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Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen ... see more see more... , Ray Winstone , Vera Farmiga , Anthony Anderson , Alec Baldwin , James Badge Dale , David O'Hara , J.C. MacKenzie , Mark Rolston , Kevin Corrigan , Gerard McSorley

Legendary director Martin Scorsese takes the helm for this tale of questionable loyalties and blurring identities set in the South Boston organized crime scene and inspired by the wildly popular 2002 ... read more read more...Hong Kong crime film Infernal Affairs. As the police force attempts to reign in the increasingly powerful Irish mafia, authorities are faced with the prospect of sending in an undercover agent or seeing their already frail grip on the criminal underworld slip even further. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young cop looking to make a name for himself in the world of law enforcement. Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a street-smart criminal who has successfully infiltrated the police department with the sole intention of reporting their every move to ruthless syndicate head Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). When Costigan is assigned the task of working his way into Costello's tightly guarded inner circle, Sullivan is faced with the responsibility of rooting out the informer before things get out of hand. With the stakes constantly rising and time quickly running out for the undercover cop and his criminal counterpart, each man must work feverishly to reveal his counterpart before his identity is exposed by the other. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Ray Winstone co-star, and writer William Monahan adapts a screenplay originally penned by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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92% liked it

611,774 ratings

Critics

93% liked it

229 critics

R, 2 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Release Date: October 6, 2006

Keywords: action, mob, gangster, crime, chinese

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DVD Release Date: February 13, 2007

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Stats: 72,717 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (72,717)

  • jmanard52
    June 29, 2008
    jmanard52
    This was a great movie from beginning tp the final minutes and than i felt rushed. Very rushed, Im not sure why but the final 30 minutes or so just were overdone. But in the end still a great movie.
  • fb223580
    April 11, 2012
    fb223580
    I respect Leo a lot as an actor but have never liked him in any of his movies. He was too annoyingly bright-eyed in Titanic, too annoyingly smug in Catch Me If You Can, too annoyingly jaded in Inception... but in this movie he is perfect. He is vulnerable, tragic, and I mainta... read morein that any girl who watches this movie cannot stop herself from reaching out to the screen wanting to take his trembling head into her arms and soothe his fraught soul.

    What makes this movie so good is that it lavishly indulges its villains, building up this gross inequity as it coasts on, blithely ignoring all sense of justice and morality that we've come to expect from Hollywood. If you hate spoilers then stop reading now because here's a spoiler for you: it doesn't have a happy ending. And it kills me, it twists the knife deeper as we watch Billy sink further into paranoia and helplessness, needing his reality back and the movie holds it outstretched, denying him relief and denying him his reward for fighting the good fight. What a spectacular tease. Icing on the cake: Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, all the colourful language and the Boston accents.
  • fb1463751009
    March 10, 2012
    fb1463751009
    "The Departed" is brimming with style. First off, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson are incredible; they're extraordinary -- possible Leonardo's best performance. Though it isn't Martin Scorsese's greatest film, it is masterfully directed coupled with great dialog... read moreue. The pacing is great and the score was immersive. A must watch.
  • moonrivers
    February 26, 2012
    moonrivers
    Great writing, great cast, great direction, all here, all accounted for, and everybody's workin' dere Baston acksents. Cellphones shoulda got an acting credit cause the story revolves around them. The only flaw is that the work has identity issues, compares itself to The Godfat... read moreher and GoodFellas too much.
  • spielberg00
    November 9, 2011
    spielberg00
    Scorsese directs a violent update of the well-known Chinese mob film, INFERNAL AFFAIRS, from just four years prior. Set in Boston, Massachusetts, the story tells of a mob boss named Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) who sends out a criminal, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). Simultane... read moreously, the local police have sent out Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello's mob.

    Recently, I saw a few Best Picture winners, namely TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, that I thought were acceptable, but not good enough to win the most anticipated Academy Award. I feared, therefore, that it would be the same case with THE DEPARTED. How wrong I was! This film started off a little slow (the actual title didn't show for almost twenty minutes), but by the thirty-minute mark, it was absolutely deserving of four stars. (And I would do anything to see another crime film like this!)

    I've heard from a few websites now that The Departed 2 is being made. Really? By the way this film ended, there's no way a sequel would work, unless it ties in to its predecessor in no way. (Which technically means it won't work, so I rest my case.) Don't get me wrong, I loved THE DEPARTED; the fact, though, that a sequel should be made is absolutely inconceivable.

    The cast for this film was simply phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin. Great performances, too, are delivered from these actors, observing that casts typically don't work out so well when they are studded with stars.

    Before this, the only Martin Scorsese film I had seen was SHINE A LIGHT, his Rolling Stones documentary. Seeing one of his true pictures was astounding, to say the least.

    The musical soundtrack in this film was often hard to recognize, but nevertheless well-done. There were only a few songs that I could name, which were The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter"; Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb"; and Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up to Boston", which I first heard on this film's SIMPSONS parody; but as there was little musical score, the music supported almost every single scene.

    Overall, THE DEPARTED was very enjoyable. Every moment was exciting, thrilling, and intriguing; and even at two and a half hours, it never runs overlong.
  • fb1664868775
    October 21, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Classic Scorsese. His late masterpiece.
  • fb729949618
    September 30, 2011
    fb729949618
    Jack Nicholson made this movie for me. If you want a good action/drama with a good plot, here you go.
  • blkbomb
    September 26, 2011
    blkbomb
    Colin Sullivan: Do you know what will happen if you shoot me?
    Billy Costigan: Yeah, this bullet will go right through your fucking head!

    I'm having a tough time deciding what my favorite Scorsese movie is. Every time I have thought about it, my favorite shifts between this, Ca... read moresino, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull. After a third viewing of The Departed, I'm starting to lean towards it. This movie is an amazing piece of filmmaking by Scorsese. It's gritty and suspenseful from start to finish. The cast is excellent. Jack Nicholson gives what may end up being his last great performance. Mark Wahlberg gives his best performance and Matt Damon is excellent as always. Martin Sheen and Vera Farmiga are great in their supporting role as well. But let's talk about the true star of this film, Leonardo DiCaprio. The guy is the best actor going right now. He keeps starring in great movie after great movie. Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Shutter Island, Revolutionary Road, Body of Lies, Inception, and The Departed since 2002. There's no denying he's the best right now. The Departed has such an engrossing plot. Billy Costigan(Leonardo DiCaprio) is undercover and is working for Frank Costello(Jack Nicholson). He's trying to get something on him that will stick, but it's difficult because Costello has an informer who is also a cop in Colin Sullivan(Matt Damon). Everyone knows that there's rats and informers but don't know who they are and it just adds to the suspense that we know and they don't. Like Hitchcock said if you tell us there's a bomb and let it play out, that's suspense if you just blow it up without telling us, that's a surprise. Like every Scorsese the soundtrack is really good as well. I don't know if The Departed is Scorsese's best movie, but I think it's my favorite.
  • thmtsang
    September 17, 2011
    thmtsang
    Gripping action thriller with many lives on the line. Great cast - Leo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Ray Winstone, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Mark Walhberg. Martin Scorsese directs his second movie starring Leo. The movie's premise is based on a Hong Kong movie called... read more Infernal Affairs, but The Departed is about Boston gangsters and cops. Leo plays Billy, an undercover cop who becomes a mole in a FBI wanted gang. He comes from a family not on the right side of the law, but he trains to be a police officer. Jack plays the gangster who also has a mole (Matt) in the police. It's strange seeing Matt as a bad guy. Their lives run in parallel, looking for each other - the moles. But there are further twists and turns when a woman and loyalties are at stake. It will have you on the edge of your seat. No matter what Leo does you want him to pull through. Leo is brilliant. My fave line is Leo's as Billy - "You want him to chop me up and feed me to the poor? Is that what you want?" Another great performance!
  • DreamExtractor
    September 14, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    The Departed is my favorite film by Martin Scorsese, its a complete masterpiece and is my favorite mob film ever made, and is my 10th favorite film ever. As the police force attempts to reign in the increasingly powerful Irish mafia, authorities are faced with the prospect of se... read morending in an undercover agent or seeing their already frail grip on the criminal underworld slip even further. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young cop looking to make a name for himself in the world of law enforcement. Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a street-smart criminal who has successfully infiltrated the police department with the sole intention of reporting their every move to ruthless syndicate head Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). When Costigan is assigned the task of working his way into Costello's tightly guarded inner circle, Sullivan is faced with the responsibility of rooting out the informer before things get out of hand. With the stakes constantly rising and time quickly running out for the undercover cop and his criminal counterpart, each man must work feverishly to reveal his counterpart before his identity is exposed by the other. The plot of The Departed is a wonder to behold, and is truly a true showing of how genius Scosese is, and it is mysterious, intense, and slowly gets closer and closer to a incredible and satisfactory and controversial end. The cats is perfectly picked and was completely perfect, Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing and i don't care what anyone say, his role was great and Oscar worthy. Matt damon is playing a great role, and the tension he feels about geting caught is nail biting. The show stealer however was probably Jack Nicholson, he play one of the roles he was born to, as a crazy and genius mob boss who everyone fears. The production of the film made it feel like watching Goodfellas for the first time, when everyone was just blown away at the genius. Martin Scorsese has created another masterpiece, and his directing is the only one that may have been able to make it perfect. This films is a genius work of art, every minute is awesome, every minute is intense, and every minute makes it one of the best films of all time.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
July 6, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What makes this a Scorsese film, and not merely a retread, is the director's use of actors, locations and energy, and its buried theme. I am fond of saying that a movie is not about what it's about; i... Full Review

David Edelstein
January 6, 2007
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The Departed has enough tension to keep you engrossed, and enough color for ten crime pictures. Scorsese obviously adores his expensive, expansive ensemble. Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann
October 26, 2006
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

Is Scorsese desperate? This screenplay has the scent of it, as if he is scraping for material to feed his basic filmic interests.

Peter Howell
October 14, 2006
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

[A] glorious mess of a movie. Full Review

David Denby
October 9, 2006
David Denby, New Yorker

The Departed is murderous fun, but it's too shallow to be the kind of movie that haunts your sleep.

Stephanie Zacharek
October 7, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Scorsese has put together a fantastic ensemble of actors: Some of the movie's best performances are the ones tucked into the corners, like Alec Baldwin's beefy, arrogant state police honcho. Full Review

Tom Charity
October 7, 2006
Tom Charity, CNN.com

The storytelling here is a model of smooth precision. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
October 6, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

As The Departed wears on, it becomes more exciting, more grimly funny and more nihilistic -- and that nihilism has a lasting impact. Full Review

Steven Rea
October 6, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Freed from iconic figures and weighty themes, Martin Scorsese, in The Departed, gets to riff and rock. And the audience gets a huge, bloody, profane entertainment in the bargain.

Roger Moore
October 6, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The Departed is Scorsese's most entertaining picture in years, dense, violent (more of his screen sadism played for laughs), and satisfying. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Sergeant Dignam: Maybe yes..may be no.. maybe fuck yourself.
    • Colin Sullivan: I can`t wait to wipe that smirk off your face.
    • Frank Costello: Would you rather wipe my ass for me?
    • Sergeant Dignam: The F.B.I. they are like mushrooms: you feed them shit and keep them in the dark.
    • Frank Costello: No ticky, no laundry!
    • Brown: Why did you use my cellphone?
    • Sergeant Dignam: Because you weren't there.
    • Billy Costigan: What are you waiting for? You want it to chop me up and feed to poor is that what you guys want.
Submit a Fact | View All

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  • Who starred in the following movies *Oceans 11 *The departed *Stuck on you  Answer »
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  • What movie opens up with the lines: "I never wanted to be a product of my environment. I wanted my environment to be a product of me."?  Answer »
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