Did I see the wrong movie?

Rating: 4/10 (24 March 2007)

I am floored that this movie has been so well received. After seeing the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs" several years ago, I found the Departed (surprisingly) to be deficient in every way: style, appearance, coherence, story, ending. DiCaprio's character is searched thoroughly in one scene, and in one a bit later he's wearing a wire, and he's not searched. Jack Nicholson's character, a crime boss, knows he has a mole. He suspects the ex-police academy student DiCaprio. But DiCaprio implores him "I'm not a cop!" Well, there you go, that settles it. Nor tail, no nothing'. At the end he mails the damning evidence to Matt Damon's character, the mole. Why not to someone else? At times the dialog was so muffled and fast that the Departed could also have used subtitles like the foreign film.
There were some strong performances from a talented group of actors. It was fun watching Wahlberg and DiCaprio spar verbally. Nicholson was, well, Nicholson. My criticism is directed at the screenwriter and the director. Ironically, they both won awards. I know Martin Scorcese has been around a long time, making gritty violent films. He is apparently revered in the business. He's probably a wonderful guy. I'm just not a big fan. For a superior experience I suggest Infernal Affairs.