Not Scorsese's Best

Rating: 3/10 (5 March 2007)

The Departed did not deserve Best Picture, I'm sorry to say. In my opinion, it was Little Miss Sunshine. Anyway, The Departed is just Scorsese being forced into a movie that he was required to make. While the movie did have Scorsese's direction, it didn't have the Scorsese feel.
First, the casting. Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't give his best. His over the top hysterical kid-at-Toy's-R-Us attitude didn't help me get sucked into the movie. I was very aware that I was watching some actor read his lines. I had no idea what Matt Damon was doing in there either. Matt Damon is just like his character; he's been slipped in. Jack Nicholson is perfect in anything you give him. I really enjoyed his energy. Mark Wahlberg also. His years of strong work give him the perfect attitude when it came to being a cop.
Second, the way it was put together. Scorsese doesn't use all of his God-given traits. There is violence, but not realistic violence. The fight that occurred in the market seemed stylized, and didn't even flow. There isn't any of the classic Scorsese music. None of the soundtrack in the film even compares to the mood or setting. Scorsese had it in Goodfellas and in Casino and among many others, but he doesn't use it in The Departed.
Last, the hype. The Departed didn't deserve any of the awards except for Best Adapted Screenplay. I felt the Best Director Oscar was just a gimme, because Scorsese hadn't received one. It was as if they were saying 'Well, there's nobody good in the competition, so let's just give it to Scorsese.' The Departed didn't deserve Best Picture because it wasn't a Best Picture. In my opinion, it was Scorsese's worst. He didn't have his usual edge, and that's what we expect from a Scorsese picture.