The Departed

Jack Nicholson plays a mob boss smashingly in this Martin Scorsese flic. He has the perfect mug for the job, as in his older age he's looking (somehow) more sinister and vile than in times past. He plays a ruthless, totally self-confident ring leader of a crime family, and masters the role from start to gruesome finish.

I read earlier this week that Leonardo DiCaprio almost hung up his acting career after he made Titanic because he hated being portrayed as a sex-symbol. (Read a brief overview here.) As if Gangs of New York & Aviator (both Scorsese movies) didn't do it, he's for sure moved on to bigger and better things with The Departed. I was watching for a soft spot, just a hint of weakness, maybe even a smidgeon of "pretty-boy" gentleness, but no such luck. This is hard to say (especially since Titanic was on TV allllllll weekend long as Fate seemingly meant to thrust Leo front and center in my life), but he played the bad-ass roll amazingly. Even his sex scene was a bit "rough"...at least rougher than his romp with Rose on the soon-to-sink ship.

Matt Damon did slimy without a hitch as Colin Sullivan, a corrupt state cop, and worked outstandily alongside Jack & Leo in the picture. Since his best film to date was Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron , it was a seeming impossibility for him to get any better. (Um, I'm just kidding, by the way...he did much better in films where he wasn't a cartoon horse). I like him a lot in The Departed, becuase he carries his character from start to finish without it ever seeming forced.

Wow, time fails me to tell of the roles played by Mark Wahlberg , Martin Sheen , & Alec Baldwin , when especially Wahlberg deserved more. The token chick in a 87.3% man's movie was Vera Farmiga , and since I have a lot of friends of the fairer sex I'll give her a spot here in the review by saying she did a good job. Not the hottest gal on the big screen today, but I'll say of her role like the guy on the Taco Bell commercial says of Carmen Electra's dress: "it'll do." (FYI, this commercial is NOT currently online, or at least I couldn't find it, so I have no link to it. Feel free to remedy that if you find it.)