I overcame my long period of laziness. I felt like an asshole to just throw out a rating for my favorite filmmaker, so here's my belated mini-review for The Departed.

The Departed - (Martin Scorsese;2006;USA)
Two moles on opposite sides of the law are pitted against each other when mob boss Frank Costello learns of the police mole.
While it looked as if Scorsese wouldn't blow our minds as much as he used to, he belts out his best film since Goodfellas. Nicholson and Dicaprio are on the mark in their roles with strong support from Damon, Wahlberg, and Sheen. The best supporting performance came from Ray Winstone who I wish to see more of after this and The Proposition. The music is also excellent from The Stones' "Shelter" to the wonderful Van Morrison/Waters/The Band version of "Comfortably Numb" with all others in between from Lennon to Nas. Overall Scorsese brings us a trenchant direction that produces a crime film that pulls you into it's story.

Annie Hall - (Woody Allen;1977;USA)
A neurotic stand-up comedian in New York City recounts his relationship with Annie Hall.
One of the absolute greatest comedies ever. Woody Allen's wit is on the spot and everything manages to intrigue me from the minor comments to the subtle gestures characters make. While being a hilarious and critical look at relationships and life it manages to ring true most of the time. Allen's direction retains some old fashioned simplicity with his credit title cards but manages to be very innovative in his editing and narrative. An excellent film.