The Departed: A symphony between the mafia and police

Everyone loves a good mafia story, especially if it is done well. For a mafia based film, this requires a well written script which is matched with a great representation on film. We have seen many good mafia stories in the past but quite often they fall short of hitting the benchmark of being truly spectacular. This may be due to the fact that most people automatically put a gangster-mafia film on a pedestal, when in actual fact, it needs to be made well to become one of the ‘greats’.

The Departed is a mafia based drama film which covers two sides of a coin by portraying the atmosphere in both camps; the cops and the gangsters. Frank Costello is the kingpin of the Irish Mafia in Boston. He is feared in the city and receives tribute from every small and big business which helps him keep his reputation intact and run his side business of drug peddling. He takes Colin Sullivan under his wing as a kid and trains him to be an important asset for him. Colin eventually graduates from the police academy and joins the Massachusetts State Police to become an informant to Frank about how the police are running their investigations which helps Frank stay away from their radar. On the other side of the tracks, Billy Costigan also attempts to join the Massachusetts State Police on graduating from policy academy. Unfortunately for him, his family history is riddled with the who’s who of the city’s mafia which is known to his commanders. He is given the option of becoming an undercover officer in the mafia to work as an informant for the police about the mafia’s plans. Frank and the police both become increasingly aware of informants in their ranks and both try to smoke them out. The situation becomes grave for Colin and Billy as both try to keep their cover while exposing the other.

The Departed is a great film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay written by William Monahan. This film which was released in 2006 was based on a 2002 Hong Kong film called Infernal Affairs. The Departed is a gem of a film which shows all sides of the coin of law enforcement. It goes into depth for the three main characters and shows their development as the story progresses with the police informant getting unhinged, the mafia informant becoming increasingly paranoid and the head of the mafia being calm and collected. It shrouds the character of Madolyn in mystery, the psychiatrist who carries on relationships with both the informants while being unaware of who they really are until the end of the film.

The film has a certain sweet symphony to it, especially during the main action sequence which sees a standoff between the police and the mafia. It shows both the emotions and the mental state of the characters as they chase down each other being entirely unaware of who they are but the audience knowing their true identities. Every close call for the characters in the film is a skipped heartbeat for the audience. The title of the film comes from the death of a subsidiary character and in hindsight, there is a bittersweet way in which it ties to the end of the film.

Scorsese has also taken the opportunity to pay tribute and show his audience what influences and drives him. The multiple mentions of Sigmund Freud and his theories show that Scorsese has respect for his ideas and put them in the film. He has also used a quotation by John Lennon which shows his background and interest in music. This is also reflected in the background music which involves music from Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and others. The music was selected in collaboration with a close friend of his, Robbie Robertson, a member of the band called The Band and the use of the song I’m Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys features heavily in the film.

Scorsese brings impeccable style to all his films. Although he does not have a particular recurring style in every one of his films, each film has a unique identity to set it apart. The use of music to coincide with the events of the film and the edits to go along with the music are a part of Scorsese’s style and can be seen evidently in this film.

The Departed is one of Scorsese’s best works. It is a must watch film for lovers of mafia-themed films and those who enjoy good cinema.

Ted: A filthy-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear

Growing up is a really difficult process for some people, especially the adolescent stage which is hailed as the most confusing time. This becomes even more difficult if you do not have any really close friends to keep you company as you are figuring out life and everything around it. In order to cope, many people substitute real friends for things or made-up imaginary friends. Ted is a 2012 movie which picks up from a similar story.

John never had any really good friends who he could bank on. He was socially awkward as a kid and was not accepted by the bullies or even the people being bullied. One Christmas Eve, his parents got him a teddy bear for a gift who he was excited to have as a companion. Later that night, John wished his bear could come to life to be his best friend forever and the wish came true. Years later, John is living in with his girlfriend of 4 years while Ted, his childhood teddy bear, bunks in the same apartment. Ted and John are 30-something slobs who sit around and smoke bongs all day which makes John slack at his job in a rent-a-car company. John’s girlfriend is fed up of Ted and the laid back lifestyle which doesn’t let John and her move forward with their lives. She gives John an ultimatum of picking between her and Ted moving out. Around the same time, John is approached by an old fan of Ted who asks John to ‘sell him the bear’. John has to figure out his life and how to balance the ultimate conundrum of his best friend versus his girlfriend.

Ted is directed by Seth MacFarlane, the maker of the Family Guy animated television series. It is the story of an awkward kid and his bear, which has been brought to life. As the kid grows up to be a man, so does the bear and they continue to hang out together with the progression of Lego blocks becoming weed bongs. The film uses similar humour as that used in Family Guy. It also uses similar background scoring as the television serial and has a common voice which is dubbed from the television series, that of director Seth MacFarlane. In fact, the film acknowledges the similarities by poking fun at the fact that the voice of Ted is the same as the voice of a famous Family Guy character.

The background music is reminiscent of the scoring used in 90’s family films. There is also use of a few comedic sound effects like that done in family comedies of the 90’s. The movie seems to replicate family films, which may be from a satirical viewpoint, but it isn’t actually a family film because of abrasive language and adult content which includes innuendos and partial nudity. There is a sense of confusion in the film which takes it from being a comedy to a drama to a thriller-action flick with the use of a seemingly misplaced car chase.

The film is nothing great in terms of its comedy. It is only a mildly humorous flick which can be a little disappointing if anyone watching it has great expectations from the cast and crew.