"A deranged sense of humor weaves its way through "The Departed," from outrageous opening scenes introducing the sulfurous crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) to its eye-roller of a final shot." ~ Washington Post

I was trying to find just the right words to describe this movie, and I found them in the Washington Post review quote above. What can I say -- if "The Departed" was a book, it would be a page-turner. My heart sank with every awful twist and turn the plot took (and there were plenty!), but I found myself peeling my hand off my eyes (actually Rein's hand, haha!) from time to time to see what the charismatic ensemble of murderous characters would do next.

I've seen films about the Sicilian Mafia, the Cosa Nostra, the Yakuza, and even the Chinese Triad, but I'd never quite heard of an Irish Mafia before. Particularly the kind that thrives and operates in conservative Massachusetts. That alone made it worth the three or so hours of sitting in the dark--twisting and turning in my seat from watching all that Irish ruthlessness! Haha. It was also worth it to see Martin Scorsese flex his darkly comic muscles (which we've never really seen before) without diluting any of his mean streets grit.

Try your very best to follow the labyrinthian plot, and watch out for equally Oscar-worthy performances from Leo and Matt; Jack's gleeful malice; and yes, that "eye-rolling" end shot.