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The Departed By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "The Departed" (Warner Bros.) is a hard-hitting if overlong tale of two rookie cops in South Boston, inspired by the 2002 Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs." One is Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), an ex-altar boy who, as a child, came under the criminal influence of notorious mob boss Frank Costello (over-the-top Jack Nicholson), who disparaged the church's teachings and told him that you have to take what you want in this world. Colin becomes an informant for the mob. The other is Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who, straight from the police academy, gets secretly assigned by senior officers Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) to infiltrate Costello's crime ring. Both young cops are eventually pushed to the mental breaking point in their double-dealing roles, each desperate to uncover the other's identity. Neither is aware that they share the same love interest, psychiatrist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga). Director Martin Scorsese is back in his element, exhibiting the gritty flair he showed in films such as "Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas." DiCaprio and Damon are extremely good. And other roles are well cast, including Alec Baldwin as Capt. Ellerby, head of the Special Investigations Unit, and Ray Winstone as Costello's henchman. For all its implausibilities, the film, buttressed by solid performances and Scorsese's cinematic bravado, keeps you absorbed. In this sort of film, a high quotient of violence is to be expected, and though Scorsese doesn't exactly wallow in it, there are some strong sequences that will be hard to take. Less dramatically sound is the nonstop barrage of expletives, excessive even for the underworld environment. The film contains pervasive rough language, racial epithets, profanity, extremely crude expressions, heavy violence, grisly images, nongraphic sexual situations and encounters, and irreverent remarks about the church. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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