8. The Departed
Although a few of the Boston accents are overplayed a little, this is for the most part genuinely top-drawer stuff. Set pieces, jaw-dropping (or body-dropping) death scenes and crackling dialogue abound, but the first meeting between Leo’s Billy Costigan, Martin Sheen’s Captain Queenan and Mark Wahlberg’s unforgettable Dignam is probably the most memorable.
Yes, Wahlberg is a little more sweary than some would like, but the shifts in power, the threats and reveals and the clear discomfort of Billy are beautifully presented and help set up key character arcs for the rest of the film. Dignam is a bully, of course, but a very funny one. “Staff Sergeant has a style all of his own, I’m afraid we all have to get used to it”. Indeed. Top marks to Marky Mark, holding his own against some of the most gifted and talented actors of his generation.
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLnDjoQISAM’]
