I recently watched the Departed, what do you think?

Question

Okay i rented this movie...I thought it was pretty good. I hear leonardo dicaprio was up for a few awards for this?? His acting is very good throughout. I was somewhat disappointed with the excessive cussing throughout the film. I also found this movie a little difficult to follow, especially with Jack Nicholson's intentions throughout this flick. Was he undercover for the FBI? What are your thoughts on this film?

Answer 1

The film begins "some time ago" (the opening footage is from the Boston Busing Riots of the mid-1970s - Although, one has to assume the era is some time after 2001, because Alex Baldwin's character makes reference to the Patriot Act, which was passed by US Congress in October of that year) in South Boston, where Irish mob boss Francis "Frank" Costello (Jack Nicholson) takes ten-year-old Colin Sullivan under his wing with an intention of making him into a mole for his crew one day. Years pass and Sullivan (Matt Damon) is in training for the Massachusetts State Police. His classmates include Barrigan (James Badge Dale), Brown (Anthony Anderson) and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio). Upon joining the State Police, Sullivan begins leaking to Costello. Meanwhile, the cool and collected Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the aggressive Staff Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) of the undercover division assign Costigan to infiltrate Costello's crew. Costigan commits assault, goes to prison, and then begins selling drugs with his lowly cousin to get noticed by Costello.

Sullivan is soon promoted to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) headed by the foul-mouthed Captain Ellerby (Alec Baldwin). Meanwhile, Costigan begins assaulting associates and enemies of Costello, which provokes Costello to take an interest in him, and after first questioning him and then getting to know him he accepts him into his crew. Meanwhile, Sullivan begins a romantic relationship with criminal psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga), who is also having sessions with Costigan as a part of his probation for assault. Costigan, meanwhile, is committing felonies with Costello's trusted right-hand man, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), and is obtaining information to pass along to police in the process.

After a year, Costello plans to sell stolen missile-guidance microprocessors (which turn out to be fake) to Chinese buyers along with his main crew of a few men, under the observation of the State Police. Through the use of text messaging, Sullivan tries to save them from arrest while Costigan tries to send the cops details. Apparently Costello was tipped off by another informant within the Massachusetts State Police, because both his crew and the Chinese buyers evade the video surveillance during the actual deal and later escape out the back, where there are no police and no surveillance cameras. When it becomes obvious that tip-offs are going in both directions, Sullivan, who has just moved into his condominium with Madolyn, asks Costello for the personal information of his crew (full names, SSN's, birthdates, etc.) in order to search for cops in police records. Separately, Costigan is shocked to discover that Costello is an informant for the FBI.

Later, Costigan sleeps with Madolyn, unknown to Sullivan, and perhaps sires a child by her (an earlier scene implied that Sullivan may have been suffering from impotence). The night afterwards, Costello and Sullivan meet in a pornography theater, where Costello gives Sullivan an envelope full of his main crew’s records. Costigan witnesses the conversation. After Costello departs, Costigan shadows Sullivan into the streets, instructed by Queenan via cell phone to confirm a visual of the suspect and arrest him. Sullivan figures out that he is being tracked, mistakenly stabs an innocent man, and then flees. Costigan thus encounters the mole in the SIU, but fails to identify him.

Next, the police assign Sullivan the job of uncovering the mole in SIU, who is of course himself. Above suspicion, he is able to focus all of his efforts on finding the police snitch in Costello's crew. Tracing the information that Costello provided on his crew fails to produce any leads, however, since Dignam had the tech department seal the personnel files of his snitches.

Trying another tact, Sullivan assigns policemen to follow Queenan, hoping this will reveal the identity of the police informant. A few days later, Costigan meets with Queenan on a rooftop. Sullivan tips off Costello, who dispatches his crew to the building to kill the informant. On his way to the building, Delahunt (one of Costello's men, but also an agent of the police) calls Costigan and tells him that they've been dispatched to the building, not knowing that Costello sent him home earlier in the day. However, Delahunt accidentally gives the wrong address. Realizing Queenan was followed, Costigan and Queenan run for the exit, but Costello's men have already arrived. Queenan stays behind while Costigan escapes unseen via the fire escape. Costello's men run into Queenan and kill him, tossing him through a window on the top floor where he falls at the feet of Costigan below. Costigan joins them as they exit the building, looking like he arrived late. The police following Queenan see the dead body, however, and engage Costello's crew on the way out. Delahunt (and a police officer) are shot, but everybody is able to make a clean getaway.

At the police precinct, Dignam questions Sullivan's knowledge of Queenan's whereabouts and actions. The hostilities escalate into a fistfight, after which Dignam is forced to take a leave of absence. Meanwhile, the mortally wounded Delahunt realize that Costigan is a fellow informant, a fact that he reveals only to Costigan, moments before dying of his wounds. He is then buried by his mob associates in the marshes. The police soon discover the body and report that he was an undercover officer, a report that Costello is highly skeptical of, believing that the report was made to convince him that the informant is gone. He remains confident, apparently unconcerned about being linked to the murder of Queenan, a highly respected official in the Massachusetts State Police.

Still trying to find the police mole in Costello's crew, Sullivan uses the late Captain Queenan's phone to call Costigan. Sullivan poses as the new head of undercover operations and tries to get Costigan to come in. A few days later, Costello and his crew head to an old warehouse to retrieve a supply of cocaine while police tail them. Costello demands that Sullivan disengage the tails. However, Sullivan has recently discovered that Costello is an FBI informant and is worried that Costello may have revealed his identity to the FBI. Sullivan disengages the tails, but uses that to set up a police ambush at the warehouse. After a brutal shoot-out, Costello's entire main crew is killed. Costigan slips away before the firefight. Costello also escapes, but is confronted personally by Sullivan. Costello confirms that he is an FBI informant, but claims that Sullivan is like a son to him and that he'd never give him up. After this revelation, he tries to shoot Sullivan, but is pretty severely wounded and as a result misses. Sullivan returns fire, and Costello dies.

The police return to the station, where Costigan has a debrief with Sullivan. Sullivan tells Costigan of his plans to find Costello's mole within the department, but when Sullivan is away from the office, Costigan finds incriminating evidence on Sullivan's desk. Realizing Sullivan was the mole, Costigan flees. Sullivan deletes Costigan's file; the only proof that he was an undercover agent and not an actual criminal. Costigan later sends Sullivan newly obtained recordings of Sullivan and Costello's conversations, along with a number to call. Madolyn hears one of these tapes and confronts Sullivan, then locks herself in the bedroom when he tries to explain them. Sullivan calls the phone number and speaks to Costigan, who arranges a meet at the same rooftop where Queenan was killed.

Once there, Costigan, hysterical, confronts and arrests Sullivan. Costigan had arranged for Trooper Brown, a friend from the academy, to meet him at the building with Staff Sgt. Dignam. However, Brown comes alone and confronts Costigan as he is arresting Sullivan, demanding that he drop his weapon. Costigan, with Sullivan as his hostage, heads for the elevator. When Costigan and Sullivan reach the ground floor, we are surprised by the appearance of Barrigan, who shoots Costigan and reveals himself to be Costello's other mole in the Massachusetts State Police. Officer Brown arrives and is also shot. Barrigan releases Sullivan and explains that they have to stick together from then on, but Sullivan, taking advantage of the situation, shoots Barrigan. Police arrive at the scene and Sullivan plays the hero, accusing Barrigan of being the snitch they had been seeking all along and blaming the deaths of Brown and Costigan on him. In addition, he claims that Costigan saved his life, and ironically recommends him for the Medal of Merit.

Sullivan attends Costigan's funeral, where a tearful Madolyn refuses to speak with him. An unspecified time later, Sullivan returns home to find Dignam, who resigned earlier in the film, waiting in his apartment. Presumably Dignam has figured out that Sullivan was the snitch they were seeking all along, either from Madolyn or from Costigan. Dignam promptly kills Sullivan and exits.

Answer 2

I haven't seen this movie, but I have seen the original, "Infernal Affairs" (2002). It's a fantastic Hong Kong action flick starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung, both big stars. "Infernal Affairs" has minimal cussing and is not excessively violent/bloody, which I've been told the Scorsese film is. The movie is also a lot shorter. I had one friend who watched "Infernal Affairs" first and then was totally bored during "The Departed" because she already knew the story, and the movie was too long. So, I'm guessing, watching "Infernal Affairs" after "The Departed" is probably a lot more refreshing. The movie people are marketing the two movies together now so it should be relatively easy to find "Infernal Affairs."

Answer 3

Jack played a gangster with FBI protection as a rat...there was a lot of foul language, but if you remember there was a lot also in 'goodfellas'...leo had a great part(better in 'blood diamond'), as did wahlberg, damon, jack and alec baldwin had a very funny role also...it is one of my 'new' favorites (i watch 20 to 50+ new releases per year) and just watched it for the third time at work tonight...i highly recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it yet

Answer 4

He was not undercover FBI he was an informant for the FBI. I thought it was a great film not hard to follow at all. His intentions where to cover his backside from every angle.

Answer 5

Should definitely win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Answer 6

My boyfriend and I recently rented this movie, and we both enjoyed it, and plan on buying it. I liked it a lot, there was a lot of swearing, but the plot/storyline was interesting, and I was able follow it, I think the actors all did a pretty good job.

Answer 7

I saw it in 06 when it came out and i remember not liking the ending. i think what ur asking about, which is something they didnt go into details with, the envelop that was handed to the lady was the proof of everything that was going down, and thats y marky mark (ahem, mark walburgh) went and killed matt damon at the end, because he knew that it was all matts fault... if i remember correctly. i hated that everyone just shot each other like that.. thats y i have yet to see it again ever since. i dunno if thats what u were referring to, but thats the only thing that might have confused anyone since it doesnt tell u whats goin on- u have to guess

Answer 8

too long, but that's scorsese...any opportunity to watch nicholson chew up some dialogue is fine with me...a bit shakespearean at the end, everyone dead...not a bad way to kill two hours

Answer 9

I enjoyed it and think it deserves the great reviews it received. The actors & director Scorsese were on the money.

Answer 10

I hated it. Boring and slow, and the acting was awful.