Violence, cursing, and Boston accents, all on top of a killer cast and an incredible plot. What else could you possibly need in a movie?

“The Departed” stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg. This movie perfectly portrays the violence and danger of organized crime in Boston.

The movie focuses on Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Damon), two state police officers who go undercover shortly after joining the force, but who are fighting for different sides. Growing up, Sullivan befriended the leader of the biggest organized crime ring in Boston, Frank Costello (Nicholson), who practically raised him. Sullivan makes his way up the chain of trust in the police force, while secretly working for Costello. However, when Costigan enters the force, Sergeant Sean Dignam (Wahlberg) and Captain Charles Queenan (Martin Sheen) assign him as an undercover agent. He is to infiltrate Costello’s group and gain their trust, in order to obtain evidence against Costello and charge him once and for all.

Producer Brad Pitt and director Martin Scorsese’s work to recreate the 2002 Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs” paid off, as “The Departed” grossed almost $300 million worldwide and led to Scorsese’s best actor award, and many other nominations for the Golden Globes and Academy Awards
Pitt and Scorsese’s interpretation of “Infernal Affairs” is what made their movie so successful. The characters of Sullivan and Castillo are assumed to be based on the famous Boston gangster and organized crime boss, Whitey Bulger, which helped add a realistic element for many viewers.

All of the actors played their roles flawlessly, especially Nicholson, as the audience is used to him acting as the ‘bad guy,’ after his parts as The Joker from “Batman” and Jack Torrance from “The Shining.” However, it was different for Damon to be viewed as someone on the bad side, but it was enjoyable to watch, and he played the part extremely well.

There’s a great deal of both gore and swearing (the f-bomb being dropped at least once per scene), which is why it is rated R. However, this made the film more realistic for the audience, and more accurately portrayed life involved with gangsters.

The final ten minutes of the movie has viewer’s minds spinning and left in awe. With so many amazing actors, actions, and plot twists, there’s no question why “The Departed” won the Oscar for best picture in 2006.