Brutal inside view of mob/cop culture ___ 8/10

Screenplay by William Monahan
Directed by Martin Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio … Billy Costigan
Matt Damon … Colin Sullivan
Jack Nicholson … Frank Costello
Mark Wahlberg … Dignam
Martin Sheen … Oliver Queenan
Ray Winstone … Mr. French
Vera Farmiga … Madolyn
Anthony Anderson … Brown
Alec Baldwin … Ellerby

Speaking of insiders, The Departed is the ultimate story of parallel universes of cop culture and crime culture, with spies on each side.  The setting is Massachusetts, the local Mob leader is Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) and the state-police leader of the organized-crime task force (OTF) [my acronym] is Oliver Queenan (Martin Sheen).

They’re playing a chess match with young recruits, particularly Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon).  These two become the cream of the crop of a graduating class of Massachusetts State Police (staties); each has a past that makes him susceptible to the entreaties of the crime/cop leadership. Continue reading →