The Departed (2006)

by Chad Stroh
'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.

Spoiler Warning 'The Departed' won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The academy award for Best Director was given to Martin Scorsese after being nominated for several films earlier in his career.

Boston Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholoson) sends an undercover informant (Matt Damon) to work in the Massachusetts State Police. At the same time the police send Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) undercover acting as a convicting wanting to join Costello's crew.

As both the police department and Costello's crew realize they both have unwanted members, the two informants are assigned to find the identity of each other. The only two people who know Billy Costigan's real identity, Captain Oliver Queenen (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sargeant Bryce Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) soon find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The Captain of the police department George Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) promotes Sullivan and he find himself in a relationship with psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). As they grow closer, she meets Billy Costigan after he his assigned to her for therapy. They form a relationship unknown to Sullivan.

Sullivan reports back to Costello that their is a rat in his crew (Costigan). Costello makes each of his crew members fill out a fake form where they must include their social security number in an attempt to find the intruder. Costigan knows that Costello will take these forms to his insider in the police. He discreetly follows Costello to a porn theater where Sullivan is waiting. Costigan is unable to make out Sullivan's face in the dark theater. Costigan follows Sullivan into the streets but loses track of him.

Newly promoted Sullivan is assigned to find the mole in the police who is actually himself. While Queenan searches for Costello on the rooftop of a building, he is trailed by members of the police department. Sullivan tells Costello the snitch is in the same building and Costello's men go to capture him. Caught in the middle Queenen is caught by Costello's men and thrown off the building to his death.

After Queenen's death, Dignam begins to suspect Sullivan is the mole. Sullivan's demands to know who the mole is in Costello's crew. Sullivan eventually finds Queenen's cell phone and calls Costigan. He disguises himself as Costigan's new boss.

Day's later the police trail Costello to a warehouse where is crew plans to pick up drugs. The police ambush and kill Costello's crew. Sullivan finds Costello and Costello tells him that he is also an informant. Sullivan shoots and kills Costello.

Costigan meets Sullivan at the police station where Costigan finds evidence of Sullivan's connections. Costigan leaves and later sends Sullivan recordings of Costello and Sullivan talking. Madolyn leaves Sullivan after realizing the truth him. Sullivan calls Costigan and Costigan reveals incriminating evidence about Costello. The two of them arrange to meet on the roof where Queenen was killed.

While on the rooftop, Costigan handcuffs Sullivan. Another trooper shows up and Costigan takes Sullivan hostage. Costigan tells the trooper that Sullivan is the mole. While Sullivan tells the office he is lying Costigan flees with Sullivan

Costigan takes Sullivan to an elevator. When it reaches the bottom floor, the door opens and immediatly Costigan is shot in the head. The shooter turns out to be Trooper Barrigan. The officer who confronted the two on roof arrives and is also shot and killed. Barrigan tells Sullivan that there were two moles and he was one of them. Barrigan tells Sullivan that they should work together to hide their true identity. Sullivan shoots and kills Barrigan. Later Sullivan would blame Barrigan for the shootings.

After Sullivan attends Costigan's funeral he returns home to find Dignam pointing a loaded gun at him. Dignam shoots Costigan in the head.