Same problem as with "The Aviator". Scorcese won't take home the Oscar.

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2006)

The Departed - The Departed is set in South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Nicholson). While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.
First off, this movie has the usual strengths of a Scorcese film. Firstly, a strong performance from Dicaprio and downright brilliant performances from the supporters .In The Aviator it was Cate Blanchett, in The Departed it is Jack Nicholson. My god, the man has created such a chilling and funny villain that somehow avoids being over-the top. Believe it or not, I didn't loath him half as much as I hated Matt Damon's character Colin Sullivan. The man was such a weasely runt of a social climber that one couldn't help but hate him. The film also has strong support from Mark Wahlberg as a trash-talking sergeant, Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan, and Alec Baldwin in a serious movie for once (in the last few years) it seems.
The film also has a strong script and great camera work. The violence is sparingly used but effective. The film's drawback is Scorcese's continual mistake: He doesn't know when enough is enough. He gets too leisurely with the pace of his films, and doesn't know how to make me sit through them either. It wasn't as weary long as The Aviator, but I was still looking at my imaginary watch far too many times. The movie's two and a half hours long, but it felt even longer. People always lament that Scorzese never takes home The Best Film Award, and this is the reason: He continually turns in the A- film, but different people keep on turning in the A film each year.
A very good film, but I was happiest when The Departed finally departed. It gets an A-