THE DEPARTED [2006]

Iconic director Martin Scorsese seems to make a career defining film every 8 years or so. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas and now The Departed. Based upon Andrew Lau's 2002 Hong Kong crime drama, Infernal Affairs, Scorsese takes that story and makes it his own by changing the setting, a few of the characters and the ending and it's all for the greater effect of the cultural differences.
The cast is quite frankly amazing (Mark Wahlberg steals the show), Howard Shore's suitably tango flavored music is nothing short of excellent, the camera work is top notch and the pacing is perfect in every way.
This is American film making at it's best and Scorsese & crew deserve every single amount of acclaim they've received for this film. Hell, even Andrew Lau was thoroughly impressed and that has to count for something.

5 "X" marks the spots out of 5