Decent but not award-worthy

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2007)

Don't get me wrong - it's a good flick. It's just unable to live up to the hype and I don't see why it won any award.
Read Bigprisc's excellent comments for a detailed analysis and comparison with the movie upon which The Departed is based.
Ultimately, this movie is Donnie Brasco mixed with Reservoir Dogs. Unfortunately, it's not as good as either. Both of these other movies did better at what they set out to do. Donnie Brasco really delved into the tension and emotions of being undercover. And Reservoir Dogs did a much better job of showing how all the rats turn on each other and no one really winds up coming out ahead. Both of these other movies are at the PEAK of their respective categories. The Departed just can't decide what kind of story it wants to tell and doesn't tell any story convincingly.
What IS good? The editing, the soundtrack, and the acting. Those are all wonderful. But as we all know - there's no way of knowing how much of a role the Director played in those aspects. So there's no way of knowing whether Martin Scorsese truly deserved a nod for this movie, or his award was just a "lifetime achievement" award.
If you like "mob" films - this is another goodie. But it's far from the best. And the ending leaves you unsatisfied.