Great Movies- The Departed

Fifteen

Jack Nicholson doesn't want to be a product of his environment. The legendary three-time Oscar winner initially turned the role of Whitey Bulger-inspired Boston crime boss Frank Costello. Apparently, there just wasn't enough on the page to get Jack excited about the character, and the "Batman" star hasn't HAD to work since he pocketed $60 million to play The Joker. That changed when Scorsese gave him permission to improvise. A lot. This movie couldn't exist without an actor of his stature at it's center, and he's clearly relishing every politically-incorrect moment of what would be his last major performance. The darkly charismatic Costello takes a seven year old Sean Sullivan under his wing in this late-'80s set opening. "Nobody gives it to ya"...

Leonardo DiCaprio vs. Matt Damon. This is a movie lover's dream. Of course, we have to wait for it, and they don't even know about each other for half the movie. Even better. The first nineteen minutes of "The Departed" is all over the place. That would be a nightmare in the hands of most filmmakers. Only Scorsese and his long-time editor Thelma S could cut back-and-forth so frenetically between these two characters and never lose the audience for a second. How about making us wait for the title, and setting the tone further with Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys? Brilliant. Remember, firefighters are a bunch of fuckin' homos. Did I mention that we weren't woke yet?

Which brings me to Mark Wahlberg's wonderful Staff Sergeant Dignam. I love that DiCaprio, Damon, and Marky Mark ALL had their careers cemented in 1997- the same year Jack won his third Best Actor Oscar for "As Good As It Gets". What a crazy coincidence. Like Nicholson, the "Boogie Nights" stud was uninterested in the part when it first came to him. I'm sure his competitive nature didn't like the fact that he'd be billed below Leo and Matt. Then Scorsese reminded Mark that most of his screentime would be spent hilariously antagonizing his two friendly rivals. Wahlberg came around, and earned the only acting nomination in a film filled with major league talent, like Martin Sheen, taking a break from TV and his Emmy favorite "The West Wing".

After a three-month jail stint to build some street cred, William Costigan is ready to follow in his father and his Uncle Jackie's footsteps. What's an ex-con police academy flunkie to do? Coke deals with his jerk-off cousin. Scorsese fans will remember Kevin Corrigan as Henry Hill's wheelchair-bound brother in 1990. Blink and you'll miss him in "True Romance". You need auxiliary players like Corrigan on your team, even if it's only for one or two brief scenes. The untidy New Yorker makes an impression.

When Alec Baldwin is an afterthought, you've assembled an amazing cast. The duplicitous Sean Sullivan is playing on both sides of this Boston crime drama. A big-shot detective by day, he maintains loyalty to his lifelong mentor who somehow remains a free man despite a decades-long reign of terror. If Bulger had been allowed to stay in business for another 12 years, he'd look like Costello. He's the devil that doesn't need a disguise.

There's guys you can hit, and guys you can't hit. Ray

Vera Farmiga was a find. With a murderer's row of male talent, Marty wisely chose a relative unknown for the female lead.