The Departed (2006)

Academy Award for Best Picture, 2007

When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference? - Frank Costello

Despite the fact the movie used the "f" word and its derivatives a whopping 237 times throughout the duration, The Departed is by far one of my all-time favorite movies. After a string of length, old movies I felt it was time to spice things up a bit with a couple selections off the Oscar winners list.

Set in Boston (although it was filmed in New York), that is just one of the many reasons why I love the movie so much, it follows the classic story of a good cop (Leonardo DiCaprio), and bad cop (Matt Damon). Mixed in is the ever-creepy Jack Nicholson as mob boss Frank Costello, who improvised many of his lines.

Extremely violent but with a lot of unsuspected twists and turns, The Departed proves time and time again to be a most entertaining movie. The traditional Celtic soundtrack acts a fun backdrop to the film, whether the mob is attacking or simply on the move. Reminds me in a few ways of The Boondock Saints, with the Irish/Boston accents, background music and panning cinematography, although none of the characters in Costello's mob are by any means good in nature.

5 stars out of 5