One of Scorsese's worst films, but still good

Rating: 7/10 (1 April 2016)

The Departed, a crime thriller about a mole in the police and undercover cop trying to identify each other while the police try to infiltrate a gang in Boston, finally won Martin Scorsese the Oscar. A brilliant filmmaker like Martin Scorsese doesn't need an Oscar to prove his genius, but at least he finally got the credit from the Academy he deserves. It wasn't for the right film, but TD is a noble, thoroughly competent effort that is probably the weakest of the Scorsese films I've seen but certainly not bad. As a thriller, TD works well. Although the film feels somewhat restless at times and can't seem to keep still, it is undeniably entertaining. The set-pieces are tense, the visuals are as excellent as you'd expect from Scorsese, the plot is tense and twisty and it remains exciting much of the time. The film also benefits from a good soundtrack (Although they play the weaker version of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb') and a terrific lead performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. Mark Wahlberg is a scene-stealer as a foul mouthed police sergeant, while Martin Sheen also does a good job. Unfortunately, the criminally overrated Matt Damon is as boring as ever and Jack Nicholson overacts. This leads into the main problem with the movie: on a dramatic level, it isn't particularly compelling. It doesn't meditate on morals or any deeper themes except for a brief line spoken by Jack Nicholson during the opening, and ultimately the movie is quite superficial. Various things don't make a lot of sense and it's also too long. Despite the excessive length, as previously mentioned the film does feel rather hyperkinetic and restless, meaning much of it is told through montage. Still, as a thriller and a showcase of strong filmmaking, TD delivers.
7/10