THE DEPARTED

IN LONESOME DOVE, AUTHOR LARRY McMURTRY, BUILDS GREAT CHARACTERS AND THEN HE KILLS THEM OFF IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
IT HAS ALWAYS AMAZED ME THAT AN AUTHOR WOULD CREATE A WONDERFUL, JAMES BOND LIKE CHARACTER -- A CHARACTER THAT COULD GO ON FOR VOLUMES AND DESTROY THAT CHARACTER, HIS OR HER CREATION, WITH LITTLE OR NO REGARD FOR THE EFFORT THEY INVESTED IN THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTITY. IN THE DEPARTED, NO ONE IS ABOVE DYING.
********************************************************************************************* THERE IS A LOT RIGHT AND JUST A LITTLE WRONG WITH THE DEPARTED.
I LIKE THE STYLE OF THE STORY TELLING -- THEY SHOW A CHARACTER FROM CHILDHOOD, TO CRIMINAL ADULTHOOD. YOU ARE INVESTED IN THE CHARACTER. ALL THE ACTING WAS GOOD, BECAUSE THE CASTING WAS GOOD. THIS PICTURE WAS SO WELL CAST, IT WAS LIKE THE SOPRANOS IN THAT REGARD, WITHOUT THE POOR WRITING THAT ALMOST DESTROYED THE TV SHOW AFTER THE FIRST TWO SEASONS.
I WAS LEERY ABOUT THE TWO AND A HALF HOUR RUNNING TIME AND THEY COULD HAVE DROPPED AT LEAST TWENTY MINUTES, BUT THIS WAS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM. THEY MILKED THE TENSION OF BEING AN UNCOVER COP TO THE EXTREME, BUT THEY PULLED IT OFF WITHOUT GOING OVER THE TOP, WITHOUT COMPLETELY OVER-DOING IT.
THEY AVOIDED THE CLINCHE OF HAVING THE UNDERCOVER COP FALL IN LOVE WITH THE CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE. THE USE OF LANGUAGE AND THE USE OF FOUL LANGUAGE IS SHAKESPEAREAN IN NATURE -THE EXCHANGES BETWEEN MARK WAHLBERG AND ALEC BALDWIN ARE POETIC IN THEIR USE OF REFERENCES TO CARNAL EXCESSES.
IF THEY SAY MORE THAN THREE WORDS WITHOUT MENTIONING SOME VERSION OF THE PROCREATION PROCESS, I MISSED THAT PART OF THE FILM.
I DID NOT KNOW MARTIN SCORSESE WAS THE DIRECTOR UNTIL THE CREDITS WERE ROLLING. IN GANGS OF NEW YORK, HE FORCED THE CAMERON DIAZ CHARACTER INTO THE PLOT AND IT WAS A WASTE OF SCREEN TIME -- A GIANT WASTE OF SCREEN TIME. IN THIS FILM, VERA FARMIGA, THE LONE FEMALE, IS IMPORTANT TO THE PLOT AND NOT A DISTRACTION.
SHE IS NOT MUCH OF A PSYCHIATRIST, BUT SHE IS A REALISTIC CHARACTER IN THAT, SHE IS NOT DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL AND SHE HAS ISSUES - RATHER THAN BEING A SUPER MODEL, PUT IN THE FILM TO BE EYE CANDY, HER ROLE IS MEANINGFUL. SHE IS A PSYCHIATRIST WITH MORE PROBLEMS THAN HER PATIENTS - THEY SEEM TO HELP HER, MORE THAN SHE HELPS THEM.

JACK NICHOLSON IS 69 YEARS OLD -- GUYS, THERE IS HOPE FOR US YET -- JACK IS STILL AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME AND ONCE AGAIN.
HE AVOIDS TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT BY PLAYING JACK NICHOLSON, PLAYING THE CHARACTER. HE CREATES FRANK COSTELLO , GANGSTER LEGEND.

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO IS A FINE ACTOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT ON A SHIP IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, ROMANCING A PSYCHOPATHIC FEMALE; WHO WOULD THROW A $500,000 DIAMOND IN THE OCEAN TO EXPRESS HER DISPLEASURE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF MARRYING A BILLIONAIRE, SHE WAS NOT OVERLY FOND OF.

THE BLACK FACTOR IN THIS MOVIE IS SOLELY, ANTHONY ANDERSON AND HIS FATE IS SUMMARIZED IN THE OPENING SCENES OF THE MOVIE -- HIS HIGH BILLING IS NOT REALLY DUE TO THE SCENES LEFT IN THE MOVIE, MAYBE HIS BEST WORK IS ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR.
MATT DAMON HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST ROLES AND HE DOES FINE -- AND HE GETS TO IMITATE A FAMOUS JOE PESCI SCENE FROM GOODFELLAS.
THE CELL PHONE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THIS FILM -- TECHNOLOGY IS IMPORTANT TO BOTH THE COPS AND THE ROBBERS IN THIS STORY.
THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE IF YOU DON'T OBJECT TO VIOLENCE AND "COLORFUL LANGUAGE."
JUST DON'T FORGET MY LITTLE ASIDE ABOUT THE DEATH RATE IN LONESOME DOVE.