Cops or Criminals

Quote of the Day: "You got a nice suit at home or do you like coming to work everyday dressed like you're goin' to invade Poland?"
-Colin Sullivan, The Departed

Today, The Departed finally gets released on DVD. Like most people, I like crime movies. I absolutely loved this one.

I was once told that sex is like pizza: When it's good, it great, and when it's bad, it's still good. The same goes for Martin Scorsese films. Even his mediocre movies--Casino and Bringing out the Dead, for instance--are still far better than most of the fare that is out there.

I consider The Departed one of his greats. The horrific violence and naughty language make it an arguable "guy movie" (though I know women who are just as passionate about this flick as I am), but the movie also offers some commentary on masculinity. When DiCaprio's character, Billy Costigan, orders a cranberry juice at a bar, another patron asks him if he's on his period. DiCaprio responds by smashing him in the head with a glass.

When maleness comes into question in this film, violence is often the response. It is implied that Matt Damon's character, Colin Sullivan, is impotent, and even his sexuality comes into question. It's no surprise that his actions have the most damaging consequences in the film.

Then, of course, there's Jack Nicholson's character, Frank Costello. Nicholson has been criticized for the performance being "too much Jack, not enough Frank." That's like saying there's too much of a good thing. Jack hams it up to the maximum, and it works.

The film's main flaw is the contrived love triangle. A remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, The Departed combines the original's two female characters into one, which hurts the film' integrity. With the being said, Scorsese has found a unique beauty (I'd compare her to Patricia Arquette) and impressive actress in Vera Farmiga, so I can't say I was all that concerned with the contrivances of the film.

The Departed is a certain crowd-pleaser. The direction is top notch, and William Monahan's script is a damn good yarn.

In other news, tomorrow's my big day: I'm cooking lobster. I've been looking forward to this almost as much as I've been looking forward to The Departed getting released on DVD.