Last night was date night, so B and I went to see a movie. We resisted the temptation to see The Marine (starring WWE champ John Cena in his big-screen debut) and opted for The Departed. I think it was a wise choice.

This is an event movie – big director, large cast of famous actors, interesting plot, and a good balance of drama and action. It’s a bit like a Mahler symphony – fairly long, mostly entertaining, with lots of moments when you think you’ve finally reached the climax only to find out there’s lots more to come. The final 15 minutes are total edge-of-your-seat stuff.

I’ve always liked Matt Damon (in a totally masculine heterosexual way), and he’s great in this movie. I’m not a Leonardo diCaprio fan (did anyone buy him as a tough guy in Gangs of New York?), but he seems more mature, both physically and emotionally, here. Nicholson is completely over the top as the scuzzy crime boss, while Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Mark Wahlberg all have memorable supporting roles. Men outnumber women in this movie 126 to 1, with testosterone practically oozing from the screen.

Apparently the movie is an adaptation of Internal Affairs, a highly-acclaimed Hong Kong crime drama. I’ll have to search that one out.