departed, his performance will not garner him an Oscar or Globe nod I think, which is much the loss for us.

The entire cast, run by Scorsese, is at the top of their game. You won't see any dramatic turns, Matt Damon doesn't all of a sudden start emoting, but what you expect with these actors at their best is in deed seen here at their best.

This will be on the top lists of year, guaranteed.