The Departed: Best Cop/Criminal film since Heat

I already know some people will disagree with. Hell, I went to imdb.com, and the first posting didn't even like Heat. Quite frankly though, I don't watch cop/criminal films for the action. I wasn't upset when the gunfights ended rather quickly. I'm happy Scorsese kept our attention going, Jack Nicholson was entertaining, William Monahan (writer for Kingdom of Heaven)showed he can write more than historical pieces, Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon don't disappoint, and Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, and Ray Winstone complete out the cast for everyone.

Brief summary for those that can't remember the trailers. Damon plays Sullivan, a state policeman rising in the ranks in the investigation of Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson. From the beginning, we know Costello has personally planted Sullivan as his servant in the force. Leo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a state police academy graduate who's secretly handpicked to be undercover, spying on Costello. Things go from suspenseful to tense as the two are put to trackdown the other and smoke them out while they're rising in the ranks and gaining trust of their superiors. You can imagine what happens next. It involves a gun, a knife, and thanks to Nicholson, a dildo. I'm not joking. It's rated R for "strong sexual content," 237 uses of the F-word, and 22 uses of the C-word.

What makes this film worth it? First, this keeps us entertained. It has our attention, and that's quite an achievement for a two and a half hour movie. Arguably, it did this even better than Heat, as here the stories of both the good guys and bad guys are more interlocked. We watch the decision of one directly affect the other, the other react, and something happens to make the story move. It keeps your attention with steady development until the end. It twists and turns, but doesn't spin. Spinning is like the end of Saw, coming completely out of left feild and unexpected. Monahan's script pushes surprises, but doesn't spins.

The action is borderline. Again, see Heat. The shootouts are short and realistic. One shot to the head kills the guy, and these guys know how to aim. It's not Die Hard, where the bad guys' aim slowly becomes worse as the movie goes. Regrettably, that takes away from smart wise-quacks that usually occur and get over-quoted in action films.

This is a cop drama, and the drama runs long with too many characters because, just naturally, there's someone you care less how they feel and what they're going thru. Heat kept the story to the feelings of three main characters. Departed takes it a bit far. Sullivan and Castigan both have love lifes we're asked to keep up with. Costello and Sullivan, Castigan and his captain, Castigan and his crew, Sullivan and his team, and pretty much everyone with everyone. The drama doesn't have enough time to get deep, and there's too much drama to give it time. Certain deaths lose their meaning when we haven't had time to completely understand them.

Dispite all this, it keeps your attention. It is a thriller with suspense. It is well-written and provides a strong two and a half hours if you're willing to keep up with it. It doesn't require as much thought as some films, but it does require attention. It deserves the attention, and pays off well to those that did.

Second, what is the marketability of the movie? All-star cast keeps us going back. Martin Sheen's performance, being the calm, caring captain in a force where everyone is losing their head sends me back to West Wing disc sets. Wahlberg cusses worthy of a Tarantino script. DiCaprio has become a better actor over time, although I'm not saying he's a good actor. Damon lives up to his own standards, better than his walking thru in The Good Shepard.

Third, this movie is going to memorable. Admittingly, it's not somehting that's "must-see." Maybe it will hit a few lists of films "to see before you die." That's depending on the size of the list. Scorsese uses film techinques that are well done, not abused, and show a quality in every shot. The cast size and name recognition makes this one that will probably define who was big names in our day.

Cop drama's are not that big of a genre. Cop action movies have a bigger genre. Neither Heat nor Departed rely on action, something that's hard to compensate in today's movies. These is rare and hard to make a successful copy of. This is why I'm hopeful (for the sake of Monahan's scripts) and skeptical (for the lack of success in the genre) at rumors of sequels and prequels to Departed.

For ranking, that's three for three. Entertaining, marketable, and memorable. Regrettably, it gets my support barely in some. Entertaining, but long. Marketable, but it's not going to resurrect the cop drama like fantasy trilogies have been resurrected recently. Memorable, but it was a slow time last year movies. It's overrated, and there's no sure winner for the oscars, so it will brag about wins more than it probably deserves.

The shame, and what will make this movie stand out, is it is the first film in eleven years to be worthy of the large names. It's hard to pull off, as these films do run long and usually don't sell well. It will not bring back the genre in a successful sense, as it is a film of a rare breed and is a hallmark to the genre's slow, long trail. That is how it is remembered. In short, simple words, in a decade, I'll be writing a blog on the best Cop/Criminal drama since The Departed. There will be little argument over whether there is a better Cop/Criminal drama, but many comments on whether the movies were any good at all. Departed's rarity is what makes it great, despite a less than overwelming, wide-spread crowd favor.

It is a great film, and one I will go out and buy as soon as I see a two-disc edition I think is worth twenty-plus dollars. I advise you watch, but be careful who you watch it with. 237 uses of the F-word, 22 uses of the C-word, and Nicholson's dildo makes this movie something to think twice before you watch it with your mother. Enjoy.