Anna’s Top 50 Films of the Decade
2. The Departed (2006; dir. Martin Scorsese)
It’s only fitting that Martin Scorsese’s rip-roaring return to crime cinema should finally win him his long-deserved Oscar for directing AND become the first Scorsese movie to win Best Picture; taut, clever, and thrilling, it’s arguably Scorsese’s best work since GoodFellas. Following two Irish Bostonians who become imposters — one (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a cop going undercover as a gangster, the other (Matt Damon) is a gangster going undercover as a cop — The Departed is superbly shot and fantastically written, with top-notch performances from a most impressive cast that includes Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen (interestingly, Wahlberg was the only castmember to receive an Oscar nomination for acting). Chock-full of plot twists and scenes packed with knuckle-biting tension, The Departed is a violent, intelligent, and engrossing piece of cinema that works on every conceivable level.
On a more personal note: I’ve watched this movie at least five times in as many weeks and have yet to tire of it. Even though I know exactly what’s coming, I still can’t help but chew my nails to the quick and swear at my TV for a decent portion of the film.
a classic
